Logo of the Year?

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It's rare that a logo breaks through into the popular consciousness a la Nike's swoosh or Starbucks's mermaid. Graphic designer Sol Sender produced just such a mainstream hit this year for an unlikely client: Barack Obama. Sender's 'O' design, combining a rising sun image set against a red, white, and blue landscape, managed to be clever and patriotic at the same time. Steven Heller of the New York Times recently spoke with Sender.

"We never saw the candidate as being 'branded,' in the sense of having an identity superficially imposed on the campaign," Sender said. "The identity was for the campaign, not just for the candidate."

To read the rest of the interview, click here.

Mike Hofman was previously editor of Inc.com and a deputy editor at Inc. magazine, which he joined in 1996. The site was nominated for a National Magazine Award for Digital Media in 2010, and was named the best business website by Folio Magazine. In 2006, Hofman was part of a team of writers nominated for a Webby Award for best business blog. He lives in New York City. @mikehofman