| I would venture to guess, and this is one designer's | | | | of them have cursive writing or letters not on a |
| point of view, out of the 50,000 or so logos I see | | | | straight line? Most likely not. |
| every year, on everything from food items to gas | | | | The fourth step, which is often overlooked, is scalability. |
| stations to sneakers, there might be 5,000 well | | | | Will your logo look as good on a promotional item like a |
| designed logos in the world. | | | | pen as it will on a billboard? Most of the logos out |
| Designing a logo is much more then picking a font that | | | | there won't. I blame the recent widespread use of |
| looks neat, drawing a pretty picture, slapping them | | | | Photoshop to create logos for this reason. Sure, |
| together and picking a color scheme you think looks | | | | someone can use all sorts of neat filters built into |
| pretty. There are a lot of variables you have to go | | | | Photoshop to make a pretty design, but what happens |
| through to decide on a good design, and then as a | | | | when you have to put it on a billboard? Odds are, it |
| designer you have to convince your client that the | | | | was not created large enough to print correctly on a |
| design you made is the correct one. | | | | large surface, and you will either have to pay |
| To start, you have to think of the logo as the brand of | | | | someone else to recreate it or forget about that |
| the company, every time someone thinks of a product | | | | advertising opportunity. |
| or service that you offer you want them to think of | | | | Or better yet, what happens when you want to get |
| you. You also want the design of your brand to stick in | | | | some promotional pens made and your logo won't |
| their mind, and stay there forever. One almost has to | | | | transfer well because all the complicated drop |
| think of the process as branding your identity into a | | | | shadows and gradients just bleed together on such a |
| consumer's brain, much like a cattle brand, leaving a | | | | small surface that you can't even read what your logo |
| permanent mark that won't go away. | | | | says? These things all have to be thought of before |
| Well, the first step of this process is the old adage | | | | you even begin designing a logo, and sadly most of the |
| K.I.S.S (keep it simple stupid). Complicated logo designs | | | | time it is the farthest thing from both the designer and |
| might look attractive when you are looking at them, but | | | | client's mind. |
| what is the target audience going to come away | | | | The four steps above are usually a good start to the |
| with? Odds are 5 minutes from the time they first saw | | | | design process, but not everything. They will, however, |
| your logo they will have completely forgotten what it | | | | get you on the right track towards making your brand |
| looks like. When one looks at a simple logo, it tends to | | | | a memorable one. Below, I will give some examples of |
| stay in the brain longer, which helps them remember | | | | what I personally think are the best logos currently in |
| your company, which will hopefully bring them to you | | | | use today. |
| when they require your services, which is the goal | | | | One designer's list of the top 5 logos in use today |
| after all. | | | | 1. Nike - this logo has been so engrained in our minds |
| The second step is color and shape psychology. | | | | that they recently stopped using their name in the logo |
| There is a reason most restaurant logos are red in | | | | - all it is now is the swoosh. |
| color, red on a subconscious level makes you hungry. | | | | 2. FedEx- many people don't realize this, but look |
| Blue makes you feel comfortable, black makes you | | | | between the E and the x, see that arrow moving |
| look elegant, and the list goes on and on. I chose | | | | forward? Subliminal advertising at it's best. There have |
| orange for my logo because when someone sees the | | | | been some other memorable logos using this |
| color orange it brings a subconscious feeling of | | | | technique, for instance the now defunct Hartford |
| wanting to do something new, which is exactly the | | | | Whalers, at first you don't see it, but look at the white |
| feeling I want when they are looking at my site and | | | | space between the blue tail and green W, see the H? I |
| thinking of getting a web design created by me. | | | | love this technique. |
| Shapes are also an important factor when designing a | | | | 3. McDonalds - another company that doesn't have to |
| logo, as shapes can mean just as many different | | | | use their name in their logo if they don't want to, the |
| things as colors can. A circle gives the feeling of | | | | golden arches are memorable and identifiable on sight. |
| community, wholeness, perfection, and has feminine | | | | 4. Apple computers - again, just a shape, no need for |
| qualities. A Rectangle gives a feeling of logic and | | | | a tagline. |
| security, while a Triangle gives you strength, structure, | | | | 5. Volkswagen - Classic, clean and memorable, exactly |
| and masculine identity. These should all be factored in | | | | what you should be striving for. |
| when designing a logo. For every color and shape | | | | Do you think it is a coincidence those are 5 of the |
| there is a feeling or thought associated with it, the goal | | | | biggest companies in the world? Their logo has defined |
| is to come up with the right combination. | | | | the company brand so strongly that it was definitely |
| The third step is readability. You want them to see | | | | one of the factors in their growth. Now, I admit it is |
| your logo and business name, you don't want them to | | | | hard to convince a client paying good money for a |
| take 5 minutes to figure out what it says. Good clean | | | | logo design that going simple and iconic is always |
| crisp fonts are the answer here, very rarely are logos | | | | better, but hopefully you can show them the above |
| memorable when they have curvy fonts and lines | | | | examples of some of the largest companies in the |
| going every which way. Quick, think of 5 logos off of | | | | world and how a memorable, not exotic, logo is a |
| the top of your head (not including your own); do any | | | | strong foundation to building a good brand. |