I added the What is the single most effective logo? question, thinking that, as I explained there, it's going to get asked often in one form or another.
Obviously it's subjective (as many other design questions are going to be) but I don't think it's likely to cause much argument. It's not that different from the 'best book' thread.
So, is it appropriate here?
My gut feeling is "no": "Most effective" is too broad and should not be allowed in that form. (That is why I voted to close.)
I could live better with the question if it had a more specific form like:
What logos/brands are best recognized globally? (Answerable with actual data)
What generic guidelines or attributes do effective logos/brands have in common? (Answerable with good analysis)
My main reason behind this is that where a too broad "best logo" is allowed, a bunch of "best design for xyz" questions is lurking around the corner. I feel we should be very restrictive towards questions that could easily turn into heaps of highly upvotable eye candy - with the option of loosening the leash over time when the community has matured.
These are my 2 cents - I'm open for other arguments.
Better than these sort of questions are the very similar gallery questions, such as the Showcase of beautiful typography done in LaTeX at tex.sx. The answers generally provide links to the sources used to produce the documents, and the aim in the question is to find "educational and inspiring documents". The question is an asset to that site.
If we insisted that questions don't ask for subjective preferences, and do ask for answers to provide sources, then I think that such questions can be similarly constructive. Gallery questions should also be CW - the submitter should flag the moderator on submission.
