Ah, the r/graphic_design subreddit – a community haven for like-minded designers to share tips, career advice and now, apparently, the most abysmal logo designs you’ve ever seen. It all started when a user pointed out how “plain awful” the old subreddit logo was, prompting a response from the original creator: “You want to make a cooler one, feel free”. Since then, chaos has ensued.
You’d like to think that a subreddit full of graphic designers could design a logo with ease, and yet the onslaught of hilariously dreadful designs proves otherwise. While some pure souls offered genuinely thoughtful new logo designs, most users made a mockery of the whole ordeal, offering laughably bad designs – and let’s be honest, that’s what most of us want to see, so here are my favourites.
Is it just me or is the subreddit logo just plain awful from r/graphic_design
All the usual design crime suspects were present and correct, including Papyrus and Comic Sans font, frustratingly uneven spacing, illegible maximalism and hand-drawn Microsoft Paint abominations. Other users ripped off iconic logos and some submitted painfully juvenile designs, slapping on a “made with Canva” watermark for good measure. Some rejected creating a new design altogether, suggesting that the viral “graphic design is my passion” meme should be the honourary subreddit logo.
The “graphic design is my passion” meme (Image credit: Yungterra via Tumblr)
“Just get AI to do it” chimed in one user, sharing an overtly AI-generated logo design of a hand holding a pen with text reading “GAPHHC DESIGN”. Some took the running gag as an opportunity to criticise the current career climate, with one user submitting a design that boldly read “Why can’t I find a job?”. Naturally, in the wake of the interenet’s collective Brat girl summer, numerous low-res green backgrounded logos popped up, inspired by Charli XCX’s Brat marketing.
Have a brat summer yall from r/graphic_design
The ‘Chaotic Evil’ option has not been explored yet… from r/graphic_design
I think that my design accurately represents this sub. from r/graphic_design
Made a few logo concepts, I would love to hear your thoughts! from r/graphic_design
As of now, the old logo is still present (probably for the best), but there are plenty of legitimate designs that could make a good replacement – so long as the subreddit can settle on a serious design. To see the full host of laughable logos, head to r/graphic_design.
If you’re after more hilariously bad design, check out Surreal Cereal’s billboards that break every design crime under the sun. For more graphic design news, take a look at why graphic designers want you to stop calling them rock stars.
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