The name of a brand or a company is its trademark, which becomes graphic art through logo design. Even when the name is not included in the logo, such as in the case of Nike, in people’s minds the swoosh symbol equates to the name of the brand or company. Even when the image is turned upside down, effective brand marketing will still lead people to think of Nike. That is how powerful a distinctive logo design can be. In effect, a logo acts as a company’s signature, which is seen in almost anything related to the firm or its products.

In simple terms, a logo design symbolizes the brand. Like a tattoo, it serves to represent an idea, story or identity, which other people can relate to when they see it. Moreover, similar to tattoos, logos are printed on anything used or sold by the company that owns the brand. Some logos are ugly, while others obviously took skills to create. However, all logos depict a distinct concept that separates the brand’s personality from other products or companies with the same features.

Although some say logo design does not matter as long as it exists, most experienced marketers know that the quality of the logo’s appearance should match the brand personality. If the logo looks vague or confusing, then it might put off potential customers from following the brand. Other products with the same attributes exist in the market; finding the brand that fits a lifestyle or appeals to a group of people is easy. Thus, the clearer the meaning of the logo design, the more attractive it becomes to the right people who believe in what your brand claims to be.

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Filed under: Articles, Logo Design Tips by impactlogo on Friday, April 29, 2011 | Social tagging: brand logos > brand marketing > branding > logo design
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Most, if not all, graphic designers live by five simple rules in logo design. These rules guide them in judging a logo’s appearance will make it a hit among consumers or make it a disgrace in the logo design industry. Although not every logo has all of the following qualities, each logo that survived generations of consumers can attest to the strong appeal that a combination of these rules of logo design produce.

First, logos should be simple. The icons and the text should appear the way it should appear. A logo does not have to tell a story or even look photographic. Lines, curves, circles, and squares are commonly used instead of sketches, paintings and other images that pose difficulty in replication.

Second, logos should be distinct. If the logo design is simple, then the appearance of the icons and words should be distinct and clear to anyone who sees the logo. Viewers must not be confused with complex meanings or underlying suggestions that the symbols and the words insinuate. Worst-case scenario would be an embarrassing sexual innuendo inferred from your logo design.

Third, logos should be timeless. Timelessness is the capability of the logo to appeal to people from different backgrounds and living in different times. This does not mean never changing a logo’s appearance. Logos change as the company’s brand changes, such as an evolution of a company from manufacturing computers to making all kinds of devices, including a ubiquitous smart phone brand.

A blog post at Instant Shift, titled “20 Corporate Brand Logo Evolution“, shows the powerful effect these three principles of logo design on some of the world’s biggest brands. The first logos of Apple, Nokia, Pepsi and Canon show elaborate designs with illegible text and indistinguishable icons. The changes towards simplicity and sleek design made the logos more memorable.

The last two rules in logo design facilitate replication and application of logos in this modern world. One rule directs graphic artists to use gender-specific and age-appropriate design elements to match the brand with its target audience. Another rule instructs the designers to use vector art to accommodate the conversion of logos into different image formats as well as their various uses. For example, companies print their brand logos in different sizes on product labels, packaging, stickers, streamers, posters, tags, shopping bags and other materials related to brand marketing.

Apparently, vector art is the most flexible when it comes to resizing. Along with flat color schemes, the logo turns into a versatile mark applicable to different image format without any effects on hue, line patterns and image quality. With the widespread use of digital technology, the use of JPEG as image format is highly recommended for use in both the virtual and real worlds. As an example of what vector art looks like when paired with flat colors, look to the image at right. A rainbow zebra made from flowing lines is easy to replicate and print on any surface. The image is also easy to edit, share and store in different formats.

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Filed under: Logo Design Tips by impactlogo on Wednesday, April 20, 2011 | Social tagging: brand logos > brand marketing > logo design > principles of design
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If you’re just starting in business and you just finished creating your logo design, you’d probably be wondering about the next steps to take with your new business logo. There are many, actually, and all of them require you to do one thing: expose your logo to the maximum.

What good will your new logo design be if you keep it under lock and key? Whether your logo is fantastic or not is a debatable issue and is simply beside the point. The whole point is to put out your logo the soonest that you can, to make it as visible to the public as possible, and expose it as frequently as you can. Why?

First of all, repetitive exposure aids in recognition and recall. Two key words are essential here: repetition and exposure. The more frequently your audience sees your business logo, the more ingrained the image will be in people’s memory. The repetitive exposure, whether people actively pay attention to the logo or not, engraves the image deep into their subconscious. The same phenomenon is at work with that stranger you frequently bump into (but not talk to). The next time you seem her or him somewhere else, you should be able to recognize the person. You would even probably say hi or make small talk.

With your company logo, the goal you’re after is instant recognition. That is, people will instantly recognize and remember your company whenever they see your company logo.

So, paste your logo all over town and wherever you can. Make sure it appears on television. Let it be seen by motorists and pedestrians on your company-sponsored billboards and giant signage. Print it on your giveaway items. Print it on customized shirts or on company uniform. Your budget’s your limit. On second thought, there are millions of creative ways in which you can expose your logo without spending much.

Don’t forget your office stationery, too. Make sure your business logo is on every business card, letterhead, invoice, job order, etc. that you use for transactions. This way, you are not only providing an air of officiality to those transactions but also exhibiting your company symbol.

Creating a fantastic logo design for your business is just a part of the bigger story. It’s an important part. Another important part is the maximum exposure of your logo to your public. These two are very crucial to establishing your business identity, creating good will among your target audience, and promoting your company name or brand.

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Filed under: Articles, Branding by impactlogo on Wednesday, October 13, 2010
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When coming up with a logo design for your business, you can combine both abstract graphics and words. The result is a type of logo known as a combination mark, and it can work as effectively as the other types.

Some logo design artists prefer the term iconic logotype instead of combination mark. The reference and the preference may have something to do with the use of both text and graphics, all in one symbolic icon much like the graphic computer icons you see on your computer and their corresponding text labels. Regardless of semantic nuances, the essence of a combination mark is the combination itself.

One example of a familiar-because-famous combination mark is the BMW logo, with the letters B, M, and W inscribed above a quartered circle that has two opposite quarters rendered in sky blue. The letters, of course, undoubtedly refer to the acronym for Bayerische Motoren Werke AG (or, literally in English, Bavarian Motor Works).

But, the non-text graphic elements of the company’s mark has been the subject of theorizing, speculation, and debate as to its meaning. The most common one is that the quartered circle, or the sky blue and white checkered circle, represents the appearance of a rapidly rotating aircraft propeller. One spokesperson from BMW was quick to deny the validity of this theory shortly after the speculation sprung up.

Regardless of the myths and speculations about the non-text elements of the logo, it is definitely a simple one. More than that, it projects an image of smartness and clarity, and sometimes even of sportiness. These images, of course, are quite beneficial to the company. No doubt, too, that your company can benefit much if your business logo can achieve such an efficacy in your company logo.

A good thing about the combination mark is that you can split the text component from the graphic component. This is only possible if the combination is loose, rather than integral. If the text and graphic elements are woven into an integral or inseparable image, you will have a logo that must use both text and graphics at the same time. In the case of the BMW example, you can consider it a loose combination because even if you take out the letters, the logo would still be recognizable. You can also argue that the letters B, M, and W are optionally added for completeness.

Lastly, the combination mark appears to be the most cost-effective type and is ideal for startup businesses and for enterprises with limited budget for marketing. If you consider a combination mark for your company logo design, you will potentially need less marketing for your company mark to achieve its effects on your target audience, since such a style communicates more information than the other types.

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Filed under: Logo Design Tips by impactlogo on Tuesday, October 12, 2010
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The simpler your logo design, the more likely it can easily be remembered. This is a frequent mantra that excellent graphic designers always tell their clients who seek advice on the creation of their respective business logos. One opportunity for such a simple design is the icon type of logo.

Although you can achieve a similar simple logo design using the wordmark or combination mark type, the main strength of the iconic logo is in its abstraction. Simply put, the iconic logo works as a strong visual metaphor for the message that your emblem is supposed to convey.

You’re quite surely familiar with computer icons on your desktop. Your company logo works in a similar way. The icon–whether for a software program or for your business–is an identification mark. This implies that when applied in business branding and promotion, your company logo should provoke instant recognition, otherwise it will not do much. The viewer must be able to immediately associate the symbol with your brand name or company, even if the symbol doesn’t contain your company’s name in words (as in the case of wordmark logos).

A common variety of iconic logotypes is the lettermark. In contrast to wordmarks, lettermarks do not show words (such as company or brand names). Instead, they show one or more letters. The letters usually are acronyms of the company name. Famous examples are the marks used by IBM, AT&T, CNN, and many others. Though these kinds of emblems are made up of just letters, they are deliberately altered letters. The alteration is such that the letters no longer appear ordinary. Instead, the letters are elevated to the level of symbol or icon.

Another variation of the iconic logotype category is the abstract symbol. The apple symbol for Apple Inc. is one such example. Other classic examples are the famous Nike swoosh, the NBC peacock, the Adidas trefoil stripes, the MSN butterfly, and so on. When you look at those famous logos, you not only instantly remember the company or product they represent. You also feel an emotional response towards the company via the logo’s shapes and colors.

Whether you use lettermarks or abstract symbols as icons for your company, make sure you design them so that they are easy to recognize. With easy recognition, your business logo will likely also effectively translate to automatic association with your company. Also, the iconic logo design should be scalable so that the effect won’t diminish even if the size does.

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Filed under: Logo Design Tips by impactlogo on Monday, October 11, 2010
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The most important purpose of your company logo design is to emblazon your company’s nature and identity upon the minds of your audience. The only way do that is to create an impressive emblem that speaks about your company and what it stands for. In designing such emblem, you can opt for the wordmark design.

Whether you use the wordmark, icon, or combination-mark style for your business logo design, always keep in mind that the real power of your company logo is in the power of association. If the viewer cannot instantly associate the symbol with the company it is supposed to represent, the symbol is also an instant failure. But, that is a story for another day.

In many cases, a text-only symbol that stands for your company can actually suffice. Such a symbol is called a wordmark, also spelled word mark. One very good example is the Google logo. It actually is made up of only six letters that spell out the name of the company. Yet, despite what you could probably describe as very simple and very ordinary-looking letters, anyone who sees the word instantly recognizes it and the company it stands for. Google’s wordmark is a classic case of the power of strong association. That is, the word itself (used as a symbol) creates the tie-in in the mind of the viewer.

Another classic example is the Coca-Cola wordmark. If you read the name Coca-Cola (as in this sentence right now), you would hardly feel anything except, perhaps, some very weak or vague recall of a softdrink company. But, when you see the Coca-Cola wordmark (which you surely can imagine in your mind right now), you can instantly recognize it even if it is placed among hundreds of other woodmarks. Those are just two words, mind you. But, the secret for powerful recognition is in stylizing the words and letters, as well as in the color choices. Imagine the words Coca-Cola in plain Times New Roman font. That would hardly stimulate you into thinking about either the drink or the company. But, view the Coca-Cola wordmark in its stylized script version, whether in its bright red color or in plain black, you get the drift.

In essence, the wordmark is just a word (e.g., your company name, your product brand name, or whatever word) that has been laid out and designed so that it will stand out and represent your company. More precisely, it is a word that has been cast into a form in a deliberate manner so that it will function not just as a word that the viewer reads but also, and more importantly, as a symbol and metaphor. If you opt for a wordmark for your company logo design, you might want to keep that in mind.

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Filed under: Logo Design Tips by impactlogo on Friday, October 8, 2010
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Unless you yourself have the artistic skills for making a great logo design for your company, you will most likely have to employ the services of a graphic artist. The designer may be a company employee or even a third-party, outsourced artist.

Keep in mind that when working with someone else for your logo design, the artist must have enough knowledge about your company. That is in addition to having the right set of graphic design skills so that she or he can make the intangible ideas come to life in your logo.

You need to coordinate closely with the graphic designer to ensure that the designs accurately reflect what you have in mind. When working with such an artist, you need to emphasize four important things: simplicity for the sake of memorability, representation and branding, strong consideration for the audience, and scalability.

Simplicity for Memorability. Your company logo doesn’t need to be overly simplistic. Although designing a simplistic mark can work sometimes, as it does in several cases, it really only needs to be simplistic. The rule of thumb is to include enough elements to convey the complete message about your company but to exclude enough elements to make the logo interesting. In other words, avoid complicating your business logo. Simple is beautiful and memorable. People will also tend to ponder more on a simple design than a complex one that tends to leave out the imagination.

Company Representation and Branding. Branding, in a general sense as used in business, refers to your efforts to create emotional responses among your audience towards your company or your products and services. Your graphic artist must be able to create a visual design with such a goal in mind. This means that the design must convey through lines, shapes, and colors what and how the company wants to be perceived by its audience.

Audience Impact. Both the artist and you must evaluate the type of crowd that is expected to be exposed to the business logo. Different crowds have different ways of perceiving visual material. Your goal, then, is to find the optimal combination of graphic design elements that will appeal strongly to your target crowd and at the same time accurately convey your intended message.

Scalability. Scalability can occur in at least two cases. The first case is that of color. Your corporate logo must have a color scheme that can be scaled down to one color without as much as losing the appeal of the overall design. Most good graphic artists begin creating logos from single colors, then incorporate a two- or three-color theme once the monochrome design has been decided on. The second case is that of size. Your corporate logo must retain its visual impact and must still be recognizable even if it is resized to less than the size of a thumb.

As you and your logo design artist work together on your company logo, make sure that it is simple and memorable, represents both the brand and the company, appeals strongly to your target audience, and can be scaled up or down.

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Filed under: Logo Design Tips, Logo Designer by impactlogo on Thursday, October 7, 2010
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The idea of what a logo design will look like starts with what one thinks about the business it represents. Every detail incorporated in your company symbol is linked to the brand name and the company. After all, it is the company’s representation and signature.

The colors, the shapes, and typefaces used in the logo design should reflect what the business is all about. That is why when choosing a font type, one must not decide too hastily. In making a business logo, so many things should be taken into consideration—even the smallest of details, and that includes the selection of the font type.

One of the important parts of a logo is the text. While not all corporate symbols have text, almost all corporate emblems bear some form of text, or a few alphabetic characters. The message will be clearly conveyed and understood if the content that comes along with the logo is readable. The size, style, and color of the font are valuable to the logo’s success.

The style of the font will reflect the business’ professionalism and serious outlook with regards to rendering service to target consumers. You do not expect a health care company to use comical or fancy fonts in its logo. Doing so will result in the company’s being perceived as frivolous and not all too serious about providing quality health care service.

This latter situation will result in a confusion on the part of the consumer. There won’t be any consistency between the service or product that the company is trying to sell and the font that your company is using. There should be uniformity when it comes to the main idea or the theme of the logo. Inconsistency sends mixed signals to the consumer, thus giving a notion that your business lacks organization and systematicity.

The style of the font also has an effect on the viewer. Round fonts usually create a relaxing and calming effect on the reader; as a result, the content and the entire logo will be easily remembered by viewers. On the other hand, fonts that have sharp, pointy edges produce a serious tone, which is quite suitable for companies who mean serious business when it comes to service.

The font should be clear and understandable. There are fonts where in the letters are reversed to make the logo more attractive. But, this design does not always produce positive results. If the text is lengthy, reading the letters in reverse can be exhausting to the reader. As a rule of thumb, choose a typeface that is clear and easy to read.

The size and color of the font also matter. The bigger the size of the font, the more it is greatly emphasized and readable. But make sure that the size does not overwhelm the sight. The color should be attractive to the eyes. This will be helpful in making your business logo recognizable to the public.

The font face of your company logo is as important as the overall design. Make sure that you spend enough time to choose the most effective and the most appropriate one for you company’s logo design.

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Filed under: Branding, Logo Design Tips, Logo Designer by impactlogo on Wednesday, October 6, 2010
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Many companies print their respective company’s logo design on customized t-shirts, since the latter are a very practical and effective medium of advertisement. Yet, a simple logo on a shirt is not enough; there should be other factors that will make onlookers’ eyes look straight into the shirt.

One way to achieve that is to make sure that the colors of the shirt and the colors of the logo design should blend well. The color of the shirt may overshadow the colors of the logo, thus making the image unrecognizable. It is best to use light-colored shirts so that the colors of the t-shirt design can stand out.

Another way to make effective t-shirt ads is by using the same, or at least similar, fonts and colors of both the logo and brand. This will not just make your shirt design consistent and coherent but also make your company shirts, as well as your logo, memorable.

Be careful with the shirt design. The over all appearance of the shirt will also reflect the over all image of the business. The placement of graphic elements, as well as the choice of color and shirt style, will bear on the company image. The placement and size of the logo are very important. The logo should be placed where people can see it easily. It is best to put the logo at the center or in front because that position can easily catch attention. The size should be large enough for the logo to be seen and understood.

In contrast, if your company shirt’s design is disorganized, the viewer will instantly associate it with your company. And, that’s not exactly a healthy thing to happen. Worse, a disorganized company is often perceived as an incompetent and unprofessional company. So, exercise great care when using your business logo on company shirts.

Yet another way to effectively use your company shirt to promote your business is to string all the shirt elements together in a coherent theme or motif. The theme must be one that can accommodate your company logo, or at least one that will make the latter stand out and be emphasized. Giving out freebie shirts at corporate-sponsored events can be a great opportunity to experiment with different themes and motifs.

Many companies today use shirt designs to further promote company and brand recognition. Because shirts can be worn and brought anywhere, you can just imagine the long mileage and the amount of exposure that your company can get if you emblazon each shirt with your company’s logo design.

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Filed under: Articles, Branding, Logo Design Tips, Logo Designer by impactlogo on Tuesday, October 5, 2010
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Colors are one of the few elements in a logo design that could make you accomplish the task of making an effective logo. As you go through the process of creating, or revising, your company’s emblem, make sure that your color choices are high-impact.

Your logo design could make consumers remember you or not. And, whether you realize it or not, colors contribute greatly to the memory effect. How does that make sense? Colors are associated with emotions. If you choose the perfect color combination or motif that conveys your intended message, the color choice will be a perfect complement to the purpose of using a logo to position your company to a market.

In choosing colors, you have to consider many things. One is the relevance of the color to your company, that is, your people, your origins, your activities, and the industry that you are in. Companies often identify themselves with the country they came from. For instance, American companies whose owners are patriots may likely use the colors red, blue, and white. Another example is Nokia, which is from Finland. Finland’s flag has the color blue on it. Is it pure coincidence that Nokia’s company logo also has a similar shade of the same blue?

You also have to consider the industry you are in. For example, most environmentalist organizations have the colors green and brown on them. These colors represent the earth (brown) and fertility (green). If you are in the food industry, specifically fast foods, you might want to consider the colors orange and red. They have been proven to be appetizing colors. Fastfood chains like McDonald’s and KFC have red on their logos.

However, it could also work the other way. The very property of color attachment to certain emotions can be made the basis for what the company should stand for. Blue, for example, means peace and nobility. Most churches and religious organizations use it commonly. They also use brown, which signifies humility. Pink means femininity and a caring character. This color is usually attached to products bought by females and mothers. Yellow is a gives a happy, playful, warm, and positive mood. These are usually used in logos for products used by kids. White and black together mean simplicity, sophistication, and class. These colors are usually used together by companies that are tested through time and have built their own credibility.

It is important, therefore, to choose your colors well. Although not the main deciding factor, high-impact colors do contribute a lot to the strength and impact of your company’s logo design.

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Filed under: Articles, Logo Design Tips, Logo Designer by impactlogo on Monday, October 4, 2010
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