Why KIA’s confusing logo is part of a growing design trend

Kia has a logo problem: namely, that people can’t quite read it. The recent revelation that the company’s new logo causes 30,000 people a month to Google “KN car” sent the design world into a minor tizzy, resulting in a number of proposals to “fix” the logo by restoring the missing crossbar to its “A.” 

Click here to read the story at fastcompany.com.

Discussion Questions:

1. What is branding?
2. Why is branding important in business?
3. Why do you think logos are an important part of an overall branding strategy?
4. What is a rebrand?
5. Why do you think Kia chose to rebrand?
6. Why do you think they introduced a new logo as part of the rebrand?
7. Based on what you learned in this news story, how was the new logo perceived by customers?
8. How might that impact Kia from a branding perspective?
9. How might that impact the company in the long term?
10. What are industry trends?
11. The headline of this story suggests the Kia logo is part of a new design trend. What is it?
12. Why do you think that is a current design trend?