What Can We See in a Logo?

We see hundreds of logos on signs, vehicles, websites, and even on the clothes we wear. All of these logos are designed to attract our attention.【小题1】However, a recent research supports the idea that remembering what a logo looks like is a very difficult task.

Researchers gave 85 students a simple assignment to draw the logo of a well-known company from memory. Surprisingly, only one student in the study could accurately draw the logo from memory.【小题2】Researchers have developed a theory that they think might help to explain this blind spot in our memories.

Logos are typically designed to be simple and easy to recognize with a quick glance. Yet the frequent exposure to these logos can actually make our brains overlook them. This process is known as “attention saturation(注意力饱和)”.【小题3】

Even though the brain is accustomed to ignoring unnecessary details, it is programmed for recognition. When we see images such as logos over and over again, we become familiar with them. This constant exposure leads to something scientists refer to as “gist memory”, which means that our brains remember the basic idea without all of the details.【小题4】. In fact, familiarity with a popular logo can even make people feel more comfortable about purchasing or using certain products.

Logos are everywhere we look today. A fancy design or a thoughtful color combination may be a good start for a logo concept, but there are other factors to consider.【小题5】A clever design may be interesting, but most people will forget the details—especially if our brains have nothing to say about it.

Christmas is on the way: 4 gift ideas from Stanford's bookshop.

Shipping Areas Tea Towel, £9. 99 (enjoying a 10% discount)

We are a nation of sailors who rely on weather forecasts to keep safe. This book will help you understand the shipping forecast, with the 30 shipping areas mentioned in the National Weather Service. So, the next time you turn on the radio and hear about high winds in Cromarty, Forth and Tyne, you'll know that they mean strong winds in these areas. You'll be wiser to make some preparations.

The Writer's Map, £30 (enjoying a 5% discount)

The Writer's Map combines maps and literature. Many writers use maps to plan out their stories. This book collects maps that appear in fiction and non-fiction. JRR Tolkien, a fantasy novel writer, said, “The fact that many books choose to contain one map is evidence to the importance of maps. I wisely started with a map, and made the story fit.”

Brutalist London Map, £8 (enjoying a 5% discount)

You either love it or you hate it. Said to have been coined (创造) in the late 1950s from the French raw concrete, brutalism (野兽派艺术) was a big influence on the 1960s London’s finest examples of brutalism. Brutalism maps of other cities, including Paris, Washington and Sydney, are also available.

The Ordnance Survey Puzzle Book, £14. 99 (enjoying a 10% & discount)

The national mapping agency, Ordnance Survey, has been mapping the Great Britain for many years. The Ordnance Survey Puzzle Book includes word puzzles and various mathematical challenges. It includes maps containing rare geographical characteristics or places of special cultural interest. It will make you look more closely at every map and test your map-reading knowledge.