Rio Hondo Graphic Design

05/23/2026

05/23/2026

The Hidden Story Behind Toyota’s Legendary Three Ovals Logo.

In 1989, Masashi Uehara served as Art Director at the Nippon Design Center during the creation of Toyota’s iconic “Three Ovals” logo. This ambitious project, led by Creative Director Yusuke Kaji and overseen by the legendary designer Kazumasa Nagai, became a massive collaborative effort spanning five years. Developed to celebrate Toyota’s 50th anniversary, the emblem was crafted to deliver a unified visual identity that would support the company’s global expansion. The timeless design features two perpendicular inner ovals representing the overlapping hearts of the customer and the company, gracefully enclosed within a larger outer oval that symbolizes the world. Together, these elements subtly form the letter “T” for Toyota. The result is a sophisticated and meaningful logo that continues to embody harmony, trust, and worldwide ambition more than three decades later.

05/18/2026

“Symbolize, don’t illustrate.”
-Saul Bass

Illustration shows what something looks like. Symbolization captures what it is. A symbol reduces an idea to its essential force, allowing it to be remembered, recognized, and reused across contexts.

Hard truth:
If your logo explains too much, it understands too little.

05/16/2026

Every design student is told that a logo should work in black and white. Maybe the same rule should also apply to packaging design.

The supply disruption caused by the US's war in Iran has led the Japanese snack giant Calbee to temporarily stop using coloured ink in its packaging. Could the conflict turn into an unexpected test of the best brand design?

04/30/2026

“It’ll Grow on Me”: How Phil Knight Nearly Missed the Power of the Swoosh.

The Nike "Swoosh," designed in 1971 by Carolyn Davidson, a Portland State student, draws from the Greek goddess Nike’s wing, symbolizing speed and victory. Phil Knight, Nike’s co-founder, initially lukewarm, said it would “grow on him.” The logo’s minimalist curve, once criticized as a mere checkmark, became iconic for its adaptability, stretching across products without needing the brand name.

In Greek mythology, Nike, the winged goddess of victory, soared above battlefields, crowning heroes with glory. Daughter of Titan Pallas and Styx, she symbolized triumph in war and sport, often depicted with wings, a wreath, or a palm branch alongside Athena or Zeus. The Winged Victory of Samothrace, a breathtaking 2nd-century BCE sculpture, captures her dynamic grace, embodying success and achievement. Revered by athletes and warriors, Nike’s legacy endures as a beacon of excellence.

Inspired by this divine figure, the Nike brand adopted her name and crafted the iconic Swoosh logo, evoking the goddess’s wing. This sleek, curved design symbolizes motion, speed, and victory, perfectly aligning with Nike’s ethos. Paired with the bold “Just Do It” slogan, the Swoosh has become a global emblem of athletic ambition, adorning footwear, apparel, and stadiums. From ancient Greece to modern tracks, Nike’s spirit of triumph unites mythology and modernity, proving victory is timeless.

12/12/2025

12/03/2025

We look at three Nigerian designers bringing African expression to contemporary typography, a vernacular lettering style encoded into regional dialects and aesthetics through the improvised gestures of self-taught sign painters. Chisaokwu Joboson () runs Ụdị Foundry and Type Afrika; his “Mekanikal Display” font nods to industrial-workshop typography but stays rooted in the vernacular. Seyi Olusanya () is the creator of “Danfo” (inspired by Lagos’s danfo-bus graphics) and “Tac”, and he’s the founder of Afrotype. And David James Udoh (), self-taught graphic designer-turned-type-designer, draws hand-painted signage from Lagos and Mombasa in “Funky Waka,”…

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10/31/2025

Dr. Erica Brozovsky of "Otherwords" explains how letter sounds can evoke certain emotions, particularly when it comes to naming brands.