Lester Beall has created many pieces of graphic design in his time, but perhaps one of his most famous works that he has done would be the logo he did for International Paper. However, he did have assistance in creating this piece with Richard Rogers, an architect in 1960. When first laying eyes on this logo, most people will immediately see the tree. But upon closer inspection, one will not the slanted letter “I” and the sharp letter “P” that together form the tree. Of course, there is also the circle that encloses the negative space to create an even more aesthetically pleasing design. Another aspect that I noticed is that the tree can also be seen as an arrow, which Beall loved to implement in his designs. According to Beall,

“Our assignment was to provide management with a strong mark that could be readily adapted to an immense variety of applications. This ranged from its bold use on the barks of trees to its intricate involvement in repeat patterns, carton designs, labels, trucks. In addition to its functional strength, the new mark is a powerful force in stimulating and integrating divisional and corporate identity with positive psychological effects on human relations” (Lester Beall/ logoorange.com).

The logo was controversial for its time while critics critiqued the use of bending the letters to form an image. I am not too sure why people criticized that aspect of the logo, but it was a different time and place. Personally, I really admire the way Beall crafted the emblem by using the initials of the company and turning it into a tree; which is what paper made from (obviously). This symbol was created over 50 years and is still used today by the company, and I believe that that is well deserved. Even today, the logo still stands out from many other symbols that are created today.

This may not be my favorite logo design in the world, but it is one that can serve a great inspiration. Overall, I do believe that the International Paper Symbol is a piece of graphic design history that should never be forgotten and deserves to be admired for many more years to come.

“Logo Design History – Famous Brands Glossary.” Logo Design History, July 2005, www.logoorange.com/logodesign-I.php.