My instinct was to turn this quote around to say Summarize first THEN symbolize. Meaning, you must understand what and why you are designing before you can make a mark or symbol for it. It wasn’t until I watched this video (below) that I realized that he had it right- of course.

Symbolize and Summarize: from AT&T Archives

Saul Bass Pitch Video for Bell System Logo Redesign

Saul, uh…Mr Bass, highlights the problems and contrasts that with the solutions and showing (visually explaining) how the proposed solution is used in other industries. Still relevant today. Notice how he says “us” and “our”.

It’s not just about a logo. It’s the entire visual vocabulary that speaks to the people that interact with.