most modern marks are lacking in artistic merit and significance. their shapes are average and bland, ugly and utilitarian. their designers misunderstand their purpose, leading to a kind of useless playfulness. —wilhelm deffke

most modern marks are lacking in artistic merit and significance. their shapes are average and bland, ugly and utilitarian. their designers misunderstand their purpose, leading to a kind of useless playfulness. —wilhelm deffke
Wilhelm Deffke was one of the first designers who publicly reflected on the consequences of a bad logotype and its ability to harm a company’s reputation. He went as far as discussing proprietary rights and legal protection of a logo, subjects that became a part of the mainstream design rhetoric only much later.
trademarks deserve our attention as a means of improving the public taste, and because of their extraordinary economic significance, their value is in the millions. —wilhelm deffke