Vital Tips for Effective Logo Design
On the Internet, we saw a lot of creative logos , logo design resources and logo creation training materials . However, all this created only good tools for logo design, but first of all you should have a clear understanding of what makes a logo design good and what you should take into account before using this tool.
In this article we will introduce you to the concepts of creating an effective logo, as well as present the principles and best examples of how you can create a sign brand.
In order to understand what a logo is, we first need to understand what is the purpose of a logo. The design process, above all, should be aimed at creating a logo that will immediately recognize, which will inspire confidence, delight and imply excellence. A logo is one aspect of a company's commercial brand or business entity, and the shape, colors, fonts, and images are usually radically different from other logos in the same market niche. Logos are used for identification.
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Paul Rand, one of the greatest designers in the world, states: “The logo is a flag, a sign, a shield, a road sign. The logo does not sell goods (directly), the logo identifies. The logo is rarely a description of the company. The logo takes its value from the quality of the product, which it symbolizes, and not vice versa. The logo is less significant than the product it represents. More importantly, what it represents, what it looks like. The theme of the logo can be absolutely any thing. ”More information about Paul Rand can be found by reading his book Design, Form and Chaos .
A good logo is distinctive, practical, suitable, has simple forms, and also it conveys the owner’s intention . The concept or “logic” usually stands behind an effective logo and reveals the meaning of the logo. It is necessary to make the logo in such a way that it can be printed in any size and the logo must be effective also, being colorless. A good logo, in fact, boils down to two things - a great concept and a beautiful execution.
“Some are surprised - what is difficult about creating a good logo? They are small, just look, therefore, no problem, right? When you see only the result of designer's efforts, creating a logo can seem like a simple task. But it is not. A logo requires thought and creativity and many elements connected together to create one - a good element. ”( Harrison Mcleod ).
When you create a logo, follow the process that will ensure that the finished design will meet the requirements of the client. Next we show in the picture a typical process followed by professional designers. With experience, you can, of course, think through your own process.
Logo design summary.
Interview the customer or ask them to answer a few questions in order to get ideas about the required logo from them.
Study.
Do research in the industry itself, for which you create a logo, its history and competitors. The first solution to the problem, only then design.
Reference.
Do some research into the design of successful logos. Follow the trends are not in the good of themselves, but in order to be in the know - longevity is the key to logo design.
Drawing and creating a concept.
Create a logo design concept taking into account the summary received from the customer and the data obtained from your research. Be creative and inspired. As Dainis Graveris once wrote, “drawing doesn’t take long and is a good way to present your ideas from a head on a piece of paper. After this, it is much easier to transfer all this to a computer. Drawing develops your imagination - once you understand this, you will always start with a piece of white paper. ”
Thinking.
Take breaks in the design process. This will help your ideas mature, renew your enthusiasm and give you the opportunity to get feedback on your work.
Revision and positioning.
If you position yourself as a contract worker (for example, receive instructions from the client) or create a long-term relationship (for example, you represent the optimal solution for the client), if necessary, review and improve the logo design.
Presentation.
Show the customer only the best design versions you have created. Best presented in pdf format. You may also want to present the logo in context with something to help the customer better represent the brand identity. Preparing a high-quality presentation is the only effective way to get approval from your client for your designs.
“Closed presentations contain a ring of emptiness. Expressive presentation is created for a specific purpose, for a specific person. How to present a new idea is probably one of the most difficult tasks of a designer. “How” in this case is not only a design problem, but also refers to something unknown.
Everything that a designer does implies some kind of presentation that solves not only the question of presenting any particular design to any interested listener (client, reader, viewer), but also how the design presents itself in the market. The presentation is a musical accompaniment design. Presentations, which lacks the idea, will not help glamor photos or anything else. If it is complete nonsense, then the presentation is waiting for deaf ears, but if the listeners lay back in their chairs, they can go to the realm of Morpheus :) ”(Paul Rand.)
Delivery and support.
Deliver relevant files to the customer and provide the required support. After graduation, drink a bottle of beer, eat some chocolate and start your next project.
The study of the process of creating a logo.
For a more detailed example of how professional designers work, you can familiarize yourself with the following studies of the process of creating logos:
Logo creation process for Tenth Church by Nancy Wu
16 Unveiled Logo Creation Process by The Design Cubicle .
As mentioned above, a good logo is distinctive, practical, suitable, has simple forms, and also it conveys the intent of the owner. You must follow the five principles outlined below to ensure compliance with all these requirements:
1. Simplicity.
Simplicity makes the logo design recognizable, ageless and memorable. Good logos are special in that they are unexpected or unique, without unnecessary elements.
Due to the above quote, the history of the Nike logo can be extremely interesting for you.
2. Memorable.
The principle of simplicity follows the principle of memorization. Effective logo design should be remembered, which is achieved through simplicity and appropriateness.
3. Ageless.
An effective logo should be ageless. Can your logo resist time? Will your design be equally effective in 10, 20 or 50 years?
Leave the trend for the fashion industry. Trends come and go, and when you talk about changing jeans or buying a new dress, that's fine, but when you talk about your brand, longevity is an important indicator. Do not follow the trends. Stand out
- David Airey
4. Flexibility.
Effective logo works in various media and applications. Based on this, logos should be created in vector format so that the logo can be scaled to any size.
Ask yourself, your logo is still effective if it ...
One of the ways to create a flexible logo is to start painting in black and white. This will allow you to focus more on the concept and shape than on color , which is subjective in nature. Also think about the cost of printing: the more colors you use, the more expensive the logo will be for the customer in the long term.
Familiarize yourself with the commercial printing process so that there are no problems with printing the created logo. Know the differences between CMYK, Pantone and RGB color systems .
5. Suitable.
How do you determine that a logo is appropriate for your target audience? For example, colors that children like will be suitable for the design of the children's store logo, and not for the law firm.
The logo should not suggest what the company does. Logos of restaurants should not contain food, logos of dentists should not show teeth, logos of furniture stores should not show furniture. Just because it is necessary does not mean that you cannot do better. The Mercedes logo is not a car. The airline logo Virgin Atlantic is not a plane. Apple logo is not a computer, etc.
- David Airey
Should the logo itself explain what it means? The logo gets its real value only by association with a real product, service or company. It derives its value and utility from the quality of what it symbolizes. If the company is second-rate, then the logo will be perceived as second-rate. It is reckless to believe that the logo will do its work immediately, before the public has been properly processed.
- Paul Rand
In my practice, this is the most frequently asked question. There is no easy answer to this question, as each company has its own requirements. It is best to make an individual estimate for each client .
When creating a logo, you will need to take into account several factors. For example, how many design concepts will have to be presented to the client, how many edits will he ask, how much research will be needed, how large is the company, etc.
When choosing a logo designer, be attentive to certain factors, namely:
Experience and proven successful projects
Do they have a successful job? How experienced are they in this business?
Reviews
Do they have positive feedback from previous customers? Make sure the reviews are credible. A simple letter to the previous client will decide everything.
Design process
Do they follow the logo design process?
Awards and published works
Did they receive any awards for their work? Have their works been published in any magazine or book? How famous are they in the industry?
Portfolio strength
How strong is the work in their portfolio? Do they have 100+ medium quality logo designs or 10-30 superb logos? What is the ratio of real logo designs to fakes?
Timing
How much time will it take to create your logo? A typical logo design will take 4-5 days, but many can last for months. Think about how soon you need a logo: do you want it to be delivered in less than 24 hours?
Cost of
The cost of the service usually reflects the quality of what you get. In most cases, you get what you paid for ... but the price is not the only indicator.
Partnership
Are they partners of any design association? This is a good indicator of how committed they are to their craft, although this is not a must.
Professionalism and communication skills
How do they present themselves? Do they respond quickly to letters? How do they communicate? Do they work under contract (to protect themselves and you)?
Asked questions
How many questions does the designer ask you about your company? Questions should be about the history of your company, target market, etc.
In this article we will introduce you to the concepts of creating an effective logo, as well as present the principles and best examples of how you can create a sign brand.
What is logo design?
In order to understand what a logo is, we first need to understand what is the purpose of a logo. The design process, above all, should be aimed at creating a logo that will immediately recognize, which will inspire confidence, delight and imply excellence. A logo is one aspect of a company's commercial brand or business entity, and the shape, colors, fonts, and images are usually radically different from other logos in the same market niche. Logos are used for identification.
')
Paul Rand, one of the greatest designers in the world, states: “The logo is a flag, a sign, a shield, a road sign. The logo does not sell goods (directly), the logo identifies. The logo is rarely a description of the company. The logo takes its value from the quality of the product, which it symbolizes, and not vice versa. The logo is less significant than the product it represents. More importantly, what it represents, what it looks like. The theme of the logo can be absolutely any thing. ”More information about Paul Rand can be found by reading his book Design, Form and Chaos .
What does a good logo consist of?
A good logo is distinctive, practical, suitable, has simple forms, and also it conveys the owner’s intention . The concept or “logic” usually stands behind an effective logo and reveals the meaning of the logo. It is necessary to make the logo in such a way that it can be printed in any size and the logo must be effective also, being colorless. A good logo, in fact, boils down to two things - a great concept and a beautiful execution.
Logo design process.
“Some are surprised - what is difficult about creating a good logo? They are small, just look, therefore, no problem, right? When you see only the result of designer's efforts, creating a logo can seem like a simple task. But it is not. A logo requires thought and creativity and many elements connected together to create one - a good element. ”( Harrison Mcleod ).
When you create a logo, follow the process that will ensure that the finished design will meet the requirements of the client. Next we show in the picture a typical process followed by professional designers. With experience, you can, of course, think through your own process.
Logo design summary.
Interview the customer or ask them to answer a few questions in order to get ideas about the required logo from them.
Study.
Do research in the industry itself, for which you create a logo, its history and competitors. The first solution to the problem, only then design.
Reference.
Do some research into the design of successful logos. Follow the trends are not in the good of themselves, but in order to be in the know - longevity is the key to logo design.
Drawing and creating a concept.
Create a logo design concept taking into account the summary received from the customer and the data obtained from your research. Be creative and inspired. As Dainis Graveris once wrote, “drawing doesn’t take long and is a good way to present your ideas from a head on a piece of paper. After this, it is much easier to transfer all this to a computer. Drawing develops your imagination - once you understand this, you will always start with a piece of white paper. ”
Thinking.
Take breaks in the design process. This will help your ideas mature, renew your enthusiasm and give you the opportunity to get feedback on your work.
Revision and positioning.
If you position yourself as a contract worker (for example, receive instructions from the client) or create a long-term relationship (for example, you represent the optimal solution for the client), if necessary, review and improve the logo design.
Presentation.
Show the customer only the best design versions you have created. Best presented in pdf format. You may also want to present the logo in context with something to help the customer better represent the brand identity. Preparing a high-quality presentation is the only effective way to get approval from your client for your designs.
“Closed presentations contain a ring of emptiness. Expressive presentation is created for a specific purpose, for a specific person. How to present a new idea is probably one of the most difficult tasks of a designer. “How” in this case is not only a design problem, but also refers to something unknown.
Everything that a designer does implies some kind of presentation that solves not only the question of presenting any particular design to any interested listener (client, reader, viewer), but also how the design presents itself in the market. The presentation is a musical accompaniment design. Presentations, which lacks the idea, will not help glamor photos or anything else. If it is complete nonsense, then the presentation is waiting for deaf ears, but if the listeners lay back in their chairs, they can go to the realm of Morpheus :) ”(Paul Rand.)
Delivery and support.
Deliver relevant files to the customer and provide the required support. After graduation, drink a bottle of beer, eat some chocolate and start your next project.
The study of the process of creating a logo.
For a more detailed example of how professional designers work, you can familiarize yourself with the following studies of the process of creating logos:
Logo creation process for Tenth Church by Nancy Wu
16 Unveiled Logo Creation Process by The Design Cubicle .
5 Principles of Effective Logo Design.
As mentioned above, a good logo is distinctive, practical, suitable, has simple forms, and also it conveys the intent of the owner. You must follow the five principles outlined below to ensure compliance with all these requirements:
- Plain,
- Memorable
- Ageless,
- Flexible,
- Suitable.
1. Simplicity.
Simplicity makes the logo design recognizable, ageless and memorable. Good logos are special in that they are unexpected or unique, without unnecessary elements.
In the mid-seventies, when I was in college, one of the teachers introduced me to the principle of KISS (Keep It Simple, Stupid), which translated means: “Keep it simple, silly”. This expression conveys a very important reasoning about design. Simple logos can often be easily recognized, they are overly memorable and, most importantly, meet the requirements of customers.
The refined design will be seen even by the driver of the car, which rushes at a speed of 70 km / h. Remember, the basis of the most effective international brand of the largest shoe manufacturer in the world is a simple graphic tick.
- Jeff Fisher
Due to the above quote, the history of the Nike logo can be extremely interesting for you.
2. Memorable.
The principle of simplicity follows the principle of memorization. Effective logo design should be remembered, which is achieved through simplicity and appropriateness.
To the surprise of many, the theme of the logo plays a not so important role, and even expediency does not always play a significant role.
This does not mean that expediency is not desirable. It only indicates that it is very often impossible to achieve an exact connection between a symbol and what this symbol represents and, under certain conditions, is undesirable. Ultimately, the only prerequisites for logo design are distinctiveness, memorability and simplicity.
- Paul Rand
3. Ageless.
An effective logo should be ageless. Can your logo resist time? Will your design be equally effective in 10, 20 or 50 years?
Leave the trend for the fashion industry. Trends come and go, and when you talk about changing jeans or buying a new dress, that's fine, but when you talk about your brand, longevity is an important indicator. Do not follow the trends. Stand out
- David Airey
4. Flexibility.
Effective logo works in various media and applications. Based on this, logos should be created in vector format so that the logo can be scaled to any size.
Ask yourself, your logo is still effective if it ...
- has one color?
- has the opposite color (for example, a light logo on a dark background)?
- is the size of a postage stamp?
- big as an advertising stand?
One of the ways to create a flexible logo is to start painting in black and white. This will allow you to focus more on the concept and shape than on color , which is subjective in nature. Also think about the cost of printing: the more colors you use, the more expensive the logo will be for the customer in the long term.
I like to start work using black and white to make sure the logo looks good in its simplest form. The color is very subjective and emotional. It can distract from a holistic design. For example, you saw your red logo, red will be the first thing you react to, and not the composition of the various elements in the logo. I will not even introduce the color logo to the client until he signs under the final black and white version.
Patrick Winfield .
Familiarize yourself with the commercial printing process so that there are no problems with printing the created logo. Know the differences between CMYK, Pantone and RGB color systems .
5. Suitable.
How do you determine that a logo is appropriate for your target audience? For example, colors that children like will be suitable for the design of the children's store logo, and not for the law firm.
The logo should not suggest what the company does. Logos of restaurants should not contain food, logos of dentists should not show teeth, logos of furniture stores should not show furniture. Just because it is necessary does not mean that you cannot do better. The Mercedes logo is not a car. The airline logo Virgin Atlantic is not a plane. Apple logo is not a computer, etc.
- David Airey
Should the logo itself explain what it means? The logo gets its real value only by association with a real product, service or company. It derives its value and utility from the quality of what it symbolizes. If the company is second-rate, then the logo will be perceived as second-rate. It is reckless to believe that the logo will do its work immediately, before the public has been properly processed.
- Paul Rand
How much is the logo?
In my practice, this is the most frequently asked question. There is no easy answer to this question, as each company has its own requirements. It is best to make an individual estimate for each client .
When creating a logo, you will need to take into account several factors. For example, how many design concepts will have to be presented to the client, how many edits will he ask, how much research will be needed, how large is the company, etc.
How to choose a logo designer?
When choosing a logo designer, be attentive to certain factors, namely:
Experience and proven successful projects
Do they have a successful job? How experienced are they in this business?
Reviews
Do they have positive feedback from previous customers? Make sure the reviews are credible. A simple letter to the previous client will decide everything.
Design process
Do they follow the logo design process?
Awards and published works
Did they receive any awards for their work? Have their works been published in any magazine or book? How famous are they in the industry?
Portfolio strength
How strong is the work in their portfolio? Do they have 100+ medium quality logo designs or 10-30 superb logos? What is the ratio of real logo designs to fakes?
Timing
How much time will it take to create your logo? A typical logo design will take 4-5 days, but many can last for months. Think about how soon you need a logo: do you want it to be delivered in less than 24 hours?
Cost of
The cost of the service usually reflects the quality of what you get. In most cases, you get what you paid for ... but the price is not the only indicator.
Partnership
Are they partners of any design association? This is a good indicator of how committed they are to their craft, although this is not a must.
Professionalism and communication skills
How do they present themselves? Do they respond quickly to letters? How do they communicate? Do they work under contract (to protect themselves and you)?
Asked questions
How many questions does the designer ask you about your company? Questions should be about the history of your company, target market, etc.
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/68370/
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