Accidentally designing "offensive" logos...?

[RyanT]

Have any of you accidentally designed a logo or graphic element that looks like something it wasn't intended to be?

I was recently working on a design for a customer when someone happened to glance at my screen and said "That looks a lot like the KKK logo". Well, not knowing what that logo looks like I searched and found, yup, I basically redesigned their logo and nearly put it on a sign. This probably would not have helped my google review status, as you can imagine.

I know "offensive" is a subjective word, but is there some sort of design database or image list of things to DEFINITELY AVOID? Sometimes it's obvious, but in this case I barely dodged a bullet.

An example below (not my design): you might not want to use Waffen SS design elements...

 

[AKwrapguy]

I too have not seen the KKK logo but that looks more like the SS from WWII

 

[ams]

I really don't care how customers see my graphics, if the customer is happy, I am happy.

 

[Rick]

I always make sure my logo work passes the genitalia test, last thing I want is something I designed showing up on some site because it looks like crotch...

 

[Pauly]

I always make sure my logo work passes the genitalia test, last thing I want is something I designed showing up on some site because it looks like crotch...

I thought the idea was to see how many penises you can get into an image with out anyone noticing?

 

[HDvinyl]

You work for Disney?

 

[JTBoh]

I thought the idea was to see how many penises you can get into an image with out anyone noticing?

I'd be lying if I said I don't have a few wangs scattered about on signage.

 

[Johnny Best]

I always make sure my logo work passes the genitalia test, last thing I want is something I designed showing up on some site because it looks like crotch...

They also give that test for green card applications during immigration processing.

 

[Z SIGNS]

check out the shadow that this thing casts.

 

[2B]

Kerning is also a VERY important part to the layout

 

[HDvinyl]

Most IT guys ARE dicks.

 

[ADuke]

I have not had this issue (that I know of) with accidentally designing something offensive with a logo. I did design a vehicle wrap for a customer where the first two letters in their name overlapped the wrap graphics and they came back with "it looks like it says ASS" (the word being CLASS), which I didn't notice until they pointed it out and I had to redesign. Ops of a beginner in wrap design.

 

[Dan360]

I thought the idea was to see how many penises you can get into an image with out anyone noticing?

We used to do this in college assignments for kicks, there is an art to hiding penises.

 

[brian oliver]

"Accidentally..", heh.

 

[Billct2]

I haven't had that issue (yet) but when putting static cling sponsor decals on golf carts for a tournament for my biggest client I almost made a big error.
The course's carts were fine, but the extras rented for the event had a manufacturers decal that I was partially covering. I forget just what it was but somehow the letters that were left uncovered were "a*s" .

 

[signmania]

Reminds me of an episode of Everybody Loves Raymond. His mom tried her hand at sculpture and came up with a 6' tall vagina. Everyone saw it but her.

 

[Ridgeracer24]

Reminds me of an episode of Everybody Loves Raymond. His mom tried her hand at sculpture and came up with a 6' tall vagina. Everyone saw it but her.

lol I love that episode.

 

[eahicks]

Kerning is also a VERY important part to the layout

View attachment 132172

Yes it is.

 

[visualeyez]

Yes it is.

Handel Sans! That was the typeface I used for some of my first personal signage!

 

[Big Rice Field]

Kerning is also a VERY important part to the layout

View attachment 132172

Kerning is also a VERY important part to the layout

View attachment 132172

ROTFL