This is 99% invisible. I'm Roman Mars.

Logos used to be a thing that people really didn't give much thought to.

Over the last decade, the volume and intensity of arguments about logos have increased substantially.

A lot of this is just the internet being, you know, the internet.

But logo redesigns in particular attract a lot of hyperbolic vitriol.

I was wondering what this felt like to a designer.

So I talked to one of my favorites.

Michael Beirot is an AIGA metalist and partner at the International Design Consultancy Pentegrin,

where his work includes brand identity, logos, book design, and packaging.

At such a fun time talking with them, I just thought I'd put our conversation out as

its own episode. I hope you dig it.

Many of you might be familiar with the logos we discuss, but if you need a little help

dragging your memory, this is a great episode to listen to as you scroll through the images

on this episode's webpage at 99pi.org.

Michael says that for a very long time, no one understood what his job as a graphic designer

really meant. But recently, that's changed.

I have to admit, now a lot of times people will say,

oh, so do you do logos? Or they'll outright ask me what I think of

a, you know, some logo that's in the news.

And this is entirely new and kind of startling and unnerving.

What is the most recent logo they've asked you about?

Have you even asked about your own logo?

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