As logo designers, we are trained to make things look good. Much of the creative process can sometimes appear as a struggle to maintain both the strategic and the aesthetic nature of the solution. As a group, we are opinionated and are often very quick to point out what we like and dislike. We have dozens of graphic design sites that thrive on the idea of praising pretty design, but does everything need to be pretty? Is the best solution always what is both traditionally believed to be ‘good design’, and the beautiful examples we go out of our way to praise?
I have (wrongly) in the past expressed concern at the initial meeting with a client about their hideous logo and the need to change it. I believe many clients have come to expect this from logo designers — we often want to change everything. There are however many examples of what can arguably be called ugly design that has done very well in creating a strong visual brand. 
The example that comes to mind is the Google wordmark. The same typeface, rainbow color scheme, drop shadow and beveled look applied to any other entity would never make it as a logo of the day on the sites we frequent. Aesthetically, I find the wordmark horrible with its inclusion of many elements I would hesitate to put into any logo, let alone all of them into one. But wow, does it ever work. You can’t help but recognize the Google wordmark and the associated brand even at a quick glance or with only a portion of the wordmark showing. Sure, this can be credited in large part to the proliferation and exposure the wordmark has but it also works because it is in many ways ugly and different. People love the customized (and often unsightly) versions that appear for holidays and to commemorate events and are quick to Tweet and post about everyone. 
“And while I find the new logo bland, the true measure of its success will be the myriad of applications it gets applied to and how well they are integrated across all channels and markets. If done correctly, it could make Seattle’s Best Coffee a very well-known brand.”
So while we are trained in school to create the most aesthetically pleasing designs, we are (or should be) taught to look at long term goals, integration, growth and the value of a unique or less than beautiful design that has the potential to make a lasting impression. It may not always make the world a prettier place but it will sell more of what our clients are offering and that is in large part what we are hired to do. Google wordmark designed by Ruth Kedar, Seattle’s Best Coffee logo designed by Creature
