Logo Design & Branding Quiz

1. The Nike 'Swoosh' is one of the world's most recognised logos. Who designed it and how much was she paid?

1. Carolyn Davidson — paid $35 for the design in 1971 (later given Nike shares)
2. Milton Glaser — paid $100,000 in 1971
3. Paul Rand — paid $100,000 as part of a larger IBM-style design programme
4. Rob Janoff — paid $2,000, the same as for the Apple logo

2. What is the hidden image in the Amazon logo (the arrow from A to Z)?

1. A bow and arrow representing swift delivery
2. A river representing the Amazon River — its source of inspiration
3. A smile — the arrow goes from A to Z suggesting Amazon sells everything and it creates a smile under the word
4. An arrow pointing to the A, representing Amazon's name

3. Paul Rand designed some of the 20th century's most influential corporate logos. Which technology company's logo is he most famous for?

1. Apple — the bitten apple
2. IBM — the striped blue logo
3. Intel — the 'intel inside' badge
4. Microsoft — the Windows flag logo

4. Rob Janoff designed the Apple logo in 1977. Why does it have a bite taken out of it?

1. So it would not be confused with a cherry or tomato when reproduced in a single colour
2. Steve Jobs personally insisted on the bite as a reference to Alan Turing's death
3. The original design had no bite — it was added to reduce the logo's weight visually
4. To represent Adam and Eve's forbidden fruit — linking knowledge and technology

5. What is the FedEx logo's famous hidden element that most people don't notice?

1. A clock face hidden in the 'e' suggesting timely delivery
2. A hidden 'F' in the blue section of the logo
3. A small aeroplane hidden in the negative space between the letters
4. A white arrow formed between the E and the X in the orange 'Ex' section

6. What is the 'golden arches' symbol and which fast food brand uses it?

1. Burger King — representing the crown shape of its logo
2. KFC — representing the drumstick shape of its chicken pieces
3. McDonald's — the M shape formed by two golden arches, representing the letter M and warmth
4. Subway — representing the fresh ingredients flowing into the sandwich

7. Milton Glaser created the 'I ♥ NY' logo. What was the original brief and how much was he paid?

1. Commissioned for $10,000 by New York City's tourism board as a permanent identity
2. Designed by committee with Glaser refining the final version — he charged his standard studio rate
3. Paid $500,000 as part of a long-term rebranding contract for New York City
4. Sketched on a scrap of paper in a taxi for a temporary 1977 New York State tourism campaign — he donated it for free, waiving his fee

8. What is a 'wordmark' (logotype) logo and how does it differ from a symbol/icon logo?

1. A wordmark is trademarked; a symbol logo is only copyrighted
2. A wordmark is used only on digital platforms; symbol logos work in print
3. A wordmark uses colour; a symbol logo uses only black and white
4. A wordmark uses only the company name in a distinctive typeface; a symbol/icon uses a graphic mark without text

9. What is 'brand consistency' and why is it important in design?

1. Ensuring all brand touchpoints (colours, typography, tone, imagery) follow established guidelines — creating recognition and trust
2. Keeping a brand's visual identity unchanged for at least 10 years
3. Making all products in a brand family the same size and colour
4. Using the same designer for all brand materials over many years

10. The Starbucks logo has evolved significantly since 1971. What image is at its centre?

1. A green mermaid holding a coffee cup in each hand
2. A stylised coffee plant with two pods
3. A twin-tailed siren from Greek mythology — a seductive creature drawing sailors to sea (and customers to coffee)
4. The face of the original Starbucks founders

11. What is 'rebranding' and what are the risks involved?

1. Changing the CEO or leadership team of a company with a strong visual identity
2. Creating a brand for the first time — it carries no risk if done by experienced designers
3. Significantly changing a brand's visual identity or positioning — risks alienating loyal customers while aiming to attract new ones; the Gap logo change (2010) is a famous failure
4. The annual refresh of seasonal marketing materials for established brands

12. What is the significance of Coca-Cola's distinctive red colour in branding?

1. Coca-Cola's red is one of the most protected brand colours in the world — its specific Pantone shade is central to its identity and has influenced modern conceptions of Santa Claus
2. It was arbitrarily chosen by a printer in 1886 as the cheapest available ink colour
3. It was chosen to match the colour of cherries — the original Coca-Cola flavouring ingredient
4. It was mandated by US food labelling laws requiring stimulant drinks to use red packaging

13. What is the 'Target' retailer's logo designed to represent?

1. A camera lens aperture representing focusing on the customer
2. A wheel — representing their delivery and logistics network
3. The concentric circles of an archery target — the retailer's name comes from the idea of hitting the mark with great value
4. The sun — representing warmth and accessibility in retail

14. What is the 'London 2012 Olympics' logo known for in design circles?

1. Being one of the most controversial Olympic logos in history — divisive, abstract, and expensive at £400,000
2. Being the first digitally created Olympic logo
3. Its elegant representation of the Thames river and Olympic rings
4. Its innovative use of the Union Jack colours in an Olympic context

15. What is 'colour psychology' in branding and give three examples?

1. Academic research into cultural differences in colour perception and preference
2. The process of matching packaging colours to the product's natural colour for authenticity
3. The scientific measurement of consumer reactions to different colours using EEG equipment
4. The use of colour to evoke specific emotions and associations: blue = trust/reliability (banks, tech), green = health/nature (organic brands), red = urgency/appetite (food, sales)

16. What is an 'identity system' in design and how does it differ from just a logo?

1. A collection of multiple logos used in different contexts by the same company
2. An identity system includes the logo, colour palette, typography, imagery guidelines, and all rules for their application across every brand touchpoint
3. An identity system is the digital version of a logo for social media platforms only
4. The personal artistic style of an in-house design team

17. The Penguin Books logo is a simple penguin in an oval. Why was the penguin chosen in 1935?

1. It was designed to match the founder's personal coat of arms which featured a penguin
2. Penguin Books was founded in a building next to London Zoo's penguin enclosure
3. The founder Allen Lane spotted a stuffed penguin in Edinburgh Zoo and thought it had the right combination of dignity and playfulness
4. The penguin was chosen because it is black and white — representing the printed page

18. What is the 'Swoosh effect' in sponsorship design — named after Nike's logo?

1. The psychological feeling of speed and forward motion created by diagonal logo shapes
2. When a logo becomes so recognisable it no longer needs the company name — Nike now often appears without the word Nike
3. When a logo increases in value through athlete association rather than paid advertising
4. When a rebranding campaign successfully changes public perception of a company

19. What is the 'Tiffany Blue' and why is it legally significant?

1. A colour developed by Tiffany's in-house chemists that cannot be replicated by other manufacturers
2. A Pantone colour swatch created for the luxury goods industry to standardise premium packaging
3. A specific robin's-egg blue (Pantone 1837) that Tiffany & Co. has used since 1845 — one of the first colours to be trademarked as a brand identifier
4. The blue colour used in all precious jewellery boxes by international law

20. What principle makes the Twitter (now X) bird logo and other icon logos effective at very small sizes?

1. Having perfectly symmetrical design so it reads correctly when reflected or inverted
2. Simplicity and strong silhouette — an effective logo must be immediately recognisable as a clear shape even at 16×16 pixels (a favicon) or embossed on a pen
3. Using a maximum of two colours so the logo reproduces cleanly in any medium
4. Using only straight lines so the logo can be drawn accurately by hand by anyone