Garmin Ltd. is a GPS technology company founded in 1989 by Gary Burrell and Dr. Min Kao, operating across automotive, aviation, marine, outdoor and fitness markets [1]. The company’s visual identity has undergone one major documented redesign, moving from a globe-based mark to a wordmark with a distinctive blue triangle.
Design and History
In November 2006, Garmin began rolling out a new corporate logo. The redesign eliminated the globe that had appeared in the previous mark and introduced a triangle in Garmin’s signature blue [2]. The company described the new logo as contemporary and easy to read, building on existing brand awareness while integrating new modern elements [2].
According to Garmin’s brand guidelines, the logo consists of three elements: the pointer (the triangle), the GARMIN logotype, and the trademark symbol [3]. The pointer is positioned above the letter “N” in the wordmark [4].
Meaning and Symbolism
Garmin has not assigned a single official meaning to the blue triangle. In a statement on the company’s official forum, Garmin said: “We believe the triangle will represent different things to different people — true north, triangulation, and the pointer on our mapping products are some of the suggestions we’ve heard so far” [5]. The triangle’s resemblance to the location pointer used in Garmin’s mapping products is one interpretation the company has acknowledged [5].
Typography and Design
Garmin’s brand guidelines specify Frutiger as the approved corporate typeface, with Frutiger Light, Frutiger Light Italic, Frutiger Roman, Frutiger Italic and Frutiger Bold listed as the type family [6]. The guidelines also state that when Garmin appears in a sentence, it should be set in the same typeface and at the same size as the surrounding copy in initial-cap form [6].
For color, the brand guidelines specify that the pointer graphic should appear in PMS 285 blue. In most instances, the logo appears as black logotype with a solid PMS 285 triangle on light backgrounds, or as reversed white type with a solid PMS 285 triangle on dark backgrounds [7].
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