Proposals for the party's identity marks

#1

Name: UK Meritocracy Party
Description: Equal Opportunity for Every Child
There can be up to 12 registered party descriptions. Six words is the limit.
Emblem: A phoenix, although by using a bird we risk similarity with the Liberal Democrats. Our current logo on MeritocracyParty.org
There can be up to 3 registered party emblems. On ballot papers they must be black and white.

See http://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0009/107694/to-names-rp.pdf to learn about how party identity marks are used.

When it comes to emblems, we should find out about whether it’s worth registering them as trademarks, although I think in the UK copyright is conceded to the entity who first started using the item in question. It’s worth investigating to be on the safe side, i.e. not to have someone else trademark the emblems later on and then sue the party for copyright infringement.

#2

I think that identity marks containing symbols of power are the wrong ones for a concept like meritocracy. So eagles, bears, lions, the eye of Horus, or other ancient symbols might be out. Up to you of course.

I was thinking of the olive branch. It was the first thing that the pigeons found after the great flood, which brought back hope, prosperity and a good place to live for mankind. The end to suffering if you like.

#3

Were you saying this in regards to the idea of using a phoenix? Or just in general?

#4

I said it as a general idea.
A phoenix looks cool, but what message does it send? Our meritocrats bringing fire and rise from the ashes?
Maybe i’m overthinking it…

#5

I think we need something that will be hard to rob for enemies… i already saw using phoenix by some … i don’t even like to mention…but a olive branch is a great symbol , is simple, it has no aspects that can be treated wrong. but also i think one symbol isn’t enough too.

#6

Precisely, we’re rising from the ashes of the old world order and bringing fire or new life to the world. The phoenix is a perfect emblem for us. Getting an image that looks good might not be simple however but if we do it could be awesome. I actually think it could work if it was similar to the liberal democratic eagle in terms of having a front on view with its wings spread, maybe get some Latin words in there. Regardless, the phoenix is such a cool emblem that you can’t really go too wrong with it.

Also, what about the old compass emblem currently in use? I think the compass is also perfect and you already have that one, so then you’d just need one more.

#7

Why don’t we focus on some symbol that represent the message we promote, we are for meritocracy for the reason for the rationality for logic , so what does it have with a phoenix? it is a great symbol indeed and awesome, but maybe better figure out something that speaks about our movement more…
for the moment I have no right example, but I am sure I turn here tomorrow with something
we need something new, fresh, as the new order, new wind, new type of mind, something that awakes or appeals mind of a normal brainwashed person

#8

Our current wind rose symbol is a great one to use as it represents all directions and unity. Ultimately though, people attach their own meaning to symbols.

Ideally, we want to stick to using the same symbol throughout the world (international marketing), but there are certainly going to be cases where changing the symbol can prove advantageous due to cultural significance in certain places (this would be a multinational, case-by-case marketing approach).

I think in the case of the UK it can serve perfectly well, unless we come up with something even better. It also works in black and white, which is important.

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#9

i made a sketch of a double symbol that means Talent Counts (Lyre and Abacus, talent and count, mythos and logic)
http://instagram.com/p/ogHiYbL8-K/

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#10

I like the logo Roberto came up with. It is new and it has a meaning that stands for Meritocracy.

#11

I see that something really new and creative doesn’t interest… :slight_smile:
What could really represent meritocracy? that is not so easy, somebody deserve something when he’s doing his best,but he do the best thing in what he is really talented, so talent is represented by Lyre, because the first thing that means talent is music, and Lyre is the very first symbol of it, as so as a counter, putting them together we have talent that counts, in all their senses : talent that counts, talent that matter,talent cooperate with logic, we need talented people to count and we want to count among us only talented people. I can make some changes in that sketch…but you will never find such a combination of symbol anywhere. :slight_smile:

#12

I wonder whether it’s better to choose a symbol that’s immediately obvious, versus something that packs a lot of information into itself. Coming from the point of view of potential new party members, is the symbol effective or does it look like fantasy? Because, for us who already gather here we perhaps don’t need a symbol powerful enough to represent what we’re here for. Or maybe we do, to remind us to focus on the solution and not the problem.

For me, even a phoenix would have seemed too esoteric at first sight, seeing as politics is presented as mostly an item of plain discussion, while Harry Potter was more explicit about its use of symbols. So, it would make sense to be VERY clear and obvious about it, since other political parties don’t regularly use their symbols; they don’t immediately strike you as memorable or distinct or meaningful. I’m also thinking about Roman mythology at the moment.

Have a look at these, for the “scales of justice” symbol:
https://www.google.com/search?q=scales+justice&tbm=isch

And bear in mind, symbols are usually used to represent their goal/aim as close as possible. Does the symbol represent “Equal opportunities for every child”, or this definition? :

I like how visually striking (“different”) the current branding seems to me. But I am talking about having seen it alongside the articles at the website, not the symbol in its own right. How would it look on a leaflet? Another thing I like is that it seems unique. Maybe even, “pure”. I like it with the white background too.

branding
The process involved in creating a unique name and image for a product in the consumers’ mind, mainly through advertising campaigns with a consistent theme. Branding aims to establish a significant and differentiated presence in the market that attracts and retains loyal customers.
http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/branding.html#ixzz348WCdGtm

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#13

I had to google what a lyre was, so that didn’t make sense to me. I agree with what you’re saying about talent but look at how Britain’s Got Talent; Australia’s Got Talent; Korea’s Got Talent etc. have all twisted the term to mean something different, far closer to “being able to entertain a crowd” than “skill”. I would not want Meritocracy to be confused with those TV programmes at all.

This definition mentions “abilities”, not “talent”-

Maybe something like “developing everyone’s talents” could be made into symbol form, but look at how this is already over-used, and also many people may not believe in themselves at all today, so it could seem deceptive/untruthful:
https://www.google.com/search?q=team+work+symbols+corporate&tbm=isch

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#14

I can’t agree with you, there are too many words used to ruin their meaning by idiots, that doesn’t mean we can’t use the word for it’s sense, abilities aren’t enough everyone has abilities but to rule and guide people need talent, to be rewarded among others you have to be talented. anyway i use lyre has direct connection with music that means talent better then everything else, it is simple and creative using it with counter.
that is example the first idea that came to me.i think we need more to use not only one, I retain meritocracy needs more rivers to flow in our ocean and we don’t have to hesitate to use more weapons. we need a strong going revolution like a huge high enormous mother stepping with her children around, like something inevitable , mother is meritocracy and us - her arms and weapons, many and different.

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#15

Hi all, there’s some good ideas here but the image of the lyre in particular doesn’t work as a logo. A logo should be strong, clear and immediately recognisable, there’s simply too much going on in the image and while the ideas are great it’s a pretty abstract jump for somebody to grasp the concepts being expressed by looking at the image as it is. Think of the Nike, McDonalds, Shell and Twitter logos, those logos are so successful because they are clear, concise and express one concept which is immediately recognisable. Somebody mentioned the scales of justice, something like this could work well for what we are trying to express. Here’s a list of symbols which might work:

Sun
Star
Phoenix
Scales
Torch
Spark
Fire
Universe
Atom
World
Bird
Warrior
Bow and Arrow
Target

They’re just ideas but I think we need to think of a clear symbol agree on it and then design around the concept.

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#16

The current symbol has proven extremely successful so far. Everything that Roberto and Diarmuid said about it is true. It’s been the one visual that has acted steadfastly and effectively to bring readers of MeritocracyParty.org and some related fb pages together to clarify and advance the work of establishing, implementing and refining Meritocracy for today’s world. Its designer knew exactly what to do for long-lasting impact from the outset, and an ever-fresh effect throughout its repeated use.

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#17

As someone new the the Movement I think the current symbol is very effective. I got it when I saw it and its simple. I think simplicity is the key to a great memetic.

But we don’t need just one symbol, perhaps one overarching one for “branding” purposes, but I feel that we stand for so many different ideals (of which we choose the most meritorious) that focusing on perpetuating a single defining symbol could hurt the rate at which we expand.

I would like to consider using a dog in some way to symbolize Trust. Ultimately I know that my disillusionment with society/government comes from the death of my trust in them as individuals and in the system that enables the success of such untrustworthy people. I think, more than anything else wrong with government, that the inability to trust is the root cause of why a system that has been broken for so long has not been able to evolve into the next step. Whatever new candidate or movement arises, ultimately it/they fail because they did not establish a method to instill trust, first and foremost.

It is for that reason that I think our success or failure as a party and as a movement will hinge upon the trust we are able to establish. Our systems and ideology point towards designing governmental systems that help the meritorious rise and I worry that we may lose sight of the fact that it is trust in our selves (our ability to know) and in the systems we build (the success in such a system requires by default, trustworthiness) that acts as the catalyst for change.

I want to be involved in the party because I want to be a part of designing something that is inherently trustworthy because I think for any leader to lead, the followers must trust. In this day and age it is so easy to manipulate perception that trust can be ‘established’ in virtually any person for any cause for any party.

I think the meritorious party should recognize that and champion the ideals of trust by designing systems and methods that are implicitly trustworthy. Our symbolism should reflect that.

The dog is the only symbol I could find that represents trustworthiness/loyalty (to the people) but I am open to other ideas. I am not much of an artist but I think wolves are an excellent example of a way to make a brand that doesn’t look like some silly docile puppy. I also like the added layer of becoming a pack and the naturally hierarchy that is established within a wolf pack.

Our alpha wolves (elected meritorious leaders) will be trustworthy by the nature of the processes we design to elect them in the first place. Again, I cannot stress enough the importance of inherent trust in everything that we do. Most of the symbolism discussed and that I see in the current party systems are essentially following the same pattern and the same stories and spiral together into one big vortex of good intention with inadequate follow through/representation. I simply don’t believe that the various parties truly stand for what their symbols claim.

There has not been a party or leadership faculty that has overtly and directly tackled the philosophical/psychological need for trust, come to a common consensus, and designed platforms that stem from the declared definition/understanding of trust itself.

The Meritorious should be champions of trust for it is my trust in them that will cause me to stand with them, even in situations where I am not completely aware of situation. Never blind trust but rather trust through transparency so that those with eyes wide open can see the truth and merit of our causes/plans/actions/rulings etc.

How do we feel about trust symbolism?

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#18

Volmer (the other guy from Finland) came up with the idea of Pole Star. It has strong connection to Finland and Finnish people ("here under the Pole Star) and might look like - almost, if not exactly - the star currently in use here. If the star remains then we will definately use the Pole Star which looks just like this one.

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#19

Trust symbolism is an excellent idea, although I believe that the use of animals as political insignia is more of a United States habit? It might feel a bit out of place in a European context. However since you’re from Florida, I do believe it could enter the local political sphere fairly well. As for type / breed of dog, perhaps some type of stalwart and dependable guard dog or shepherd dog? Something to symbolize both vigilance and being able to put your mind at ease. Not to mention that dogs of course answer to their masters - in this case the public rather than big money interests. That could work well in an American context, right?

I think that the symbol we have here at the site now would work well for a “Meritocracy Internationale” and parties that cannot come up with a more ‘localized’ version of the emblem, but some sort of trust could very well typify the imagery we use.

As for the Pole Star and trust, well, it is a constant in the night sky. Men have sailed for thousands of years depending on its radiant guidance to get them back to their families safe and sound. It is there for all to see, hiding nothing, and they have always known that is the one thing they could depend on for direction. So… It works, yeah? At least as an emblem that resonates in Finland.

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#20

I very much like the idea of being loyal to and answering to the people as our masters. I didn’t consider whether or not the symbol itself would hold, either in America or Europe. To be honest I only landed on using a dog because it was the only symbol for trust that I could find that wasn’t already directly tied to a specific culture and even then, I acknowledge that my research was cursory.

I think whatever symbols we use should be internationally relevant. The goal in my mind is global unity so the symbols should be analogous between cultures. Perhaps, with the context of the dog symbol, the American branch can use a dog breed that is meaningful to Americans and other countries can use a breed that is more pertinent to their countries preferences; the point being that the symbol of the dog is inherent and universal across countries.

I am not completely sold on using a dog itself either as there are so many teams/organizations that use it already. Are there any other symbols easily associated with trust?

I will spend today researching the topic and see if I can brain storm some other ideas.

I do like the Meritocracy Star and like the idea of it ‘lighting the way’ so to speak, over the ‘dogs’ (trustworthy leaders loyal to their people) and…what other principle? As I understand it, we are looking for 3 symbols?

We have the star, and I vote for the second symbol to represent Trust. What defining principle should we shape the third symbol off of?

Thinking about Meritocracy and what it means to the world and to the individual, I can see arguments for all kinds of ideals. I think Meritocracy offers a solution to every countries problems, not just a single system solution. The universality of Meritocracy is one of its greatest strengths so how do we feel about symbolism around the idea of Oneness, universe, global or something to illustrate the fact that we are all one species on one earth and we share the problems of society together?

I’ll spend today researching Trust symbols and see if I can come up with something that reflects the connected oneness that I would love to see reflected in future government.

Any other ideas for core symbolic notions? I lean towards oneness because I have been thinking about how to shape a constitution and I find myself heavily influenced by the ideas/declarations of interdependence. I think it is painfully obvious that everything is interdependent on each other and that nature, reality, and that mental space that is consciousness evolves through disruptions/adaptations in the harmony that is the complete nature of universal conscious reality itself.

I think balance, harmony, interdependence, oneness and universality are all candidates for core Meritocratic symbolism. Ill check back in when I have some more ideas.

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