What is a Logo?
“Make a logo for your research” we were told after an introduction into the science of logos. What we did not realize yet, was that we were forced to visualize our research in a creative way to communicate it as simple and effective as possible.
So what is a logo? According to Wikipedia, the definition is as following:
‘A logo is a graphic mark, emblem or symbol used to aid and promote public identification and recognition.’
OK, so a logo makes your product recognizable to the public, but why is using a logo for our research so powerful?
In this blog I hope to explain why logos could be a strong reinforcement of our research based on logical arguments and evidence. My aim to keep it focused on my personal research.
Personal Research
I hope to do research to a relevant problem in Uganda. While there has been a rising population growth and fast urbanization, there has not been sufficient economic growth and especially job creation to offer these young Ugandans a future. The current president Yoweri Museveni is in power for 33 years together with his party the National Resistance Movement (NRM). The first ten years of his regime were quite successful but has become more oppressive and corrupt over the years. While it manages to remain a donor darling, it has become a dictatorship that manages to stay in power using force.
In 2011 the food prices rose exponentially and the resulting Walk to Work protests became a national uprising, uniting Ugandans from all districts and classes. Yet at the height of the protests the elite guard (red berets) under the command of the son of Museveni took the center of Kampala by force, killing citizens randomly. Since then the aspiration for a better future for many Ugandans have stayed the same, but their imagination to achieve this through non-violent ways has suffered. Many lost hopes or became pessimistic, waiting idly for the dictator to die of age.
I am interested in finding out the optimistic voices within the youth of Uganda, to hear what their hopes are for a better (social-political) future. Therefore, I came to the research question: How can youth in Uganda transform their social-political situation through non-violent methods?
The Power of Logos
For the definition of logos I would like to reference to Wikipedia once more:
‘Logos is the logic behind an argument. Logos tries to persuade an audience using logical arguments and supportive evidence. Logos is a persuasive technique often used in writing and rhetoric.’
As researchers we are interested in logic behind arguments. Politicians might claim certain things without evidence, as a researcher we want to peer review the work of others and find out if the evidence supports the arguments.
This is also what we will do with our master thesis. We find a problem that we find interesting, leading to a problem statement. In order to research this problem, we need a guiding research question that will make sure we stay focused and within our aim of research. We describe to our audience why our research is relevant.
Before we can understand the field, we must find out what others have said about our subject. Then we go into the field or archives to find data (read evidence) and use methodology best suited for collecting our specific data. We analyze this data and form a conclusion while starting a discussion, which might lead to further research.
Your masterpiece slowly forgotten?
So, then what? You finished your masterpiece, your most sophisticated thought experiment so far. The university supervisor will either like it or not and give you a grade, hopefully so you can receive your diploma. You could put this grade on your LinkedIn or sometimes think back about the stressful period of writing your thesis, but that’s it. That relevant research of yours will stay within your laptop and be slowly forgotten.
Or not? What if your logical arguments supported by strong evidence in the field could have impact? Not many will be interested to read your thesis just like that, but what if you could gain their attention? This is where the logo reinforces the logos, where their combination is molded into something powerful.
In my case, what if youth in Uganda that lost hope for non-violent transformation can get new ideas and inspiration out of my research?
Yes, I can share it with my fellow Ugandan students, but how do I reach the urban poor or the youth in the rural areas? Most of them will not be able to read and write or have electricity in their homes. How do I communicate my logical arguments to them?
Logo
The logo can be used to communicate the findings even without the actual research itself. Yes, the academics will be interested in how I came to the conclusions, but the youth in Uganda want to have a better future and learn how they can achieve that. That message can often not be communicated through written form but must be done through oral and especially visual form.
Therefore, the logo could be drawn on a whiteboard, on a piece of paper, in the sand, with graffiti etc. Based on the logo and its specific elements, the specific non-violent methods can be communicated, or the way youth in Uganda see social-political transformation.
Conclusion
‘A logo is a graphic mark, emblem or symbol used to aid and promote public identification and recognition.’
‘Logos is the logic behind an argument. Logos tries to persuade an audience using logical arguments and supportive evidence. Logos is a persuasive technique often used in writing and rhetoric.’
Using a logo to promote your logos will be a powerful way of communicating your research in the context of Africa, where many are illiterate, but also where there has been a strong oral tradition since generations.
A combination of colors and lines, made in the program Paint in my small home in Delft, might communicate the logos of my research to many youths in Uganda who would otherwise not have access to it.
The simple idea, that my research might provide inspiration to youth in Uganda and have impact, is a powerful one.
References
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Logo
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Logos