Sunglass Hut: Republished

I don't particularly like the idea of republishing blog posts. I guess there's nothing bad about it, but it just seems to me like once is enough. But today I wanted to republish one. I don't plan on making it a regular thing, but there is an older blog post I really like and I want more people to see it. :) As I looked back on it, I also thought it was interesting to notice how my writing and design critiquing styles have changed over the past sixteen months. So without further ado, I give you Sunglass Hut: Republished.

originally published august 12, 2010

What do you think of when you see a big silver dot?  A dot like this.

You probably think of round things like the moon or a golf ball, right?  But let me ask you something.  Does this remind you at all of sunglasses?

Probably not.  At least, sunglasses wouldn't be the first think I'd think of when I see this silver dot.  But look what company this logo represents.

Sunglass Hut!  Yes, even though this simple little silver circle might not instantly cause sunglasses to fill your mind with all their high class, expensive glory, I think that most likely (at least if you're a "visual person"), this logo will be ingrained in your consciousness from this moment on.  Whenever you see a silver dot, you will think of Sunglass Hut.  Or not.

But I certainly will.

Moving on, though.  The title of the post was "one great logo."  So what's so great about this dot?  There are a lot of things.  But before I get into that, I have to let you know that it's not just the dot that's great.  It's Sunglass Hut's entire lineup of visuals. 

The black fold-ey thing that has the logo on it is actually a gift card holder, in fact, a brilliantly designed one/  Of course, there's the dot on the front.  It's a classy shade of silver, but when the light hits in a certain way, guess what?  It turns pink!

The inside is also just so cool.  Here's what you see when you open it up.

Notice the negative circle punchout on the right side.  It mimicks the dot on the front, but doesn't copy it exactly.  I love it - it provides continuity without being a copycat.  And then there's the left side.  Look at all that simple, elegant, thin, sans-serif typography!  And even the content is pretty well thought out.  Who wouldn't be instantly grabbed by a headline that says "life is full of tough decisions?"  It makes everyone want to figure out what that statement has to do with sunglasses.  Great marketing.

The inside looks good from every angle.

And the small text at the bottom of the left side is just perfectly spaced.

Even the back of the gift card holder matches the scheme with its simple elegance.

Can you tell I'm a fan of the Sunglass Hut design scheme?  It's not only pleasing to the eye, it also goes perfectly with the climate and feeling of the store.  Have you ever been into Sunglass Hut?  If so, you'll know that it's a very high end store.  You sense luxury the minute you walk in.  And the silver dot logo, as well as the rest of the design elements, go right along with that image.

To wrap things up, here are a few notes about why I think the Sunglass Hut brand identity is so epic.

• It fits the style and image of the store: high-end and classy.
• It's simple, yet wonderfully iconic and memorable.  I'm learning more and more that good design, especially logo design, doesn't have to be hard to execute, but it does have to be innovative, fresh, new, lasting, and unique.
• It's a good marketing move.  Sunglass Hut desperately needed a new logo.  The other one was old and had an almost cartoonish appearance.  (You can check out the old, new, and interim logos by reading this Brand New post.)  That's one reason that the logo is good for marketing.  But also, in contradiction to what the post on Brand New said, I think the lack of "sunshine" in the logo is also a good marketing tool.  After all, sunglasses are meant to keep out sunlight, correct?  So a sunlight-less logo actually supports the mission of the store and of sunglasses in general.
• It helps to update Sunglass Hut's image.  Even though the logo supports the high-end image of Sunglass Hut, it also makes the general image more young and cool looking, which will invite a wider range of people to come enjoy the store.

If you've made it this far, thank you for being patient with the nerdy ramblings of a graphic design lover!  Now, it's your turn to tell me what your favorite logos are!  Do you have any that you think look especially cool?  I'd love to hear if you want to share them!

That's Sunglass Hut: Republished. What do you think? Do you like the logo? And do you like my super wordy review style? I think the main reason I don't do that anymore is time. Writing a post for every day, how could I ever use that many words in each one? I'm curious to hear your thoughts though. Comment away.

P.S. Happy birthday to the best sister in the world!