So what exactly is a logo? The word is short for logotype and it’s a sign that serves to identify a product or company. Because people respond emotionally to images, the right logo builds credibility and conveys professionalism.

So how do you find an effective logo design company? Logo design is a part of graphic design. In fact it’s one of the most important areas of graphic and also the most most difficult to get right. This is because logo design requires not only artistic creativity, but also a deep knowledge of the culture of the day. The latter enables designers to develop appropriate logos for any field of business from centuries-old Scotch whiskeys to the latest biotechnology products.

For a logo to be both attractive and effective, it needs to be visually pleasing and memorable and effectively convey the the essence of your product or company to your target audience. So company logo design demands both artistic skill and business knowledge.

Before contacting a logo design firm you need to be clear about the image you wish to present. Plus you want to think about what colours best represent your company. Logos are of several types. They can be text-based, illustrative (an image that represents what your company or product does), iconic (abstract image), or a combination of all.

As for design, the best maxim is ‘the simpler the better’. Look at the classic minimalism of Google’s logo, for example. See how effective and memorable it is. Remember a logo has to grab attention immediately. Complex logos bursting with metaphor are likely to result in confusion.

When you have a clear idea of the type of logo you thing would fit your needs, contact a firm to design one for you. You can choose a graphic design firm but it makes to sense to have your logo created as part of a whole branding package. For this, you would need to approach brand development consultants who can advise you on all aspects of corporate image development including corporate logo design and business logo design. You might even get Free logo design as part of the package.

Andy Lomax owns and runs Kudos Web Design one of the Leading Web Design companies in Manchester.

Branding can cost a lot of cash. For a start up company, this might be a problem. But, it is possible to craft an affordable brand. With a little creativity and an honest critic, you have all you need.

If you are selling a product such as hair gel, by simply adding a picture of yourself onto the product, you have successfully branded your merchandise. Now, when people see you smiling back at them from the side of gel bottles in stores, they will immediately remember your product and where to get it. Add a catchy phrase next to the picture and you are off to the races!

Alcohol producers often use branding to help with their sales. Captain Morgan had a painting serving as the background for their bottle. It had a macaw flying past a sailor shipwrecked ashore. Even if you could not recall the name of the product, you could remember that you wanted the bottle with the flying macaw on it.

You must come up with something unique but related to your product in order to “brand” it. Think of what the product is or what it does, the shape of the container, the colors involved. Find a place to add a photo, and think of a truly memorable catchphrase.

Brainstorming with several people can help generate ideas for branding. Sit around and discuss options, toss out ideas, list the ones that make you laugh or are easy to remember and “especially” suited to the product. Look at places on the sales material, boxing, labeling, where a photograph would be appropriate.

Make some flyers, buy business cards and order brochures.

Send them to everyone on your contact list and be sure to hand them out to anyone you meet. This is both cheap and yet very effective.

You are going to need to go to trade shows and the like in order to build a mailing list of potential customers.
Speaking at public events is always a good idea and affords you the opportunity to tell people about your company and the products you offer. Bring along sign up sheets to bolster your mailing list and be sure to exchange business cards with the other people renting booths.

The profitability of branding is undeniable so there is no question that it works. Some logos and phrases will be with us until we die. If people actually recognize what you sell or your face, then you already have opened the door to an opportunity to tell them more about your business and its potential benefits to them. Branding is a big part of the reason that Arnold Schwarzenegger is now governor of California. It is surely not the only thing that helped him win the run-off election, but you can bet that it did not hurt him one bit!

University supervised research1 has demonstrated that successful logos – logos that work to help achieve company goals – are credibility-based. Called “power logos”, they project the company as being an expert in their business. They are also trustworthy and forward thinking. These are the three prongs of being credible. Designing a logo with these three prongs as criteria is what gives any company logo credibility and hence POWER to influence messages.

Company managers, large and small, can now assess the power of their logo. We know how effective credible people are, but now credibility principles apply to company logos. When a company speaks with its logo, it must be considered a credible source.

The company logo on a business card or letterhead will have logo identification good, bad or indifferent. Successful logos have power to help achieve company goals. Bad or indifferent logos may actually undermine company efforts. Most companies have bad or indifferent logos.

Where did credible logos get their start? This requirement stems from the teachings of my mentor late graphic design legend, Saul Bass, who is famous for his successful logos for AT&T, United Airlines, United Way, Rockwell International, Alcoa and Continental Airlines (during the period 1968 to 1989). If logos symbolize the company business, characterize particular company attributes and are contemporary they will have power, he would say.

It all goes back to Communication 101. There are three elements in the communication process:

1. The source or sender of the message (the company).
2. The message.
3. The receiver (stakeholder, ie customers, employees, banks, suppliers etc.)

Many studies in interpersonal communication (people to people) conclude that if the source is competent, reliable, and forward thinking the message will be more readily accepted by the receiver. Competent, reliable and forward thinking make up the components of being credible in interpersonal communication.

For example, a computer wiz would be more influential on what mouse or software program to buy than, say, a chef. But a chef, on the other hand, would be more influential when it comes to the best curry to buy and where, or the latest cookbook. You wouldn’t go to the computer wiz for food-related suggestions, and you wouldn’t go to the chef for electronic-related suggestions. Well, in most cases.

In short, a person high in the dimensions of competent, reliable and forward thinking will be more credible, and, therefore, more influential. Again, these are the three prongs of being credible. Research has now demonstrated that a company high in dimensions of expert, trustworthy and forward thinking will be credible and, therefore, more influential. (Note the similarity of words.) This is because people relate to companies the same way they relate to people. These are brand-customer relationships.

How Does a Graphic Designer Create a Credibility-based Logo?

The first thing a designer does is symbolize the company business. This says the company is an expert in that business. Like the shoe repair shop with a sign hanging on the store front with a ‘boot’ or ‘shoe’ symbol together with the text ‘Joe’s Shoe Repair.’ The designer then makes the boot or shoe “contemporary” or ‘forward-thinking’ and Joe is almost there. Make it look trustworthy with traits that define the descriptive nature of the shoe repair shop such as ‘experienced,’ ‘professional’ and ‘friendly’ and Joe has a credible logo, a power logo.

Joe’s company name, ‘Joe’s Shoe Repair”‘is also credibility-based. ‘hoe Repair’ says Joe is an expert in that field. Joe lends his name “Joe” indicating that he will stand by his work, thereby being trustworthy. And, Joe is short for Joseph which is more streamlined, more forward thinking (maybe a stretch, but you get what I mean).

Successful logos are not an abstract concept any longer. They are credibility-based. This is their role in the greater role of a total credibility-based integrated marketing communication system, which makes a great company brand. The payoff is in loyal customers, high caliber employees, dedicated suppliers, understanding governmental bodies and great financial relations.

William L. Haig is the Chairman and CEO of Powerlogos Design. He is also the co-author of “The Power of Logos: How to Create Effective Company Logos”, NY: Wiley, 1997 (fifth printing.)

Logotype, commonly known as a logo, is a design, a graphic representation/image/trademark symbolizing one’s organization. Designed for instant identification, a logo can appear on company letterhead, advertising material and signs as an emblem by way of which the organization can easily be recognized.

Originating in the 19th century, after a surge in industrial manufacturing that led to an increase in output, global distribution, and the commencement of competition, logo designs were created to differentiate between products within the same industry. Emblems or symbols were included on products, packages and labels so buyers could easily recognize the product they preferred. Logos revolutionized the advertising world.

There was a time when only affluent organizations could afford their own crest, emblem or logo. They were, in some cases, a very detailed drawing with many objects. Cost was not an issue and more was considered better. Then, flags were used due to their larger format. They were visible from the craft fields and from long distances.

Today, successful companies continue to say that “simpler is better”. Especially when the world is advancing so rapidly, you have less and less time to impress your customers. Company Logo designs, now, are very stylish yet remain conservative, which makes them eye-catching and easier for the brain to memorize.

Selecting the Logo Concept

The most crucial aspect of logo selection is the logo concept. You must first determine what your logo should say about your company. You may come up with an image related to a business like a house for real estate or a car for a car dealer, or your logo could be just an abstract image representing the company’s philosophy, for example, a pyramid or a blocky image for a stable, trustworthy company. A very dynamic image with orbits and swooshes, sparks, or particles might be suitable for a very young, modern, high tech company.

Not all businesses, though, can be easily associated with any particular image. For example, a programming company doesn’t have many images to associate with (except a computer). In this situation, it would be recommended to concentrate on an abstract image and to represent the feel of the company’s business rather than coming up with a specific image. Companies that deal with more than one business should have a more generic image, but the logo can still be made to look technological by implementing some straight lines in combination with curves, or more corporate with more proportional, symmetrical, geometrical shapes.

As a result of the expense involved in changing a corporate logo, a “good” logo shouldn’t be too trendy, but ideally last many years before needing a redesign. You need to ask yourself if the design will be relevant in 5 or 10 years.

Once a company has established itself with a specific look, feel and image, it becomes more and more difficult to change as time goes by. Some companies have enjoyed success without ever having to change their logo design. Kentucky Fried Chicken has used Colonel Sanders in their logo since the company was founded in 1952. Aside from some updates on their marketing front, Nike would be another good example (the Nike swoosh). Pepsi took a risk in the mid 1990s by drastically changing their image and logo but did so with success. However, it could have resulted in commercial suicide. If you’ll remember, in the 1980s Coca-cola changed their brand image to Coke. Pepsi then took over top seat in the market shortly thereafter. Creating a logo design that can appeal to customers and consumers throughout the ages is important, considering that there will always be a risk involved with change.

If, however, you decide that your logo is in need of a face life, here are some points to take into consideration:

Does your current logo represent 3 of the key elements that make up a credible and high quality logo design?

1. Does the logo portray your company in a manner which says that you are an expert in this field?
2. Is the logo “contemporary”, symbolizing a “forward-thinking” look?
3. Is the message that you are trying to convey to the consumer clear?

If you answered ‘yes’ to all of these questions, then why change your logo? By revamping your company image, you may risk losing your supporters, clients that are already familiar with your products and services, your popularity, respect, as well as your market share. You can, however, clean-up your logo or update it with a lot less risk.

Tagline

When creating a tagline for your company, it is important to consider whether or not you are going to, eventually, go global. If so, create a tagline that gets your point across when translated into different languages. Here are some examples of successful companies that did not take this into consideration:

a-  Kentucky Fried Chicken’s tagline “finger-lickin’ good” translates in Chinese as “eat your fingers off”.

b-  General Motors introduced the Chevy Nova in South America, and the company was apparently unaware that “no va,” translated in Spanish meant “it won’t go,” or “it doesn’t run.”

c-  In Taiwan, Pepsi introduced its tagline “Come alive with the Pepsi Generation”. In Chinese, the slogan translated as “Pepsi will bring your ancestors back from the dead.”

Shapes, Sizes and Types

Iconic logos: Iconic logos, one of the most common types, are represented by a single graphical element, icon or design which usually includes the company name below or to the side of the icon, for example: Nike, AOL, Micheline. When considering iconic logos, it is important to make the symbol fit any of the geometrical shapes. The best shapes to use are symmetrical geometrical shapes. They can be placed almost anywhere and still show balance and are very easy to handle.

There is no obligation, though, as to the kind of shape used, you can use any free form shape you want, but you have to be very careful with the placement, so the logo doesn’t look like it is falling apart.

When selecting the shape, you should consider how conservative and stable your company wishes to appear.

Logo Type: Logo types consist only of the company name. A unique font or unique layout style can make a great logo, for example: Sony, Kellogg’s, Coca-Cola, IBM.

Illustrative: An illustrative logo consists of a unique design; usually representing the company’s field of business. These logos are often very eye-catching, detailed and impressive. As a result of their detail and colors, illustrative logos are difficult to reproduce and therefore expensive.

Integrated: An integrated logo is the combination of a logo type and illustrative logo. These logos are even more rare than the illustrative logos because of their expense.

Less is More!

Everyone wants a cutting edge, high tech, ‘cool’ logo. Consider, however, that some of the most successful logos are simple, and most importantly, easy to remember. Think of Nike, McDonalds, Pepsi, Coca-Cola. These are all very successful images that are, at the same time, very simple. When creating your design, you can get into picky little details and it is important to take a step back, close your eyes and see if you can essentially sketch the image in your head. If it is that memorable, then you know you are on the right track. Remember that “less is more”.

Colors

Keep in mind, when selecting colors for your logo, that your color scheme should be appropriate for your company. It is also useful to use pantone colors -universal colors which are used by professional print shops.

Colors often have a profound impact on viewers. Red and orange are said to produce excitation, red also tends to signify danger. Dark blue portrays comfort and relaxation, and yellow tends to create a feeling of irritation. If you are creating a logo design for a nursing home or a hospital, it may be a good idea to stay away from reds and bright yellows. Exceptions are always made though, such as McDonalds (which has both red and yellow in its logo!).

When choosing your color scheme, keep in mind the personality you wish to express for your business. Do you want your company to portray a professional image? Try using black, silver, and other dark colors. Do you want your company to come across and fun, dynamic, and funky? If so, try using bright and vibrant colors. Be creative.

Important Points To Consider:

• A logo should:

• Attract attention and leave an impression
• Create a look that is unique
• Reflects the personality of the company

• Reproduction costs: The more detailed and colorful the logo design, the more difficult to reproduce, meaning a higher cost.
• The size: The prefect logo design will look great on a sign board as well as on a business card or a pen.
• Logo design companies are by the dozen. Take your time, research different companies and designers and compare packages in order to select a logo design company suited to your needs.
• Check your competition. What designs, graphics, and colors do they use? Remember that you need to be competitive.
• Trademark your logo. If your logo is trademarked, this prevents competitors and other third parties from stealing it.
• And last but not least, when in doubt, K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple Stupid).

Logo design is believed to be one of the most difficult areas in graphic design. A logo is essentially at the heart of a corporate identity. It is the face of an organization! The right logo design can be one of your strongest marketing tools. It delivers the message to the public that a company is unique, credible and professional. Make it stylish. Make it elegant. Make it an impact

If your company already has the vitamins and nutrients, such as a mission statement, value proposition, and core values, then you have many of the things you need to grow your logo design into a brand and connect your employees, partners, and customers to a singular business vision in the marketplace.

Logo design = 3D Representation, Brand = 3D Expectation

The goal of a corporate logo design is to mature from a representational symbol of a company, service, or product, into an expectation of performance in the mind of consumers.

When first created, logo design represents conceptual ideas and exist as business cards; letterhead, cardboard stencils, and symbols on proposal covers. As they begin to evolve, they can grow into the sum of the corporate vision and symbolize the value proposition, core company values, characteristics, and attributes that are associated with a positive emotion — that uniquely identifies a logo design as a service offering in the mind of the consumer.

Through the evolving life of a custom logo design, it is expected to become more accountable as it gains responsibility, visibility and stature. To reach this golden era of achievement, the logo design matures to become a brand. It’s simple existence, placed on marketing communications and correspondence; signify a presence and voice of the company that speaks to the consumer’s expectations. This symbolic quality can retain consumers as well as attract new ones, through recognition and association of new product launches and business initiatives.

Thus, in the corporate setting, logo design can become brands and contribute to the growth of the corporation – and to society with a healthy diet of strategy and nutrients. A brand can also be reproduced as a product line of sub brands within a brand family. Evolving from representation to expectation, involves growing from a conceptual idea to an awareness of recognized stature that compels a positive relationship of image and recall. Consistent use of targeted marketing communications materials can help achieve brand expectation of performance for products and services.

Corporate Identity + Marketplace Positioning =3D Growth Strategy.

The logo design and corporate identity is the frontline of your company’s services. It’s the company asset that represents your voice for a position in the marketplace.

While your logo design is the visual signature of your idea, company, product or service, its practical use is the centerpiece of your corporate communications, as your corporate identity. The bottom line business value of your corporate communications is strengthened in the marketplace with consistent use of identity, and targeted content and message.

A corporate communications strategy will help your business gain market share – in a changing and competitive business landscape. Ultimately, your corporate brand should stand for the relationship your company has with its employees, partners, and customers. For a logo design to come to life, to exist in the minds of your consumers – the company must be internally aligned to deliver the brand promise through the company’s, culture, values, products and services. Employees must “live” the expectation of brand performance in their day-to-day interactions. Management must demonstrate their commitment to these values through leadership as well as corporate, marketing, and internal communications.

The world’s strongest brands, such as Starbucks, Coca-Cola, IBM and Monster, clearly demonstrate this every day. These names, that first represented logo design, now represent consumer expectations of performance.

Jerome Smith is a business communications visionary defining the corporate strategy for BrandEvolve, Inc. where he is CEO.  He has a passionate approach to branding, creative problem solving, and the creative process.  His insight to branding comes from his evolution as a NYC graffiti artist, to an integrator of brand communications solutions across the mediums of print, broadcast/multimedia, and Internet.

Studies have shown that prospects need to see or hear your company’s name multiple times – as many as 7 or 8 – before they are familiar enough with it to pick up a phone and call. So it behooves you to put your corporate logo on anything and everything you can think of to gain exposure for your company and keep your image in front of people.

There’s a long list of places where companies customarily place their company logos, which include: Business cards · Letterhead and envelopes · Web sites · Print ads · Direct mailers · Forms and surveys · Billboards · Banners · Bumper stickers · Brochures and sales sheets · Indoor/outdoor signage · Company cars and fleet vehicles · Pens and pencils · Note pads · T-shirts and polo shirts · Thousands of other promotional items like key chains, coffee mugs, hats, etc.

Besides placing your company logo in all the customary places, you may also want to think about more creative ways of displaying your logo design. Some out-of-the-box ideas could be:

• Hiring a plane to fly over an outdoor stadium during an event with your logo in tow.
• Handing out temporary tattoos that feature your company logo at a trade show.
• Wrapping a bus or other vehicle in a graphic that features your logo design.
• Asking any non-profits you support to include your logo design in the materials they produce.
• Asking a celebrity or athlete who believes in your product to display your company logo on a hat or shirt.
• Offering your own line of promotional products featuring your business logo (like Budweiser or Coca-Cola).

In addition, think about all the special opportunities you might have to display your business logo that are specific to your industry. For example, realtors have “For Sale” signs they place in front of houses and promotional flyers on which they can display their company logo. A plumber could attach a tag bearing their business logo and phone number to a pipe underneath a sink (talk about a well-placed promotional opportunity). A computer store could place a sticker with their logo design and phone number on the top of each PC they sell. The possibilities are endless.

Keep in mind that, wherever you place your company logo, it needs to be consistent in all usages so that people can always easily recognize it as your logo design (meaning that the colors should always look the same and the logo design must never be stretched or pulled out of proportion in any way). In addition, don’t let your company logo be placed anywhere that might reflect poorly on your business or work against its intended perception. A plumber can get away with putting his business logo on a toilet plunger, but it would work against most other companies (especially if you are a perfume company or jeweler).

So start brainstorming and get your logo design in front of your customers today. It can only help your business.

Jeff Kear is Owner and Director of Client Services for myICON Design.

Easier said than done, you say? Maybe. Luckily, there are time-tested guidelines you can follow in your quest for a great corporate logo. Whether you hire an agency or decide to create it yourself, commit these rules to memory–or at least bookmark this web page:

1. Your logo should reflect your company in a unique and honest way. Sounds obvious, but you’d be surprised how many business owners want something “just like” a competitor. If your logo contains a symbol–often called a “bug”–it should relate to your industry, your name, a defining characteristic of your company or a competitive advantage you offer.

What’s the overriding trait you want people to remember about your business? If it’s quick delivery, consider objects that connote speed, like wings or a clock. Consider an abstract symbol to convey a progressive approach–abstracts are a great choice for high-tech companies. Or maybe you simply want an object that represents the product or service you’re selling. Be clever, if you can, but not at the expense of being clear.

2. Avoid too much detail. Simple logos are recognized faster than complex ones. Strong lines and letters show up better than thin ones, and clean, simple logos reduce and enlarge much better than complicated ones.

But although your logo should be simple, it shouldn’t be simplistic. Good logos feature something unexpected or unique without being overdrawn. Look at the pros: McDonald’s, Nike, Prudential. Notice how their logos are simple yet compelling. Anyone who’s traveled by a McDonald’s with a hungry 4-year-old knows the power of a clean logo symbol.

3. Your logo should work well in black and white (one-color printing). If it doesn’t look good in black and white, it won’t look good in any color. Also keep in mind that printing costs for four-color logos are often greater than that for one- or two-color jobs).

4. Make sure your logo’s scalable. It should be aesthetically pleasing in both small and large sizes, in a variety of mediums. A good rule of thumb is the “business card/billboard rule”: Your logo should look good on both.

5. Your logo should be artistically balanced. The best way to explain this is that your logo should seem “balanced” to the eye–no one part should overpower the rest. Just as a painting would look odd if all the color and details were segregated in one corner, so do asymmetric logos. Color, line density and shape all affect a logo’s balance.

Many logo gurus insist your logo should be designed to last for up to 10 or 15 years. But I’ve yet to meet a clairvoyant when it comes to design trends. The best way to ensure logo longevity, in addition to the rules I’ve listed above, is to make sure you love your logo. Don’t ever settle for something half-baked.

And once you commit to your logo design, be sure you have it in all three of these essential file formats: EPS for printing, JPG and GIF for your website. Essentially, these file conversions render your logo as a single piece of art-so it’s no longer a symbol with a typeface. Which brings us to the most important rule in logo design. . .

Never, ever re-draw or alter your logo! If you want to animate it for your website, fine. But don’t change its essence. Reduce and enlarge it proportionally. And if you become tired of your logo, that’s good. Because that’s usually about the time it’s starting to make an impression on everyone else!

John Williams is Entrepreneur.com’s “Image & Branding” columnist and the founder and president of LogoYes.com, the world’s first do-it-yourself logo design website. During John’s 25 years in advertising, he’s created brand standards for Fortune 100 companies like Mitsubishi and won numerous awards for his design work.

When designing your company logo design, keep the following in mind: What do you want your customers to expect and feel when they see your logo?

How Much Does a Logo Cost?

Mike Crawford, president and founder of Multi Media Communications (www.mccom.com), strongly recommends outsourcing the design of your logo. “[You] are in the business of creating a product or service, not in the business of designing a logo,” he says. Service companies on the web offer logo design for $200 to $600 U.S. Outfits at the upper-end of this price range will generally create several designs, from which you can select the one you prefer. Although these services can be quite helpful in a cash crunch, keep in mind how frequently you will use the logo on letterhead, web sites, advertising, and product packaging. If your logo design requires more research, expect to pay $1,500 to $3,000 U.S. Design Strategies Inc., recently reported that it charged $13,000 for a corporate logo design created for a software company that had involved extensive market research, 64 different file formats, and a 15-page usage manual that included instructions and standards for company-wide implementation of the logo. On the other hand, a multinational corporation merger might spend upwards of a million dollars or more for a logo to represent the new company.

NOTE: Creating a company logo that is unique increases the likelihood of gaining trademark protection. Assistance from a trademark lawyer is invaluable when conducting a trademark search. Otherwise, your trademark logo runs the risk of infringing upon another company logo or trademark symbol.

Start by Looking in Your Fridge

To start thinking about an appropriate logo for your company, look at some well known corporate logos. Open up your fridge and start examining your yogurt, mustard, beer, and anything else hidden deep in back. What makes some logos stand out more than others? Next, head down to your local supermarket with a sketch pad or digital camera. Once again look for those logos that stand out. After that, check out your yellow pages for companies similar to the one you wish to start.

Using Clip Art

If you plan to operate a local consulting or contracting business, or perhaps even a small corner cafe, establishing a strong corporate identity may not be high on your list of the most important things to do and spend startup funds on. Fortunately, a high quality solution can be found by selecting the right typeface for your company name, and then exploring high quality royalty free clip art. By experimenting with multiple clip art images, and combining various parts of each image to your design, you can create a unique logo.

Keep in mind that even a drastically altered clip art image may be impossible to trademark. However, you might consider using your design as is until your company gets well underway and then later, when cash flow is stronger, replace it with something similar, yet completely original. Some more tips when using clip art:

Cut out distracting lines.
Remember to keep your images simple. If you wish to show a complex image like a bowl filled with salad, make sure you simplify it to the point that it has as few lines as possible, but is still easily recognizable as a salad bowl.

Experiment with typography.
The above logo uses the “Architect” typeface. However the “L” has been rotated slightly using MS “Word Art.” Larger dots were then added to the letter i’s. Typography manipulation is a strategy also used successfully by big companies such as Dell with its twisted “E” and Microsoft with its chipped “O”.

Keep the design usable.
Don’t make your logo too vertical. A high and narrow logo requires more ad space to get a legible size for the logo. The eye is also better at noticing wider items to some extent, probably from generations of our ancestors staring at the horizon and looking for animals to hunt.

Use Vector Graphics.
Vector graphics shrink and expand without loss of detail (e.g., the .wmf format). They also require less computer memory. A bitmap image can easily take up 2 to 10 MB of memory and loses detail when expanded.

Keep colors simple.
A Black and White logo is much easier and cheaper to print. If your logo does use color, make sure it also looks good in B/W. If using color, also try to stick to CMYK-colors that exist within the wider RGB color range. Doing so will keep your onscreen colors closer to the actual printed colors.

Now to define an effective logo design we first need to understand the purpose of having a logo. A corporate logo design is one of the most essential branding elements for your company. It should be instrumental in building your corporate identity and should successfully exude the company’s attitude. The viewers must have some idea about the disposition, character, or fundamental values of your company through your logo. The functionality of a logo does not end here, I have not yet mentioned the most important function of a corporate logo. Your logo should be able to build a positive, strong and long lasting impression on existing and prospective customers. The very moment a person views your logo, even a part of it, he should think of your company.

Just think of some of the all time great logos, McDonalds’, IBM, Nike— the moment you see their business logos, even if you see a part of it or may be in Black and White (there comes another important aspect!) are you able to think of anything else than the respective company? The answer is definitely NO! The first thing that comes to your mind is the name of the company. This shows how strong an impression their logo leaves in our mind. Isn’t that, what all of us are looking for?

How do you get your logo to leave such a strong long lasting impression? The key to this question is to make it easy to remember. Companies often make the mistake of thinking that a complicated artistic design might work well for them, while the reverse is true, in most cases. The simpler your logo is, the easier it is to remember and so it leaves a stronger impression on the people.

You also need to think of all the possible mediums where you are going to use your logo. You are not going to use your logo in only one medium, you might use it on your business cards and stationery, you might use it in your website, you might also use it in the conventional media like newspaper classifieds and magazines. This is why it is most important to inform your logo designers about the possible mediums where you are going to use your logo. You should also check if your logo looks good in Black and White, because tomorrow if you need to get a document in black and white with your logo on it, it should be very easily compatible to that as well.

In the beginning of this article, I have mentioned, that your logo can successfully convey the character and nature of your business to its viewers. How do we do that? There are a host of factors that are considered before designing a logo. When you place an order for a logo design, as a client it is your responsibility to give a clear brief of your company profile, the industry you are in and the nature of logo that you are looking for, to the designers. If you are not sure about the nature of logo that suits your company, let the logo design firm decide on that. There are many logo design companies who are experienced and they will be much better equipped to suggest you the correct types of logos. Any good logo design firm would conduct a market research about the different types of logos used in your industry by your competitors and their impact on the people. Based on that they will deliver you a set of logos from which you can choose any one and then they will customize ! that to your perfection.

If you have any corporate colors, as we have red for McDonalds’, it will be wise to suggest the designers to use that color in your logo-any good designer would anyhow do that.

One last word, as with any other industry, it is definitely beneficial to buy professional service than to go for any amateur designs just to save a few dollars. You might be the best in your industry but they know their job better than you, so if you want to get a good result, try to depend on your logo design company. I do understand that there are certain logo design companies that charge exorbitant rate to create a logo design but the industry is changing. These days there are companies that offer excellent logos for nominal charges. So before you decide to place your order for your logo design, check the portfolio of the company and then check the price tag. You can definitely find some professional logo designs at affordable rates.

In order to design a good logo, you need to know your customer and your customer’s customer, as well. Many customers may come to you and request a particular style of logo, or the use of a particular symbol. Dig deeper ? find out what is unique about your customer, how they solve their customer’s problems, who their target market is.

Is the target market over sixty? You may want to use larger type than normal to alleviate failing eyesight. Is the target market twenty-something? Vibrant colors such as those used in popular computer games may be the answer.

2. No Idea is Too Stupid

Brainstorming is often the key to a good logo. After you’ve fully explored your customer and their market, begin writing down words that apply to your customer. In fact, this is a step you should do with your customer. If your customer won’t spend time in a “formal” brainstorming session, at least get them to give you a list of words that describe their company.

Don’t discard anything as too “stupid”; sometimes the more “out there” the idea is, the more unique the resulting logo will be.

Another method similar to brain storming is mind mapping, which is uniquely suited to brainstorming graphics. Write a word in the center of a sheet of paper held horizontally; I normally use the customer’s name. Then begin writing the main images/words this brings to mind, and connect these words to the central thought. Continue branching out from each word, using either words or images as appropriate.

Mind mapping is essentially a visual way to brainstorm. Just as with brainstorming, nothing is too stupid. Just let your ideas flow.

3. Consider the competition

We hotly debated on the forum recently whether or not a company’s logo should stand out. I believe that it should; that that is the whole purpose of a logo ? to stand out from the crowd. Others argued that while a logo should be unique, it should still be similar to other logos of similar companies.

Whatever your opinion on the subject, it’s a good idea to take a look at the competition. The Yellow Pages can be a good starting point. Magazines devoted to your customer’s industry may also be helpful. A search on the Web will doubtless turn up a variety of logos for the competition. If you find that every medical company uses a cross, for instance, you may want to avoid using a cross.

4. Start without the Computer

The computer can be a wonderful tool for designing. You can work up ten variations of a design in a matter of minutes, often designs that might not have even occurred to you without the flexibility of a computer. Whether or not you can draw, I encourage you to start designing without your computer.

Designing without the computer really forces you to focus on the job at hand. Instead of just grabbing the rectangle or ellipse tool, you begin to really think about what that rectangle or circle says about the company.

It doesn’t matter that you’re not Da Vinci. You don’t have to show anyone your initial sketches. It only matters that they have meaning to you. Sketches, or thumbnails, are the visual equivalent of brainstorming. Be sure to make some notes on your scribbles so you remember where you were going with that idea. Make as many sketches as you like, then look them over and pick the best to develop further on the computer.

The thumbnail process serves another function: it saturates your brain with the logo you’re working on, and visual images are often more powerful than words. Your brain will continue to work on the logo subconsciously, and you may very well have one of those “aha!” moments when you sit down at your computer: suddenly the logo just comes together. That’s because your brain has been working on it subconsciously from the time you started making sketches to the time you sat in front of your computer.

If you’ve never made sketches before designing a logo, I encourage you to try. You may be surprised at the results.

5. Consider the applications

How will the logo be used? In print and on the Web? If yes, you want to make sure that whatever print color you use, you can match it closely on the Web. Keep in mind that that beautiful colorful logo will be very expensive to print in four color process. Will the customer need it in a variety of sizes? Even if the customer claims that they’re only going to be using the logo on the Web, you should make sure that you design with print in mind, too. Someday they may need a print version. If nothing else, make sure that you design at a resolution suitable for print (normally 300 dpi).

An EPS will be easier to work with, since it can be increased and decreased in size without loss of quality. If you design the logo completely in Photoshop, using all those cool filters, you’ll be stuck with having to give the customer the logo in a variety of sizes, since they won’t be able to increase or reduce size without loss of quality.

Will the logo be used for signage? Different sorts of signs bring their own limitations. Vinyl signs need to be relatively simple, with few very thin areas (hard to “pick up” off the vinyl).

6. Start Designing in Black and White

It’s easy to make a black and white logo color, but the reverse is not necessarily true. In addition, most companies need a black and white version of their logo for fax or copying purposes. Do yourself a favor, begin designing in black and white.

Black and white means exactly that: black, white; no shades of gray, no gradients. Gray and gradients do not fax or copy well. That doesn’t mean that you can’t use shades or gradients in the final version ? a drop shadow, for instance, can often add a little “pop” to a logo. Just stick to black and white for the first design. If it works in black and white, it will work with gradients. But a logo with gradients won’t always work in black and white.

7. Design at Business Card Size

This is similar to step number six: it’s relatively easy to size a logo up, but a large logo sometimes becomes too busy when it’s reduced in size. A business card is normally the company’s first priority. Design the logo to fit on a business card, and you and your customer should be in business.

8. KISS

KISS stands for keep it simple, stupid. The best logos tend to be simple logos. Think IBM, AT&T, Apple. If you’ve used two graphics in the logo, can you get the same impact with one graphic? Do you need graphics at all, or will a simple text treatment be eye-catching? Will one typeface be better than two?

9. Use appropriate colors, fonts and shapes

Serif fonts tend to be traditional: you’d use a serif font for a lawyer or a doctor, for instance. Sans serif fonts tend to be modern: computer and tech companies often use sans serif fonts. Handwriting fonts tend to be used for companies that cater to kids, such as daycare or children’s software. Script fonts can be viewed as feminine, and sometimes traditional, too. The important point to remember is that the font you choose should convey the image of the company you’re designing for.

Color can play an important role in logo design. Your customer doesn’t want to hear that you chose that blue because it looks cool; they want to know what psychological connotations it has. Below are some common color associations:

- Blue: trust, loyalty, water, relaxing, power, dignity
- Yellow: energy, joy, light, hope
- Pink: calming, feminine
- Green: life, growth, money, jealousy, nature, fertility
- Purple: richness, power, love, sophistication
- Brown: credibility, stability
- White: purity, cleanliness, innocence
- Red: heat, passion, danger, power

The shape of the logo can also effect the company’s image. Below are some of the associations we make with common shapes:

- Circle: connection, community, movement, safety
- Rectangle: solid, security
- Triangle: exciting, powerful, aggression

10 . Consider the customer’s budget

When you interview a prospective client, it’s important to ask about their budget; not only for the design of the logo, but also for printing. Maybe they’re a large company and can afford four color process printing, or have a need for four color advertising. Then it’s okay to design a four color logo ? after you’ve designed the black and white version, of course.

Maybe they’re a medium sized business, and can afford two color printing with bleeds and metal plates. Then it’s okay to use shades of a color, and touching colors ? this sort of logo will require metal plates to be printed, which drives up the cost of printing.

What if it’s a small start-up company with a limited budget? You might consider a one color design, with shades of that one color. You’ll still need metal plates, but you’ll only need one, which will cut costs considerably. Or you might design a two color logo, but one that doesn’t use shades of those colors and whose colors don’t touch. Then you can get away with laser copy for camera ready or veloxes; metal plates won’t be required, and costs will be significantly reduced.

Another option is to design several versions of the logo, and make sure your customer is aware which versions will be more expensive to print. Sometimes when the customer sees a good logo that will be more expensive to print, they’re willing to spend the extra money.