Notation: Sato Taku's 120 Thoughts on Logo Design

A mark is the face of an organization, brand, product, or event. It needs to convey complex messages while being distinctive. The creation of each mark involves designers listening to customer needs, examining social realities, adding their personal interpretations, and going through repeated refinement and adjustment to achieve a unique appearance.

This book compiles 120 selected marks, symbols, and logo designs and their core thinking from the decades-long career of Japanese graphic design master Taku Satoh. Through these examples, one can gain insight into his design thought process behind visualizing a brand's key values. From the packaging design of Meiji Milk, a bestseller for over a decade, to the visual identity of 21_21 DESIGN SIGHT, and the logo for the Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennale, all showcase astonishing and diverse creative perspectives.

The author states that when presenting proposals to clients, he offers at least three designs based on different concepts. Why not just present one confident work? Because "if only one option is presented, the client has no room for discussion and can only accept it, which I feel completely excludes them from the design process. However, if several designs based on different concepts are presented side-by-side, various thoughts, opinions, and questions can be gathered, and dialogue will emerge from that."

Besides meaning "impression, trace, symbol, trademark," the word "mark" also carries negative connotations like "stain, scar." Deliberately choosing "mark" as the title is a continuous self-reminder to examine whether the marks he creates are stained or scarred, and whether they truly serve as a medium connecting people to people, or people to things. Through the rich case studies and explanations in this book, the author hopes to make people feel that "design is truly fascinating."