By Troy Leinster, Typeface Designer at Leinster Type
Published 28 November 2024
Last week, you may have heard the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation introduced a new identity designed by London, UK-based Pentagram partner Harry Pearce.
As a typeface designer who looks at shapes every day, I was drawn to a few problematic optical illusions that the renowned design firm overlooked—suggesting a need for more consultation from typographic professionals in the area of logo design.
Optical illusions in graphic design are everywhere, yet they’re often overlooked. I believe that paying closer attention to these details not only enhances our craft but also helps build the trust and respect our profession deserves.
Below, I’ll walk through each step to redraw the Guggenheim monogram and point out some areas that I think could be improved. My intent here is to help the untrained eye identify these subtleties and share insights that can inspire more thoughtful logo design practices.
The new Guggenheim Identity, by Pentagram.
1. Beware: geometric circles are born diamonds.
Most of the applications we use in graphic design today rely on Bézier drawing tools to create shapes and letterforms. While the mathematical representation of what we take for granted as a circle looks pretty good, on closer inspection it reveals the diamond shape construction behind it.
To compensate for this, I’ve optically corrected it in the third example by extending all the off-curve points (the Bézier handles) by approximately six units, and widened the entire circle by 12 units to get a more natural looking circle. The result is more pleasing to me—try reconstructing it yourself and note how much adjustment it needs to be pleasing to you.
2. Watch for horizontal weight gain.
A Thickness Illusion published in the journal Vision, confirms that most people perceive the thickness of horizontal lines as heavier than vertical. This is very obvious to me in the Pentagram example above, the result of simply duplicating and scaling down the outer circle to create a counter.
I’ve compensated for this optical illusion in the third example by reducing the top and bottom curves by approximately eight units, and I’ve added two units to the verticals (the sides). Try it for yourself and note what decisions you made to remove the perceived weight top and bottom.
3. Don’t forget to look at negative space.
The Thickness Illusion also applies to negative space. This is a little harder to see so I’ve exaggerated it in the example on the left. The white ring appears very slightly heavier at the top A, compared to the sides B.
I’ve corrected it by taking four units off the top and bottom white ring.
4. If you’re going to steal a slice, make sure you hide the evidence.
If your intent is to create a shape from one that originally started as a circle, be sure to correct the terminals of your new shape. In the Pentagram example above the quarter was deleted without noticing the new problem it created. Sharp eyes will see the inside curves are flaring inward while the outside curves are heading in a different direction.
I’ve corrected this in my example so it appears as a complete stroke, with the outlines travelling in the same direction removing any indication it was once a circle.
5. Weight relationships are super important.
Do you see what I see? The inside ‘quarter’ shape appears lighter, or in the background to the outside ring.
I think of weight as similar to looking at a landscape. Objects in the foreground appear closer than those in the background. If the intent here was to create a cohesive unit where both objects appear on the same layer or plane, we need compensate for this illusion by either adding weight to the inner shape, or reducing the weight of the outer shape, or perhaps a little bit of both to land somewhere in the middle.
To correct this illusion I’ve increased the size of the inside shape to the point in which it appears to have a similar weight to the outside shape.
The final comparison.
Can you see the improvement? If you can’t, that’s okay—spotting these subtleties takes a little practice in observation. Perhaps you can feel an overall improvement but can’t pinpoint why.
I encourage you to experiment with this yourself and see where you land.
Join the Typemasters™ email list for more tips on how to use and make type.
