If someone can misread something, someone will. And then they will ridicule you all over the Internet.

Back in 2008, a new logo costing £14,000 was designed for the Office of Government Commerce (OGC)…

OGC before

The redesign didn’t last long (neither did the department as it seems their website has since closed down.) Look what happens when the logo is turned sideways…

OGC after

Read the story in the Telegraph.

In case you think that’s a one-off, here are some more logos that fail the ‘dirty mind’ test. Oops.

Top tip: Software designers do user acceptance testing before launch, getting people to try to break it. So, before you sign off any new design or copy, make sure it can’t be misinterpreted. Please!

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