This question has been asked since the beginning of design, and although the question has stayed the same the answer has changed. Your logo now needs to be far more flexible and versatile than ever before as it has to work across a whole plethora of media. There is no rest for the modern day logo as it seeks to stay recognisable on the side of a pen as well as on a 50 ft billboard in the middle of a hustling / bustling community. Companies use logos for brand recognition, but we also need to consider your brand is comprised of much more than your logo, but that’s for another article…
Other best principles when designing a logo.
Try designing your logos in black and white to begin with. This works in a similar way to wire framing for websites. It allows your client to focuse on the shape and structure of your logo rather than being distracted by colour. In a past article on “gestalt principles of design” I talked about how colour is secondary to shape and form, well this is a good principle to abide be with your design s especially as colour is so often a distraction to the core principles of your designs.
Don’t follow trends…
A good logo should be timeless so following trends when designing a logo is not advisable. As soon as the trend goes out of fashion so your logo begins to age and decline. Your solution should be totally unique and tailored to the needs of your business, so be careful not to be overly influenced by other logo designs.
So I’ve broken down 3 key criteria which a good logo needs to meet
Your logo should…
- Represent the company’s product / service. It must also reflect the core values of the company as well as the service it provides.
- Be unique and memorable
- Be flexible across a whole range of media and work in lots of different formats. It should also be scalable. So for instance if the logo needs to go on a badge or a business card it will need to be really small yet it still needs to be identifiable. It may also need to sit on the barrel of a pen, so considering basic brand guidelines is also imperative
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August 20th, 2010 at 12:27 pm
[...] Your brand is bigger than your logo! Remember your brand isn’t your logo. What defines your brand is the product or service you offer and the personality behind these. This is why making your logo bigger isn’t always the way. Obviously seeing your logo leads to brand recognition, but a good logo should be recognised at a small scale as well! (See key principles of a good logo) [...]