In this assignment I ask students to collect a sampling of logos from products in a single category such as cars, food, or fashion. What image are the logos trying to convey? What consumer “buttons� are the logos trying to push? Do the logos seem related to the product itself (for example, the Chiquita banana logo for the Chiquita banana company), or does the power of the logo depend upon the associations the viewer must form between product and logo?

Many of my students choose to analyze the logos found on athletic apparel. How do graphic artists convey the notions of speed, power, fitness, and health? How do logos combine with the name of the product to appeal to consumers? Some logos are self-explanatory (the logo made up of the designer’s initials) while others require more creativity in discerning their relationship to the product.