General Dynamics Corporation is a publicly-traded aerospace and defense corporation based in Reston, Virginia. It works in 45 countries globally through ten subsidiaries. In 2020, it was placed on the 83rd line of the Fortune 500 ranking.
The General Dynamics logo has an austere and minimalist look. You will never say it’s one of the most memorable designs you have ever seen. And yet, the designers who worked on the logo had good reasons for such a choice. This approach seems to perfectly fit the company and the industry in which it works.
The company was incorporated in 1952, but it traces its history as far back as 1899. Over the first four decades of its history, it focused on manufacturing tanks, rockets, missiles, submarines, fighters, and electronics, as well as a range of other products that are part of the daily work of various military services.
However, in the early 1990s, the company made its specialization narrower. The majority of the portfolio was purchased by other organizations, and only military-vehicle and submarine production stayed the property of GD.
Around five years later, a series of acquisitions took place. As a result, the company became the owner of an aerospace brand, combat-vehicle brands, IT brands, as well as other businesses.
Today, the General Dynamics logo is familiar to residents of many countries of the world. However, we can’t say that this design is capable of stirring your imagination or leaving a lasting impression. All you can see here is just the name of the brand given in a simplistic sans.
What is General Dynamics
GD is a global aerospace and defense company. The list of products and services it offers ranges from business jets and combat vehicles to nuclear-powered submarines. In 2020, General Dynamics Corporation was ranked the third-largest defense contractor in the US, and the third-largest in the world, by sales.
What makes the letters somewhat different from a default typeface in a word processor is the width of the glyphs. They seem a little wider than letters in an average font, due to which they look somewhat stout. This conveys stability, reliability, and, in a way, power. Anyway, objects that are higher and elongated seem to be easier to tip over. So, the designers opted for stout glyphs because they wanted to send a certain subliminal message to prospective and existing customers.
You can come across a black logo on the white background, but the company’s official website and media materials showcase a different version. Here, the name of the brand is dark blue. On the one hand, it is one of “business” colors, not some fancy hue that can be seen in exotic birds or fish. Then again, it is better memorable than black, which adds some recognizability.
The seeming simplicity of the typeface is the result of a carefully thought-out design strategy. We should add that the shade of blue used in the General Dynamics logo is rather vivid and visually appealing. It is somewhat reminiscent of the night sky.