“How far out of focus can an image be and still be recognized? A [logo] which is subject to an infinite number of uses, abuses, and variations…cannot survive unless it is designed with utmost simplicity and restraint.”

— Paul Rand, A Designer’s Art.

According to Paul Rand, a well-designed logo retains its form and recognizability under the duress of real-world use and abuse. To test this theory, let’s look at how well these contemporary iconic logo marks hold up to a single form of visual stress: a gaussian blur. Read more about this experiment »

Click to Identify the Logos Below

The blurrier the logos are, the more points you’ll get for a correct guess. When you can’t guess anymore, make it easier by sharpening the logos.