JKR

3. Iconic design relies on the brand having “soul”.

The best design comes from substance beneath the style. Without great content – genuine values and themes, there is nothing to inspire great work. For example, while classic Penguin book covers are now considered cool enough to sit on and drink from (and really cool to be actually seen reading), their iconography was born from pragmatism.

Allen Lanes’ vision for the Penguin brand was centred on affordable literature for all. The design system created for the brand meant that while different genres could be easily found, each addition to the range did not require its own bespoke cover design, with expensive illustrations etc. A basic solution kept costs down. What now looks supremely stylish was a result of a clear idea of what the brand should be about.

One theory presented by marketing pundits is that iconic brands express “mythic” themes, tapping into our unconscious desires and anxieties. There is a current vogue for fitting brands to “archetypes” – a kind of formalising of what the brands personality is, from jokers to magicians. The actual results are often more simple than the theory. Dove taps into the myth of skin-deep beauty being shallow and therefore “fools gold”. And this pure thought is reflected in simple, “unadorned” branding.

Similarly, Harley Davidson’s is mythic, epic even, because of its association with movie rebels and outsiders such as the Hells Angels. But the design backs this up with masculine design cues. Everything is either chunky or stripped down. Nothing feels fey, from the paintwork to the guttural sound of the engine. Design amplifies the spirit already inherent in the brand.

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