Who designed the original Starbucks logo in 1971?

Terry Heckler designed the original Starbucks logo in 1971.

The logo was created for Starbucks when the company opened its first store at Seattle’s Pike Place Market. Heckler was a Seattle-based commercial artist and designer who worked with the company’s founders during its early branding. The original emblem featured a two-tailed siren, a sea figure chosen to evoke the maritime history of coffee and Seattle.

The design changed several times as Starbucks expanded. The early brown logo became green in the late 1980s, after Howard Schultz acquired the company. Later versions simplified the artwork and removed the surrounding wordmark, leaving the siren as the central brand symbol.

A common mix-up is crediting Howard Schultz with the logo’s creation. Schultz transformed Starbucks’ retail strategy and global identity, but Terry Heckler designed the original mark. The siren is also often called a mermaid, although Starbucks officially describes it as a siren.