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What was it that Cro-Magnon man was tryijng to convey when he routinely left an outline of his handprint by newly created artwork. Perhaps this was a type of signature, a symbol to mark his acheivement. In fact, this may just have been the worlds first type of logo design.
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The word logo is a greek stem meaning speech, speak, word, or talk. Similar to the greek stem icono, or icon meaning image, likeness, sacred or holy image. In its basic form, the term logo can be used to define some graphical symbol that speaks to us - an icon that carries with it some meaning.
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We have spent some time above explaining the way icons were used in the Paleolithic age by the cave paintings of early Cro-Magnon man. When looking at the symbology of later cultures, it is important to consider the explanations of historians as to the purpose of these early icons. Often, it is taken as fact, that most early artwork (sculptures, images and the like), were all of religious significance. While this obviously has some basis in fact, it cannot be taken as a universal truth. The fact is, we really cannot tell exactly what this art was supposed to convey, we can merely assume that is was intended to mean something.
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A simple look at the American Icons can easily display that feeling we are trying to describe. The American flag, Statue of Liberty, the Liberty Bell, the Declaration of Independence, the bald eagle - all these things share a piece of the global feeling that is America. Throughout history, logos have been used as a means to convey feeling. The same characteristics of the great logos of our American culture apply to those most successful business logo designs of the modern era. Although a design firm may be able to create a great piece of artwork, a logo cannot truly be great unless that business that it comes to represent is great in its own right.
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