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Hey DeAnn,
To keep your logo design out of the "cheesy valley," you need to communicate carefully.

You need to make your logo to Minimum Viable Penguin. "Is that like this?," you might ask:

[smallest viable penguin]


No, silly, that's the Youngest Viable Penguin.

Imagine you were tasked with drawing a penguin with the minimum arrangement of shapes possible that will look like a penguin.

Too many extra shapes, and your drawing no longer looks like a penguin. Too few shapes, and your drawing also no longer looks like a penguin. It looks like a bat, a bird, or a ghost.

You have to strike the balance. That’s the Minimum Viable Penguin. Here’s what that looks like:

[Minimum Viable Penguin]



Let’s how the concept of the Minimum Viable Penguin applies to a logo. Last week, I showed you what the Target logo would look like if it were in the "cheesy valley."

[target logo in the cheesy valley]

The target on our cheesy valley target logo is just a little too complex. It’s not the Minimum Viable Penguin. But what happens if we make it too simple?

Here, it’s nothing but a fat red ring (or a thin red donut)...

[target ring]

Here, it’s nothing but a big red circle.

[target circle]

If we combine those two, we get the Minimum Viable Penguin. It’s only slightly less complex than our cheesy valley Target logo.

[target logo]

The next time you’re trying to design the perfect logo, ask yourself what the Minimum Viable Penguin is of what you’re trying to convey. 


If you want to learn more about the subtle art of Minimum Viable Penguins, sign up for my Logo Mastery course. I'm offering it, for the first time ever, until June 14th.


Best,
David
P.S. Got questions about Logo Mastery? Just hit "reply," and I’ll respond as soon as I can.


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