When one thinks of dark, industrial-tinged, pseudo-pop many things could come to mind. However, mention Nine Inch Nails and most who have heard of this long-lived, popular rock outfit may picture the iconic logo of said band. Consisting of an "N" (nine), "I" (inch), and backwards "N" (nails) housed inside of a simple box, this logo has spanned nearly twenty years to become one of rock and roll's most noticeable band emblems. Created in 1989 by Gary Talpas for the band's initial debut and inspired by the typography of the album Remain In Light by the Talking Heads, the symbol has graced the cover of each Nine Inch Nails release since then.
The simplicity of the design is perhaps the strongest part of the Nine Inch Nails logo. It utilizes blank space very well, which also makes it stand out. I also thought that the use of symmetry was brilliant. If the design did not incorporate the backwards "N," it would not be as successful. The use of symmetry also plays into the "rule of three" by separating the logo into three parts designated by the letters. By keeping things simple, the logo catches the eye and commands attention much more than some complex, epic, rock icon would and promises to keep this as one of pop music's more memorable designs.
What about the type of font that is used? Why do you think they used a sans serif font? Why all caps?
ReplyDeleteI believe they chose to use all caps and a sans serif font because it's bold and, once again, simple. Had they chosen a more complex font, it wouldn't have stood out as much. As is, the Nine Inch Nails logo looks like a brick- it's very solid and strong looking. If say a more elegant serif font was used, it would take away from some of the solidity and even dominant aspect of the design.
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