Abstract
Research Abstract
This study examines the relationship between aesthetics and the communicative function in visual identity as a complementary relationship that contributes to building a visual identity capable of achieving communicative effectiveness alongside aesthetic quality. The study is based on the observation that the scientific literature has addressed the aesthetic and functional characteristics of logos separately, without providing a conceptual framework that brings them together in an integrated analytical model.
The study adopted the descriptive-analytical approach with a conceptual entry, by analyzing the literature and previous studies, extracting the main concepts related to logo design, and then reorganizing them within a conceptual analytical framework consisting of four main dimensions: visual structure, distinctiveness, appropriateness, and emotional response. This framework was applied to six logos: the English Premier League, Starbucks, Dunkin, X, stc, and Sbl, with the aim of analyzing them in light of the four dimensions and revealing the relationship between the aesthetic aspects and the communicative function within them.
The study results showed that logo effectiveness is not linked to its visual aesthetics or communicative capacity separately; rather, it is achieved through the integration of the four dimensions on which the conceptual analytical framework is based. The results also indicated that coherent visual structure, distinctiveness, appropriateness, and emotional response collectively form the foundation that contributes to enhancing the logo’s efficiency and its ability to represent brand identity and communicate effectively with its audience.
The study recommends benefiting from the conceptual analytical framework in analyzing and developing logos, and adopting conceptual approaches in visual identity studies, in a way that contributes to building more comprehensive and consistent analytical models that combine aesthetic aspects and the communicative function.