Top Designer Says World Cup Design is Just Embarrassing

Top Designer Says World Cup Design is Just Embarrassing
Erik Spiekermann, one of Germany's most respected designers, has been openly critical of the design concept for the 2006 World Cup, from the mascot to the logo.

Erik Spiekermann is one of Germany's best-known typographers and designers.

He was one of the founders of MetaDesign, one of Germany's leading studios for corporate design and branding, whose clients have included Apple Computer, Audi, VW, IBM and Nike.

He has designed the passenger information systems for the German railway system and helped redesign The Economist magazine.

He is an honorary professor at the College of Art in Bremen and is a former president of the International Institute for Information Design.

He had no role in the design for the 2006 World Cup.

"Not only the mascot, but the whole business.

I mean the mascot itself is a typical effort by too many parties.

It's a lion, which has no historical relevance to Germany whatsoever.

We have eagles, gnomes and garden dwarves and what have you, but we don't have lions.

That's English or French."