The LogoLounge Guide to Iconic Branding: The R Wave Logo Made the Cut
A logo from 2022 just showed up in a book I did not know I was in
Last month LogoLounge released The LogoLounge Guide to Iconic Branding, something different from their annual competition books. I just found out this week that the R Wave Monogram made it in.
The LogoLounge Guide to Iconic Branding is a trendcasting textbook written by Bill Gardner, founder of LogoLounge and Gardner Design. Where the annual books compile the best submitted work from a given year, this one is built around the principles and trajectories behind logos that last. How trends form, when to follow them, when to break from them, and where branding is heading as AI, augmented reality, and sonic identity reshape the landscape.
Being selected means the work appears alongside some of the most recognizable marks in the world, chosen from thousands submitted through the LogoLounge platform. That is a different kind of recognition from the annual books. This is not a best-of collection. It is a textbook and the R Wave Monogram is being used to illustrate a principle rather than just being celebrated as a winning entry.
About the Logo
The R Wave Monogram started as a concept during the exploratory design phase for the Revitalize Surf NW project. The concept was not chosen as the final direction for that client but the mark was strong enough to stand on its own. It was rebranded as Reka Drinking Water and submitted to LogoLounge under that identity, where it was recognized in LogoLounge 13 in 2022.
Designed to look like water in motion, the mark is a tidal wave built into the letter R, using gradients and transparency to create depth and movement. It was built entirely in RGB which gives it maximum vibrancy on screen. That combination of gradient color and transparent layering is what landed it in this section of the book, which covers how those techniques make a mark feel dimensional and lifted off the surface.
The logo is currently available for purchase. There is no fixed price listed because the right number depends on your brand, your industry, and how the mark gets used. If it fits what you are building reach out and we will work something out.
About The LogoLounge Guide to Iconic Branding
The LogoLounge Guide to Iconic Branding is not another annual competition book. It is a trendcasting textbook written by Bill Gardner, the founder of LogoLounge and one of the most recognized voices in brand identity design. Where the annual books compile the best submitted work from a given year this one is built around the principles and trajectories behind logos that last. How trends form, when to follow them, when to break from them, and where branding is heading as AI, augmented reality, and sonic identity reshape the landscape.
The book draws on decades of trend forecasting, case studies from designers worldwide, and more than 500 visuals to explain how enduring brand marks get made and why certain design decisions stand the test of time. It covers frameworks for understanding trends, a global perspective across industries and design eras, and explorations of future brand environments including AI, the metaverse, and sensory branding.
For designers it is a reference book worth having on the shelf. For business owners it is a window into how serious brand identity work actually gets evaluated and why certain marks outlast the trends that surrounded them at launch.
The book is available now on Amazon and through the LogoLounge website.
The Bigger Picture
Appearing in The LogoLounge Guide to Iconic Branding is the fifth time work from the Graphicsbyte studio has been recognized through LogoLounge, across Books 10, 13, 14, 15, and now The Guide to Iconic Branding. Each recognition represents a different phase of the studio’s work and a different design problem. That range across years and categories is what makes the LogoLounge body of recognition meaningful as a signal of consistent quality rather than a single lucky submission.
If you want to read about the original LogoLounge 10 recognition and the story behind how a trend report turned into book publishing check out that post here.
Miss Something? See what else were writing about
