Some designers seem to conveniently disappear when writing and copy are discussed, and I think this relates to our overall visual natures. Many designers think, relate, and communicate in images — it’s one of the skills that leads to great design and better designers. But while a picture is supposedly worth a thousand words, text isn’t going away anytime soon. So, it’s up to us, as designers, to wrangle the written word and to make the work we do even greater by engaging with the copy.

That’s a snippet from an article I wrote for HOW Magazine, about the fear that many designers and creative types have when it comes to writing. We find it’s a common issue among peers and others we rub elbows with, and I believe I’ve got some helpful thoughts to consider. Check it out and comment either here, or at HOW directly.

We’ve just received our copy of the brand-new inspiration book by LogoNest. The book was an outgrowth of the popular logo website, and we were asked to lend our voice to this first collected volume. Hexanine partner Tim contributed the case study/tutorial “Marrying Symbol And Metaphor.” It’s at home among other great writing by Steve Zelle (of Processed Identity), Leighton Hubbell, and a slew of other design authors.

Below is an excerpt from “Marrying Symbol And Metaphor.” For the rest of the story and more great logo inspiration, you can purchase the limited-edition book at the LogoNest website.

Defining The Symbol
A symbol is roughly defined as an image, object or depiction that represents something else. Understanding the basics of symbology is at the core of what we do as designers. It’s crucial for identity designers to absorb the basic symbols of culture, whether they are derived by association, resemblance, or convention. Symbols are super-valuable, because they communicate a vast amount of information with simplified visual depictions. Think of a stop sign’s associations, or the cross that represents a broad array of religious thought. These symbols don’t tell a complete story, but they stand in for much more complex thoughts or concepts. So, the first step of crafting an excellent logo is to generate a library of relevant symbols.

Syd Mead
The concept designer and futurist behind visuals in films like Blade Runner and the original Tron, Mead’s forward-looking designs have brought the future to the present.

Michael Bierut
Not only has Bierut created some iconic work as a partner at Pentagram, but his approachable and thoughtful writing on design has left us contemplating how design fits into a larger world.

Shag (Josh Agle)
Shag’s paintings are beautifully designed, retro-styled environs filled with absurdist scenes of martinis, swingers, and creatures. They are at once both mythical and cynical.

Armin Vit
One half of the UnderConsideration duo, Armin has launched such excellent design-centric websites as the influential Speak Up, as well as BrandNew and FPO. In Cretaceous Period of blogs, Speak Up was a source of inspiration and conversation to us, an online design mentor of sorts.

Cliff Spohn
His amazing packaging illustrations for Atari in the ’80s are fantastic, expressive and each of them exude an exquisite design sense.

David Carson
While Carson might have a prickly reputation, his work surely upset the status quo in the ’90s by pushing the boundaries of convention and readability. Design trends have shifted, but the visual landscape has never been the same.

Aesthetic Apparatus
Badass poster designs. What else do you need to say?

Walter Landor
Founder of Landor, with a hand in many impressive logos of the era, including the identities for FedEx, Levis, Coca-Cola, Del Monte, World Wildlife Fund, Cotton and others. (Hat tip to Shawn Hazen for that correction.)

Roy Lichtenstein
Pop artist extrordinare, Lichtenstein’s work pulled from the “fluff” of comic books and advertising, to create wry, ironic works that were a commentary on commercialism, mass production and what was considered “high” art.

Charles and Ray Eames
This dynamo couple helped define modern design with their furniture and architecture. They continue to inspire designers everywhere.

Alphonse Mucha
His Art Nouveau-styled work included a range of advertisements at the turn of the century, including those for Job cigarettes, theatre posters and bicycles. It seems common now, but his work elevated advertisements into the realm of artwork.

Olly Moss
With a blend of cleverness and street style, his deceptively simple designs often contain multiple layers of meaning and snarky humor.

Dave Sim
Creator of the long-running comic Cerebus, and one of the pioneers of independent comic publishing. His exquisite compositions used negative space to guide the viewer’s eye across the page, and his drawn-out characterizations still stand out long after the series’ finale.

Darwyn Cooke
His reductionist, Silver Age style of illustration is dynamic, human and powerful, a fresh breath of air in the crowded field of comic book art. His two-volume DC Comics work, “The New Frontier” is a landmark of modern comics.