CATERPILLAR LOGO CRITIQUE
I just wanted to expand in more detail on what you suggested about the CATERPILLAR® logo within your post on the Human Locator project. Mosty because some of our readers may not remember or have ever noticed (or rather REALLY SEEN) the genius within the CAT® logo and additionally, to make the point that we may be expecting too much from Freeset™ when comparing them to CAT®: Its just a whole new kind of world really… perhaps uncharted territory in terms of logo design and branding. Remember, that the CATERPILLAR® corporation has been around since 1890 or so. It took the company until around 1915 to establish a LASTING corporate identity which emerged only as they perfected the gas powered tractor for the allies in World War I. My point here is I think it is a slippery comparison to attempt to critique the (not yet even corporate) identity of a very new, very small startup software company to that of a 100+ year old machinery manufacturer. Its just not the same world. The Human Locator is so new that I think we have perhaps a unique design problem on our hands in terms of: “How does one BRAND (or market) technology to technophiles and marketers?” I will wager that within TWO years this product and perhaps its parent company will be absorbed within a much larger corperation ANYWAY so perhaps its current independently designed LOGO and/or brand identity SHOULD be seen as merely temporary. Again…I agree with you- their current logo is horrible and does not communicate anything about the techonology OR the potential of the product. But to compare them to a company like CATERPILLAR® may be expecting too much too soon from such an experimental startup. Finally, it is also important to note that human location mapping/surveillence technology in relation to content delivery is not new. Prof. Keith Roberson brought the artist Myron Kruger to my attention. Further research seems necessary.