Design principles

After the controversy of the Department of Tourism and their slogan, the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. came out with a launch of their own new logo. This one was a redesign and a revamp. Not that there was anything wrong with the current one, though. This government agency went on ahead and changed the way they look. It wouldn’t have been a problem if it looked aesthetically pleasing or if it had actually fulfilled the description that they were looking for. Netizens were quick to point out that it was similar to many others in many ways.

My first look at the logo reminded me of a bull --you know that type that has two horns. The colors were also likened to a prominent fuel company. I laughed when I saw that the gradient was close to the original then I knew that this wasn’t original. Since this was a public procurement for service, the details about the supplier were available online. A lot of people saw who they got and the person was nowhere near an expert. Maybe he was, in his own way. He has done many government-related logos as well, but those that wouldn’t wow us at any point. His name was under a new company, whose Facebook page was changed from an election-related one. Everyone knew that it was a red flag.

If the documents on the internet were true, the company appropriated over ?3 million for the logo revamp. This makes me wonder, how much do design principles actually cost? I work with some design faculty members who built their names over time. For starters, the time spent in school is about four years and add to that the years of experience that they needed to gain. This is on top of the seminars and crash courses that they had to take to make design their bread and butter.

While the realm of art and creativity may be subjective, the principles of design are very clear. One uses visual elements to communicate with its intended audience. This includes color, form, lines, typeface, and many others. If the feel or vibe of the message is not achieved by the design itself, then something is wrong. It is the designer’s duty to “test” out their products to a select audience, one that holds no bias, before they release it to the whole world. The client has the last say and approval. That’s how the process must be. We respect creatives but we don’t overstep roles.

It is sad that many are anticipating which government agency would flop next on their designs or marketing campaigns. Instead of focusing on their mistakes and whatnot, they should be steered into the right direction. Other agencies did well. They can always get a referral from experts. We just want our money to be worth every penny. Government expenditures should not be ridiculous. It must make sense. Our taxes are hard-earned. The government must put value into it.