Article from Imprint Canada.com, January/February 2010, Volume 17, Number 1
logo: a graphical element (symbol, emblem, icon, sign) that is adopted by an organization to identify its products, uniform and/or services.
A logo is the first thing that your clients associate with your company. What does yours say about you?
A solid logo design - like every other form of design, graphic or otherwise - needs to be based on a set of principles in order to be effective and memorable.
1) RESEARCH
First and foremost comes research. This first principle is fairly straightforward and it remains the foundation for subsequent elements that into sound logo design. Without research, your company’s logo cannot be an accurate reflection or symbol of your organiztion.
Questions like - Who is your target market? What service or goods does your company provide? What is the organization’s culture? How is your company positioned in the industry versus the competition? How do your clients view your company? - need to be thoroughly examined and answered earnestly in order for your logo to be an accurate representation of your company.
As a side note: after you’ve done the research be sure your designer is also aware of this information.
2) SIMPLICITY
I’m sure you’ve heard the K.I.S.S. cliché before: Keep It Simple Stupid. Stray away from this notion and sadly you will never get it right.
A confusing or complicated logo is essentially worthless; trying to convey too much in a design will only confound your target audience and that is the exact opposite of your logo’s purpose.
Every effective, recognizable logo which represents a leading global brand (think Coca-Cola, Nike, Microsoft) shares this basic principle. Although your company may not be a global powerhouse, it’s never a bad idea to study what the “big boys” have done right.
3) FLEXIBILITY
An effective logo should easily transcend any media - whether it’s a business card, pen, t-shirt, billboard, or a catalogue. In order for this to happen, it is paramount that the design be legible and scalable which is why vector graphics are and absolute must.
Vector graphics ensure that no degradation in image occurs regardless of the size of the design being used. (Side note: this is why we steer clear of using photographs in logo design, and do not use Word to design your logo)
A flexible logo will work well at any size it is reproduced as well as across both vertical and horizontal scales. A couple of good ways to determine if your logo design is versatile is to see if it looks good in black and white, when inverted, and when outputted as a mirror-image of itself.
TIP: Colour is secondary. Any good designer will tell you that if you are considering a logo redesign, it should first be created in black and white so that you can clearly focus on the concept, shape and focus of the design itself without being distracted by the emotional nature of colour. Your mind can easily be drawn away from the effectiveness of a design if a colour used in the design is conveying another message.
More to come… Style, Consistency and Creativity of Good Design.