I have been fascinated with logos since high school. I am intrigued by how one can convey a great deal of information into a compact visual symbol. As an example, look at the FedEx logo.

partners_fedex_hLogo

Can you see the arrow? (it's between the E and the x). I didn't see at first, but now I use it as an example of how the subtle use of letterforms can make a design convey a message, even if we don't see it immediately. Think of it as the design world's equivalent of the "Da Vinci Code". You can read an interview with the designer, Lindon Leader, here.

After graduation from Loyola in 1978, I worked for a typesetting house in Culver City, California, Lettergraphics. I became very aware of how letterforms are artworks in their own right. I later started working in the computer graphics field in 1981 using a Genigraphics workstation. I copied many logos into the computer for our clients and this helped me understand how figure and ground, as well as color and form, can work to create a memorable design.