‘Logo Land’: Bangladeshi author Amit Biswas on logos of the Netherlands

Logo Land  (Lecturis, 2021), a new book by Bangladeshi author Amit Biswas, takes a look at the origin and meaning of logos, exploring the depths of shapes, colours, and forms in the municipality logos in the Netherlands. 

With forewords written by Jan van Zanen, mayor of the Hague and chairman of the Association of the Netherlands Municipalities, and by Peter Kentie, Managing Director of Eindhoven365, the book is a gesture towards Dutch customs, struggles, history, mythology, and their day-to-day life. 

"The municipality of Vaals is known for its history in terms of culture, historical buildings, and preservation", author Amit Biswas writes. "This rich history can be found in all the core villages/towns within the municipality. The classic and elegant design of the logo radiates the pride of the residents [...] and characteristics of the municipality. The colour red is derived from the coat of arms and flag of the municipality."

Biswas is a Bangladeshi-born international marketing professional with a BBA degree from the University of Pune, India and an MBA from the Maastricht School of Management, the Netherlands. 

Photo: Nadine Saupper

His journey with Logo Land started back in 2016 when Biswas first noticed the new logo of Eindhoven city. Biswas was fascinated by the city branding and corporate identities spotted across the Netherlands. "In everyday life, whether you are born in a particular municipality or living in one or just visiting, we come across these logos […]. Seldom do we ask ourselves the true meaning behind these logos", he reflects in his work.

The book dedicates discussions to the types of logos, their meaning and origin, the significance of their colours and shapes, and the development process of their design. 

Based on empirical evidence and four years of research, Biswas highlights key aspects for the process of successfully creating and introducing a new logo and brand guideline for a city. 

This is "the first such initiative in the Netherlands by a Bangladeshi author", the embassy of Bangladesh, the Netherlands has said of the book. 

Mostafa Shabuj is the Bogura correspondent of The Daily Star, and a former student of Sociology at the South Asian University, New Delhi, India. Email: [email protected]