Monday, January 28, 2008



I was driving down University when I saw the Fort Worth Zoo logo. I think that the Fort Worth Zoo logo does a good job of using interpretive type because the F and the W put together make out the shape of an elephant. Just having those two letters incorporating an image that is typically associated with the zoo allows people who are driving bye to quickly glance up at it and understand what the sign is about without having to read the entire thing. It is also a very cleaver way to get the point across without actually having a picture of an animal.

12 comments:

Sarah Reed said...

I agree that this is a particularly clever, cute and appropriate way of advertising for a zoo!! I would have never thought that they could turn the initials into a cute elephant! I actually used this too as a good example of a logo in our Intro to Visual Communications class last Spring because it has always caught my attention while on University Drive. I even remember seeing it the first time I came to TCU and thought to myself that I wanted to go there!! I think this shows that a viewer will always remember a good and purposeful design.

Unknown said...

Wow, in all the time I've been here, I've taken that logo for granted. I think I vaguely remember seeing the FW long ago, but on re-evaluating it after a type class, I find it to be one of the most successful in the area, as far as interpretive type goes. I wonder how many hundreds/thousands of people drive by and never notice the FW elephant.

little cody. said...

genius. i defiantly have noticed the elephant and i have always appreciated the cute and clever nature of it. i love how it says so much with using just 2 letters. i think that should make it bigger and make the elephant more noticeable because it is such a great logo and they need to show it off more.

and besides..who doesn't love a cute little elephant?!

I'd Rather Be Baking said...

I too never really noticed (or i took for granted) this logo. It was not until type, which caused me to scrutinize typography everywhere, that I really saw the elephant as an F and a W. I guess sub consciously I always knew It was an Elephant. Basically Im kind of envious of whoever designed this. I also really appreciate how they used contrast to make the FW stand out against the rest of the logo.

pollypocket said...

I really enjoy this logo as well. Even though I knew it was for the zoo, because of the jungle/organic feeling the typeface gives off, it always takes me a few minutes to recognize the elephant as a whole. My brain tries to separate the two letters, so I see the elephant's head and trunk and then a few seconds later connect it's w-shaped feet to it.

White Chocolate said...

It is a very inviting sign that gives information as well as a subtle image of an animal from a illustrative type. Even though it is just a street sign it really is effective in making people interested in going to the zoo; much more so if it was just type without the f and w.

Bethany said...

i love this one.
infact i had taken a pic of this sign and was going to post it when i found you had already done it. I mean how cool it this type work. Creating an elephant with the letters 'f' and 'w.' which fit right in for 'fort worth' zoo. It fits it's projected market in that those who are interested in zoo's can appreciate the fun idea.
when i see such successful solutions like this one I wish I could have been a fly on the wall during the whole brainstorming and problem solving process and to have seen the look on their faces when this solution hit them. How fun.
Knowing know about type we have to wonder if other even notice it or appreciate it as much as we do.

LmBaptista said...

THIS LOGO ROCKS ! ahah i remember seeing it in bill gal class and not understanding what he was talking about but not its so fun to look at it and see how ti was made and how every thing fits and was designed, it think even for our first assigment this is a great refference to just how design can be simpel and only typographic

MerBEAR said...

I love the Fort Worth Zoo logo too. It uses type effectivly and clearly which appeals to the younger audience the zoo targets. Everytime I drive past this I always think it is such a great logo integrating animals and everything into it.

skidmark said...

wow. this is great! i've gone by this sign so many times but i don't think i've actually realized that it was an F and W. after looking at it more in depth, it's actually extremely clever and cute! not only is it cute but the designer made it very purposeful!

Ebee said...

i never realized it was supposed to be a elephant!!! that is so interesting i thought it was always supposed to be a bird. Now i see it!! i think it is great and very effective it could not work for anything else but Fort Worth so that is nice and exclusive!

anits said...

Geez, I never realized that the logo formed an FW. I am obviously very oblivious. But now that you mention it... what a cute idea! It brings out the meaning of what the zoo is: animals in their natural environment. I wonder if the designer wanted the elephant to be subtle like it is.