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> This “face-off chart” in particular has all the charm of pulling out a spreadsheet on a date.

What's wrong with data? The author doesn't actually explain how it's certain that there are no metrics which could act as a reasonable proxy for the quality of a logo's "visual manifestation of all the complex ideas, values and people that fuel a company".

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Instead of a logo imagine it was a word or phrase that encapsulated the complex ideas and values of Yahoo. Does data drive or validate the meaning? Can it? Design has its own inherent semantics and semiotics in much the same way language does.

You can take measurements with respect to particular objectives. For example, does product description A or product description B lead to higher sales? I agree you can't measure something as vague as "complex ideas and values", but you can certainly find more concrete things that are quantifiable that are decent proxies.

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