Spot the difference.

The brand juggernaut that is the Premier League has rolled back into town.

So naturally I’ve been looking at the legs on Newcastle United Football Club‘s seahorses while everyone else has been discussing transfers, tactics and whether their new players are worth £70m.

That’s because The Toon have asked their army to choose between three refinements of their club crest. The process up to this point makes sense. The current badge dates back to 1988 and Newcastle says its complexity creates problems when it’s reproduced across modern screens, merchandise and other applications. Supporters were consulted and 84% said they wanted the existing crest evolved rather than completely reinvented.

They also made it pretty clear what mattered. Keep the castle, shield, seahorses and ribbon. Protect the history.

Then came the vote on three options so similar that much of the discussion was whether it was a joke.

For what it’s worth, I’d choose the one on the left. I think the more defined legs and slightly more modern face give it a nicer balance.

But then I started wondering why anyone is being asked to choose between them.

There’s huge value in asking supporters what the badge means to them, what they recognise and what they absolutely don’t want to lose. They’re emotionally invested in it in a way no creative team can manufacture.

But once that brief has been established, surely the final design is where you trust the people employed to make those decisions?

Design is subjective, but not entirely. There’s craft in balance, proportion, legibility and how something reproduces at different sizes. If the differences are so subtle that plenty of people can’t even spot them, I’m not sure a public vote gives you a better answer.

I think research should shape the brief, then judgement should shape the solution.

So, two questions:

Did you spot the differences?

And should the fans get the final say?