The one that got away, by designer Ryan Tym across in London.
Ryan’s work was pro bono work the non-profit Subterranea Britannica.
“I was convinced that the identity proposal, which abstracted the Union Jack to form a downward arrow to reference the subterranean world, and Britain, was worth pursuing.”
— Ryan Tym
But before his work could be presented to the board, a similar-looking design appeared for Made in Britain, so Ryan decided to pull the idea.
It’s unfortunate. I’m sure the identity would’ve served Sub Brit well — a relevant, distinctive idea with a clear step up in quality.
It’s also a quick reminder not to jump to conclusions when two similar logos appear.
“Every day, blogs are filled with comments from designers criticising each other over which identities they have copied to get to their solution. The reality, most of the time, is mere coincidence. Basic shapes, symbols, graphics and letterforms are consistently at the heart of an identity, and the ideas around their usage often overlap.”