Logo Wars: Using AI and Dr.Ed de Bono’s Thinking Hats for Design Critique

Introduction

Welcome back, friends! Today, we're diving into an exciting discussion about the Project Management Institute (PMI) and its new designs for the PMP certification logo. It's likely that many of you have seen or heard about the two potential designs that have emerged, leading to a friendly "Logo War" between them. To get an impartial perspective, we’ll employ a third party: artificial intelligence! Not just any AI, though—we’ll be using both ChatGPT and Gemini as our critics. Furthermore, we’ll leverage Dr. Ed de Bono’s innovative method, the Six Thinking Hats, to analyze each design.

The Designs at Play

Before diving into critiques, let’s discuss the two logos:

1. Logo A (Left): A bright, bold design featuring geometric shapes and a vibrant color palette. Its modern look is meant to capture attention quickly.

2. Logo B (Right): A circular badge design featuring darker colors and additional text that explicitly states "Professional Certification". This logo aims to convey a sense of authority and professionalism.

AI Critiques

We first turned to ChatGPT to determine which logo was better.

ChatGPT's Analysis

• Logo A Pros:

  • Modern and distinctive appearance.
  • Attention-grabbing colors and bold design.
  • It features clear, legible text suitable even from 12 feet away.

• Logo A Cons:

  • Multiple colors may distract from the primary message of professionalism.

• Logo B Pros:

  • More official certification feel.
  • The presence of “Professional Certification” clarifies its purpose.

• Logo B Cons:

  • Darker colors may not stand out as much in varying settings.

Ultimately, ChatGPT concluded that the better design depends on the context—Logo A for branding and recognition and Logo B for professionalism.

Gemini's Evaluation

We asked Gemini for its perspective, which offered a similar comparative analysis but maintained a more direct stance:

• Logo A's Strengths:

  • Clean and simple design, easy readability, and memorable.

• Logo B's Strengths:

  • Offers clarity but may lack memorability due to its complexity and additional elements.

Gemini emphasized that Logo A appears more versatile due to its simplicity, while recognizing the strengths of Logo B in more formal settings.

The Six Thinking Hats Perspective

To deepen our review, we employed Dr. Ed de Bono’s Six Thinking Hats methodology.

Logo A

• White Hat: Bright colors and bold shapes; simple circular design.
• Red Hat: Feels modern and vibrant, conveying a sense of creativity.
• Black Hat: May be too playful for serious contexts; the professional nature might not be communicated effectively.
• Yellow Hat: Stands out well and has strong branding potential.
• Green Hat: Differentiates from typical logos, great for innovative campaigns.
• Blue Hat: Suitable for casual settings, but less effective for formal documents.

Logo B

• White Hat: Features the PMP acronym and professional certification text with a darker palette.
• Red Hat: Evokes feelings of seriousness and professionalism.
• Black Hat: Dark colors may not attract attention; could feel overly formal.
• Yellow Hat: Clearly communicates credibility, apt for professional settings.
• Green Hat: Not very unique; the design could be more innovative.
• Blue Hat: Fits well in formal contexts, maintaining a clean appearance.

Conclusion

Through the analysis with AI and the Six Thinking Hats technique, we gained insight into each logo's strengths and weaknesses. Both designs have their merits, and the choice of which is better ultimately depends on context. As a community, it's essential to engage with PMI and contribute our thoughts, as the decisions they make affect all certification holders. After all, this logo represents our professional identity!

We invite you to share your thoughts! Which design do you prefer and why? Leave a comment below to join the discussion!

Keywords

• Logo design
• Project Management Institute
• PMP certification
• ChatGPT
• Gemini
• Ed de Bono
• Six Thinking Hats
• Professionalism
• Branding

FAQ

Q1: What are the two logo designs discussed?
A1: Logo A is a bright, bold design featuring geometric shapes, while Logo B is a circular badge design with darker colors and additional text stating "Professional Certification".

Q2: How did AI contribute to the critique of the logos?
A2: Both ChatGPT and Gemini provided analyses comparing the strengths and weaknesses of each logo based on factors like readability, memorability, and context appropriateness.

Q3: What is Dr. Ed de Bono’s Six Thinking Hats technique?
A3: It’s a method used to facilitate critical thinking by encouraging individuals to look at a situation from multiple perspectives—emotional, factual, optimistic, critical, creative, and process-oriented.

Q4: Why is feedback from the community important in the design process?
A4: Since the logo represents the professional identity of countless individuals, engaging the community helps ensure that the design resonates well and meets the needs of its users.