Designing Iconic Logos

Before putting pen to paper, understanding what’s at a brand’s heart is critical. At DesignStudio, our Immersion phase is integral to surfacing the story of a brand. Armed with this knowledge, our Strategy phase distils our insights into a tangible brand platform to help guide brand decisions. With this foundation established, we design logos and identities which have rich stories built into them, thoughtfully manifesting our strategy into meaningful and memorable brand marks.

Airbnb

Creating a global emblem of belonging

Airbnb’s logo takes the form of the Bélo symbol: an instantly recognisable and universal emblem of belonging. It’s a mark which can be drawn by anyone, whether on the back of a plane ticket or with a stick in the sand. 

A potent expression of the brand strategy, “Belong Anywhere”, the logo draws together four main themes: people, places, love and Airbnb. With “Bélo” an affectionate nickname for “belonging”, the logo epitomises Airbnb’s warm and welcoming nature. It’s a symbol which allows the brand to transcend language, culture and geography, truly representing Airbnb’s belief in a world where people belong anywhere.

Premier League

A logo that takes pride in its heritage

Richard Masters
Managing Director, Premier League

For almost 15 years, the Premier League’s logo had been dominated by Barclays as its title sponsor. With the opportunity to finally stand alone, they needed something to represent a totally new era for the Premier League and shift perceptions of the game. 

Their iconic lion held emotional equity with fans around the world, many equating the lion with the Premier League itself. Acknowledging this, we knew creating a logo wasn’t about destroying to make something new, but building on the equity and heritage which already existed. Our reborn lion is bold, defiant and proud. A symbol which celebrates the prowess of those on the pitch as much as the passion of the people around it, and an emotive manifestation of the new brand strategy, “We All Make It”’.

Providing the Premier League with a wide-ranging brand toolkit, we’ve enabled them to easily adapt the logo for all purposes. The symbol which works perfectly on different scales, with more or less text, and across a suite of background colours and patterns. It’s a mark with emotional strength, but technical power too, flexible from broadcast and in-stadium, to social, advertising and beyond.
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Going

Channelling the twists and turns of travel

Following our repositioning and renaming of Going, we needed to build on the curiosity and eagerness the new name inspires. Choosing a wordmark as our logo form, the meaning within the ‘Going’ name is able to be amplified further, while helping to increase brand recognition. 

The Going logo instantly conjures a feeling of momentum. The integrated arrow within the capital G of 'Going' reinforces this movement, while the loopy form of the letter represents the spontaneous twists and turns which make travelling so wonderful. The slanting letters of the wordmark readily lean forward, expressing the anticipation of what’s next. All these elements culminate to express “Invite the Unexpected”, the new brand strategy which clearly communicates Going’s spirit of adventure.

Riot Games Europe

Expressing the fierce passion of players

The League of Legends European Champion (LEC) had grown a mammoth community, but lacked a brand which authentically reflected those committed to the game. Diving deep into the pro-gaming world, we discovered the community was packed with humour and warmth alongside their passionate and competitive energy. LEC is both bold and united; we distilled this attitude into the brand strategy, “Unleash Together”.

The new logo expresses the fierce passion and finesse of players. The two sides of the logo reflect the explosion of energy present within both competing teams, who unite in one arena for one crown. Each carefully considered element of the logo is inspired by the clashing of teams, fans and cultures within the league.