A few words on Typographic Logo Design

Typographic logos or wordmarks are logos made entirely from type. They suffer from the misconception that they are very quick to throw together and that their design doesn’t require any skill. This is absolutely not the case. A logo designer needs to address questions such as “who is the client” and “who is the target audience.”

While it can seem straightforward to simply use a company or individual’s name on the logo, the typography must be of a high standard or it will look amateurish. Good typography means choosing a suitable typeface (or making a bespoke or proprietary typeface), looking after word spacing and letter spacing. The letterforms should be considered for their shape and legibility. Remember also that a font that may be trendy now can look dated very quickly. Classic typefaces are “classic” for a reason.

An advantage of typographic logos is that the mark is recognizable. There must be hundreds of logos featuring symbols of globes, swooshes and other meaningless shapes but there can be no mistake made when the logo consists of a type treatment of the company name. A disadvantage is that type only logos can look generic if not handled professionally.

Types of Logos

Like other creative processes, logo design also offers limitless creative possibilities. Logo designers can employ from a world of art philosophies, techniques and styles to achieve the desired goal which is to develop a unique identity for a business which also becomes its brand ambassador. That said, it is always better for both logo designers and the company employing the designers to have a clear goals in mind when starting a logo development exercise. To achieve this, one must know about the types of logo designs that can be used independently or combined within one design.

Logo designs are of two basic types:

• Typographic logos
• Symbolic/ Iconic logos

Ascot Investment Advisors obtained this typographical logo for their investment management business.

Typographic Logos

Typographic logos are the most common type of logo designs, since they consist of no-nonsense and to-the-point typography. It's a simple and straightforward way of defining a company. These logos may be simple in their looks, but developing a typographic logotype can often give logo design firms the biggest headaches because they then have to express their client’s message through a smart arrangement of alphabets and typefaces. Extremely intuitive handling of typography along with countless hours of effort is needed to create a readable, memorable and personable mark. In many cases, a typographic logo design is a starting point for the addition of descriptive or symbolic elements.

Symbolic/Iconic Logos

Typographic logos consist of a symbol or icon with the company name typeset alongside which describes the business and its values. Based upon their content, symbolic logos can also be divided into two sub-categories:

• Descriptive logos
• Abstract logos

A descriptive logo for Caribbean Cruises LLC illustrates exactly what the company does.

Descriptive Logos

In simplest terms, a descriptive logo says "Here's what we do." The logos draw a direct correlation between their visual message and company's products and services. Such logos can represent an actual product, demonstrate the business’ area of expertise, and/or define the organization’s cause or mission. It is needless to mention that any symbol used to define the purpose of an organization have to be developed with utmost care so they do not misrepresent their message.

The logo of Mynx Promotions uses an abstract symbol to express its message.

Abstract Logos

In simplest terms, abstract logos are a combination of type and logo which says "Here's what we stand for". These logo designs tend to express their message through loose, figurative elements of design and play off intangible or abstract themes that relate to the company or organization's overall business and/or vision.

Helvetica in Logo Design

Good Logos Are Flexible: Tips to make sure yours is

1. Works well in black, reversed-out and full color

A good logo should be created to work in black, reversed-out (white) and color. Many of times designers start to create their logo by introducing color right away. This often takes away from the concept because your mind is more focused on the “pretty colors.”

2. Works well in various sizes

Logos should be scalable and work well both large and small sizes. Try to avoid logos and marks that are overly complicated. As the old KISS saying goes, “Keep it simple, stupid!” Especially with logos being implemented favicons, on signage and business cards, logos need to be size flexible.

3. Ambidextrous

Logos should be able to work both horizontally and vertically. Typically, in most cases, I provide my clients with two variations to their logos, especially if the logo design was intended to be vertical – horizontal logos seem to work well on websites. It’s always good to make sure you’re logo is a switch hitter :)

4. Flexible logos are vector-ized

When creating a logo, you should be using vector-based software, such as Adobe Illustrator. This will give you the ability to provide various file formats and scalable logos. Typically I like to provide clients with various types of file formats, this way they have different files to implement into various programs they use.

5. Readable

Not only does a logo mark need to work well at various sizes but so does the text. When creating the mark at a smaller size try increasing the character spacing. This will help improve readability, especially when shrunken down and viewed from afar. Are you able to scale your logo without losing clarity?

6 Reasons Why a Logo Should Cost More than your Lunch

Why should a logo cost more than your lunch?

1. A logo is the very first impression people get of your company –
   Before a potential client even walks through your door, your logo is a representation of your company. It can make a company appear large, small (whether it really is or not) fun, serious, professional…
2. A logo needs longevity
   Once a logo is designed it will represent your company for many years.
3. A logo needs to be original
   A logo should be designed specifically for your company. A cheap “generic logo” may not reflect your company’s values. A cheap logo may also use clip art which could end up being used by another company.
4. A logo should look professional
   You wouldn’t take a potential new client to Mac Donalds for lunch, in effect this is what is being done with a cheap logo. A logo should give your company a professional image, appropriate to its needs.
5. A logo should reflect the time and thought gone in to designing it
   One of the problems here is that people don’t always realise the amount work that goes into a professionally designed logo:
   • The research – even if the budget is quite small I would expect at the very least to find out who the company’s main competitors are and how they present themselves
   • The brainstorming of ideas
   • The rough sketches
   • The 4 or 5 logo options worked up on the computer
   • The amends, tweaking and further amends
6. A logo is the starting point of your whole corporate image
   The colours typography and style of a logo will often dictate the corporate look of the rest of a company’s literature.

Logo Stats

Paul Rand: Don't try to be original, try to be good

Let's Be Negative.....

Yoga Australia logo
By Roy Smith Design
New Bedford Whaling Museum logo
By Malcolm Grear Designers
The Waterways Trust logo
By Pentagram
USA Network logo
By Peloton Design
Recycle Taiwan logo
By do you know?
Mouse logo
By Johnson Banks
Guild of Food Writers logo
By 300million
FreemanWhite logo
By Malcolm Grear Designers
ED logo
By Gianni Bortolotti
Eaton logo
By Lippincott (thanks, Brendan)
The Brand Union logo
By The Brand Union
Dolphin House logo
By Ico Design

American Institute of Architects Center logo
By Pentagram

Paul Rand: Thoughts and despair on logo design

Steve Jobs once called Paul Rand, “the greatest living graphic designer.” Though no longer alive, Rand’s legend still thrives in his work and in his writings. With a body of work that includes logos for IBM, Westinghouse, ABC, UPS, and NeXT, he’s still someone you should listen to.

In Design, Form, and Chaos, Rand shares “some thoughts and despair about the design of a logo.”

First what is a logo? Rand says poetically:

A logo is a flag, a signature, an escutcheon, a street sign.
A logo does not sell (directly), it identifies.
A logo is rarely a description of a business.
A logo derives meaning from the quality of the thing it symbolizes,
not the other way around. A logo is less important than the product it signifies; what it represents is more
important than what it looks like.
The subject matter of a logo can be almost anything.

Rand then explains how the quality of logo is tied to the quality of the company it represents. If your company sucks, a pretty logo won’t save you:

Should a logo be self-explanatory? It is only by association with a product, a service, a business, or a corporation that a logo takes on any real meaning. It derives its meaning and usefulness from the quality of that which it symbolizes. If a company is second rate, the logo will eventually be perceived as second rate. It is foolhardy to believe that a logo will do its job immediately, before an audience has been properly conditioned.

Often, the subject of the logo doesn’t even matter:

Surprising to many, the subject matter of a logo is of relatively little importance, and even appropriateness of content does not always play a significant role.

This does not imply that appropriateness is undesirable. It merely indicates that a one-to-one relationship between a symbol and what it symbolized is very often impossible to achieve and, under certain conditions, objectionable. Ultimately, the only mandate in the design of logos, it seems, is that they be distinctive, memorable, and clear.

Finally, Rand stresses the importance of presenting design work. You must tell a unique story that’s catered to your audience:

Canned presentations have the ring of emptiness. The meaningful presentation is custom designed–for a particular purpose, for a particular person. How to present a new idea is, perhaps, one of the designer’s most difficult tasks. This how is not only a design problem, it also pleads for something novel. Everything a designer does involves presentation of some kind–not only how to explain (present) a particular design to an interested listener (client, reader, spectator), but how the design may explain itself in the marketplace… A presentation is the musical accompaniment of design. A presentation that lacks an idea cannot hide behind glamourous photos, pizzazz, or ballyhoo. If it is full of gibberish, it may fall on deaf ears; if too laid back, it may land a prospect in the arms of Morpheus.

To back up his words, Rand includes replicas of his own logo presentations for NeXt, IBM, AdStar, IDEO, and Morningstar. It’s my favorite part of the book and the most illuminating.

TIPS

LOGO DESIGN TIPS

Concepts, Concepts, Concepts!

I like to believe there’s a perfect concept out there for every project, but the hard part is finding it – or at least something close to it. The only way to do this is to brainstorm like crazy. Start looking up competitors, do Google image searches, write down keywords, do some mind mapping, and make sure you put everything down on paper! You don’t want to come up with a great idea only to forget it the next morning.

Nothing like Sketching

A lot of designers like to go straight to the computer, but the power of sketching is often underestimated. You can quickly sketch out multiple concepts and create variations to see what works and what doesn’t – in a matter of minutes. The computer will slow you down so be sure to break out the sketch pad, colored pencils, markers or whatever you prefer – and start sketching away.

Did you know? Large design companies will often sketch out dozens of pages of logo concepts before they even touch a computer mouse. Take a tip from the pros and focus on your sketches first.

Research the End Requirements

It’s always a good idea to talk to your client at the start to see what they plan on doing with the logo. Ask them if it going to just be on stationary, logo items or is it going to be on billboards and banners and such. This can help you better fine tune the logo for them to make sure it will look right in multiple instances.

Use the Most Professional Program

Although it can be tempting to use a program like Adobe Photoshop to design logos when starting out, mastering Adobe Illustrator and its pen tool will be essential if you are serious about logo design. Adobe Illustrator has a vector format that will allow your logo to be scaled up and down with no loss of quality.

Keep it Simple

In general it’s better to keep logo design simple. The main idea behind this is that you want the logo to be able to hold up well at very tiny sizes. A good test is to create a 16×16 pixel “favicon” of the logo and see how it looks. This is the smallest size the logo will probably ever be in.

Test it at Varying Sizes

Similar to the above mentioned, you should physically test the logo yourself by printing it in varying sizes. Also take a look at the logo from different distances to see how it would look on a poster, or on a t-shirt and stationary.

Test it in Multiple Colors

Clients always have different needs and different budgets and a quality logo design will be able to adapt to these circumstances and still look great. Test the logo in a variety of color printing processes, such as one-color, two-color, four-color and so on.

Test with Surrounding Text

Logos will rarely be seen totally alone, most of the time they will have taglines or other text nearby. So, why not test the logo ahead of time and see how it looks in different situations? Add a temporary tagline and see where it looks best. Justify the logo and text to the left, to the right, center it, and try out any other combinations of text and sizes.

Google

Google

In 1996, Stanford University computer science graduate students Larry Page and Sergey Brin built a search engine that would later become Google. That search engine was called BackRub, named for its ability to analyze "back links" to determine relevance of a particular website. Later, the two renamed their search engine Google, a play on the word Googol (meaning 1 followed by 100 zeros).

Two years later, Larry and Sergey went to Internet portals (who dominated the web back then) but couldn’t get anyone interested in their technology. In 1998, they started Google, Inc. in a friend’s garage, and the rest is history.

Google’s first logo was created by Sergey Brin, after he taught himself to use the free graphic software GIMP. Later, an exclamation mark mimicking the Yahoo! logo was added. In 1999, Stanford’s Consultant Art Professor Ruth Kedar designed the Google logo that the company uses today.

To mark holidays, birthdays of famous people and major events, Google uses specially drawn logos known as the Google Doodles. The very first Google Doodle was a reference to the Burning Man Festival in 1999. Larry and Sergey put a little stick figure on the home page to let people know why no one was in the office in case the website crashed! Now, Google Doodles are regularly drawn by Dennis Hwang.

History of Adobe and Adidas Logo Design

Adobe Logo Design
Adobe's triangular abstract A is widely known today. In December 1982, Adobe Systems was formed by Chuck Geschke and John Warnock who were trying to start up a new company. The two forty-something men were confident in the software language they developed and its natural applications. The programing language became known as PostScript and featured several innovations. Communications between printer and PC no longer needed a hotchpotch of specialized application protocols and drivers but one software language only. Also the language could describe both graphics and text on one page. Graphic designer Marva Warnock designed the company's first identity. The stylization of the A is carried through all glyphs in a rather accomplished and aware way. The original logo also offers a glance of what the future logo would look like. The new stylized A logo sets an example of how a company extends and respects its own graphic history.

Adidas Logo Design & Identity

Adidas - a name that stands for competence in all sectors of sport all over the world. Adidas was founded by Adolf (Adi) Dassler, who started producing shoes in the 1920s with the help of his brother Rudolf Dassler who later formed rival shoe company PUMA AG. Adi Dassler's aim was to provide every athlete with the best possible equipment. For this he followed three guiding principles: design the best shoe for the requirements of the sport, protect the athlete from injury, and make the product durable. Today, the Adidas brand product range extends from shoes, apparel and accessories for basketball, soccer, fitness and training to adventure, trail and golf. The company's clothing and shoe logo designs typically feature three parallel stripes, and this same motif is incorporated into Adidas's current official logo. For years the only symbol associated with Adidas was the trefoil (flower) logo design. The 3 leaves symbolize the Olympic spirit, linked to the three continental plates as well as the heritage and history of the brand. The "Trefoil" was adopted as the corporate logo design in 1972. In 1996, it was decided that the Trefoil corporate identity would only be used on heritage products. Examples of products featuring the Trefoil logo design include the Stan Smith, Rod Laver, A-15 Warm-Up, and Classic T-Shirt. In January 1996, the Three-Stripe brand mark became the worldwide Adidas corporate logo. This logo represents performance and the future of the Adidas branding identity. It has become synonymous with Adidas and its dedication to producing high-quality athletic products to help athletes perform better.

Apple

Simplify, simplify and simplify.

Apple, not usually one to let go of secrets so easily, has ‘apparently’ announced plans to change its iconic Apple logo*. This will be the tenth logo for Apple, the famous brand identity spanning a crisp and fruitful 13 years.

Read more on this amazing identity rebrand. Link found via Logolounge

*This is a parody, taken from an Apple parody website. Not to be taken seriously or to be offended by. I have added this after Nora at LogoBlogOrg got offended and upset over the handling of this parody. Sorry Nora.

Good Logo designs

Simple

1. Memorable
2. Timeless
3. Versatile
4. Appropriate

1. Simple

Simplicity makes a logo design easily recognizable, versatile and memorable. Good logos feature something unexpected or unique, without being “overdrawn.”

While in college in the mid-’70s, an instructor introduced me to the K.I.S.S. Principle of design, which translates as: Keep It Simple, Stupid. It does convey a very important design consideration. Simple logos are often easily recognized, incredibly memorable and the most effective in conveying the requirements of the client.

A refined and distilled identity will also catch the attention of a viewer zipping by signage at 70 miles per hour, on packaging on the crowded shelves of a store, or in any other vehicle used for advertising, marketing and promotion. Remember, the basis of the hugely effective international branding for the world’s largest shoe manufacturer is a very simple graphic swoosh.

— Jeff Fisher

2. Memorable

Following closely on this principle of simplicity is that of memorability. An effective logo design should be memorable, which is achieved by keeping it simple yet appropriate.

Surprising to many, the subject matter of a logo is of relatively little importance, and even appropriateness of content does not always play a significant role.

This does not imply that appropriateness is undesirable. It merely indicates that a one-to-one relationship between a symbol and what it symbolized is very often impossible to achieve and, under certain conditions, objectionable. Ultimately, the only mandate in the design of logos, it seems, is that they be distinctive, memorable, and clear.

— Paul Rand

3. Timeless

An effective logo should be timeless. Will yours stand the test of time? Will it still be effective in 10, 20 or 50 years?

Leave trends to the fashion industry. Trends come and go, and when you’re talking about changing a pair of jeans or buying a new dress, that’s fine, but where your brand identity is concerned, longevity is key. Don’t follow the pack. Stand out.

— David Airey

4. Versatile

An effective logo works across a variety of media and applications. For this reason, logos should be designed in vector format, to ensure that they scale to any size.

Ask yourself, is your logo still effective if it is printed…

• In one color?
• In reverse color (i.e. light logo on dark background)?
• The size of a postage stamp?
• As large as a billboard?

One way to create a versatile logo is to begin designing in black and white. This allows you to focus on the concept and shape, rather than color, which is subjective in nature. Also keep in mind printing costs: the more colors you use, the more expensive it will be for the business over the long term.

I like to work first in black and white to ensure that the logo will look good in its simplest form. Color is very subjective and emotional. This can distract from the overall design – say if you saw your logo in all red, that color may be the first thing that you respond to and not the composition of the design elements. I will not even consider submitting color suggestions to a client for review until they have signed off on a final black and white logo.

— Patrick Winfield

5. Appropriate

How you “position” the logo should be appropriate for its intended audience. For example, a child-like font and color scheme would be appropriate for a logo for a children’s toy store, not so much for a law firm.

A logo doesn’t need to say what a company does. Restaurant logos don’t need to show food, dentist logos don’t need to show teeth, furniture store logos don’t need to show furniture. Just because it’s relevant, doesn’t mean you can’t do better. The Mercedes logo isn’t a car. The Virgin Atlantic logo isn’t an airplane. The Apple logo isn’t a computer. Etc.

— David Airey

Should a logo be self-explanatory? It is only by association with a product, a service, a business, or a corporation that a logo takes on any real meaning. It derives its meaning and usefulness from the quality of that which it symbolizes. If a company is second rate, the logo will eventually be perceived as second rate. It is foolhardy to believe that a logo will do its job immediately, before an audience has been properly conditioned.

— Paul Rand

Logo Design

What Is A Logo?

To understand what a logo is, we first must understand what the main purpose of logos is. The design process must aim to make the logo immediately recognizable, inspiring trust, admiration, loyalty and an implied superiority. The logo is one aspect of a company’s commercial brand or economic entity, and its shapes, colors, fonts, and images usually are strikingly different from other logo in the same market niche. Logos are used to identify.

Paul Rand, one of the world’s greatest designers states that “a logo is a flag, a signature, an escutcheon, a street sign. A logo does not sell (directly), it identifies. A logo is rarely a description of a business. A logo derives meaning from the quality of the thing it symbolizes, not the other way around. A logo is less important than the product it signifies; what it represents is more important than what it looks like. The subject matter of a logo can be almost anything.”

For more on Paul Rand, consider reading the book Design, Form & Chaos.

What Makes A Good Logo?

A good logo is distinctive, appropriate, practical, graphic and simple in form, and it conveys the owner’s intended message. A concept or “meaning” is usually behind an effective logo, and it communicates the intended message. A logo should be able to be printed at any size and, in most cases, be effective without color. A great logo essentially boils down to two things: great concept and great execution.

Logo Design Process

“Some wonder what’s so difficult about creating a good logo. They’re small, they look easy to do, so no problem, right? When you only see the result of a designer’s efforts, the logo creation can look like it was a simple task. But it’s not. A logo takes thought and creativity, and many elements combine to make a good one.” (via Harrison Mcleod)

When creating a logo, follow a process that ensures the final design meets the needs of the clients. Below, we have listed the typical process that professional logo designers follow. With practice, you will no doubt develop your own.

Design brief.
Conduct a questionnaire or interview with the client to get the design brief.

Research.
Conduct research on the industry itself, its history and competitors. Problem-solve first, design later.

Reference.
Conduct research on logo designs that have been successful and on current styles and trends that may relate to the design brief. Follow trends not for their own sake but rather to be aware of them: longevity in logo design is key.

Sketching and conceptualizing.
Develop the logo design concept(s) around the brief and your research. This is the single most important part of the design process. Get creative and be inspired. As Dainis Graveris has written once, “sketching isn’t time-consuming and is a really good way to put ideas in your head right on paper. After that, it’s always easier to actually design it on the computer. Sketching helps to evolve your imagination: once you understand it, you will always start from just white paper.

Reflection.
Take breaks throughout the design process. This helps your ideas mature, renews your enthusiasm and allows you to solicit feedback. It also gives you a fresh perspective on your work.

Revisions and positioning.
Whether you position yourself as a contractor (i.e. getting instructions from the client) or build a long-lasting relationship (i.e. guiding the client to the best solution), revise and improve the logo as required.

Presentation.
Present only your best logo designs to your client. PDF format usually works best. You may also wish to show the logo in context, which will help the client more clearly visualize the brand identity. Preparing a high-quality presentation is the single most effective way to get your clients to approve your designs.

“Canned presentations have the ring of emptiness. The meaningful presentation is custom designed—for a particular purpose, for a particular person. How to present a new idea is, perhaps, one of the designer’s most difficult tasks. This how is not only a design problem, it also pleads for something novel.

Everything a designer does involves presentation of some kind—not only how to explain (present) a particular design to an interested listener (client, reader, spectator), but how the design may explain itself in the marketplace… A presentation is the musical accompaniment of design. A presentation that lacks an idea cannot hide behind glamorous photos, pizazz, or ballyhoo. If it is full of gibberish, it may fall on deaf ears; if too laid back, it may land a prospect in the arms of Morpheus.” (Paul Rand)

Delivery and support.
Deliver the appropriate files to the client and give all support that is needed. Remember to under-promise and over-deliver. After you’ve finished, have a beer, eat some chocolate and then start your next project.

5 Principles Of Effective Logo Design

As mentioned, a good logo is distinctive, appropriate, practical, graphic and simple in form, and it conveys the owner’s intended message. You should follow the five principles below to ensure that your design meets all of these criteria:

1. Simple
2. Memorable
3. Timeless
4. Versatile
5. Appropriate