Q5 | Russell asks: what are the 5 worst bits of graphic design you can think of?

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The questions are getting a little harder.

I thought this one would be really easy, every day I see stuff that makes me go "urgghh". But I suppose most graphic design is so ephemeral it's hard to recall bad examples. There are loads of examples of bad usability, like this

but that's technically usability and not design. Anyway, let's see if we can find 5.

1. That Abbey logo.
God I hated this. I don't normally reel at these rebrands like the tabloid press do but this is awful. Terrible.

You can begin to understand what they were trying to do with all that 'turning banking on it's head' stuff, but it just didn't work.

As I get older I'm starting to realise that you see more bad executions than you do bad ideas. What annoyed me most about this logo was the execution. The sheer amateur nature of those faded edges. Did they seriously think that would work as a shop front?

A modern logotype has to work on screen, on paper and in 3D. Faded edges to not align themselves well with these items. You might get away with it for a start up record shop, but a top ten high street bank? Madness.

It annoys me even more that Wolff Olins are responsible for this. What every you think about them, they've done some great work and they should at the very least have known better than this.

Look at the store fronts. Every sign is different. And not different in a good way. Some glass, some vinyl, some wood. Bad, bad, bad.

I remember visiting branches of the Abbey that had three previous logos on display. Once again if I was paying Wolff Olins style fees I'd expect them to get the rollout done properly. Rubbish.

2. Comic Sans
It's a cliché but I really hate Comic Sans. If you absolutely have to use a comic style font, you know, if you work for DC Comics or the Beano or something, then hand write it and do it for real. Certainly don't use it in restaurants, in hospitals, when lifts have broken, when couriers have to use the other door and never, ever on business cards.

3. Currys.digital

This is such a bad idea. Dot digital sounds so dated. The name is ridiculous. But the design. Take a look at this.

Grey and green? Just because the name is dated doesn't mean the graphics have to be. Unbelievable.

4. All design agency websites.
Drop the Flash intros. In fact drop the bloody Flash all together. Lose the picture of the studio dog. Lose the stock shots and do your own fucking photography. Forget all the 'why we're different' ' our philosophy' bollocks. Show me the work and give me a map. Quickly.

Sorry that's only 4.

Comments

[eric]

i hear tons of people complain about comic sans, but what really gets on my nerves is
the font papyrus. whenever anyone wants
something "non-standard," they always go
with papyrus.

[Ellen Munro]

Am I the only one who absolutely hates Abbey's new red identity? I can't stand it, it's far too corporate looking for what is essentially still a high street brand.