A logo is the image which represents a company or its product.
Its function is to create a memorable, recognizable impression on the mind of a
potential client or customer. A logo is essentially at the heart of a corporate
identity.
So what makes a "good" logo? Most people would answer "I just
know it when I see it!" and this isn't so far from the truth. A good logo
catches the eye - it makes the observer curious or engaged, if only for a short
moment… a moment in which an image and the existence of your company is embedded
in the mind rather than filtered out with a million other daily stimuli. But
even if a good logo 'just is', there are elements for making it happen … and we
will look at some of those. I will also discuss some of the issues designing
logos which work in two distinct worlds - print and online.
There are three basic types of logos, which can be used alone or
combined within one design:
-
illustrative logos (a logo which clearly illustrates what
your company does),
-
graphic logos (a logo that includes a graphic, often an
abstraction, of what your company does), and
-
font-based logos (a text treatment which represents your
company)
Creating a logo is always a process - though different designers
have their own methods. Many designers will begin by sketching thumbnails or
playing with shapes on the computer screen, until something "clicks" and they
follow that path to see where it leads. One way to start is to select a shape
which represents the concept of the company, and begin playing with it. The idea
is to come up with something interesting or clever, whether a viewpoint which is
different, or an unusual combination of shapes. Perhaps it will be something
which will require some guesswork on the part of the viewer, but then be crystal
clear when they look at it another way.
Many designers prefer to developing logos beginning with, or
consisting entirely of text. By experimenting with fonts, size, shapes they seek
to find an interesting way to represent the company using the form of letters.
Again, simplicity is extremely important - this is not the time to use fancy
decorative fonts. Whether alone or combined with graphic elements, the text in a
logo must be easily readable at small sizes
Once a form for the logo has been defined, color needs to be
considered. Again, color for a logo should remain simple. You can always get
fancy with the web version, but a good logo must work well in one color and
gradients of that color. The color should enhance and support the form of the
logo - for example, various shades of blue on the sides of a 3D box should be
the same as they would in real life. Contrast is another powerful concept in the
creation of logos - you can contrast size, color, fonts, textures - to create
visual interest. A logo should be simple and abstract, not be complicated or
confusing, and again, all elements must be discernible when reproduced in small
sizes.
A good logo works in the simplest form. With the advent of the
Web, it is common to see logos which contain gradients, 3D effects, animation,
and other visual effects. But if the logo can not also be reduced to a simple
one color flat version for use on faxes, your checks and photocopied documents,
it is functionally useless. As tempting as it might be to create a whiz-bang
logo, a designer must always consider all the ways your companies identity will
be disseminated. Once this is successfully accomplished, you can always jazz up
your logo later for the web!
As mentioned before, size is a critical issue when having a logo
designed. A good rule of thumb is that if the logo works well in a business card
size, it will scale up nicely to other sizes. Always make sure your logo looks
pleasing on paper and in a wide range of sizes before committing to it.
Web and print are two entirely different mediums. If you are
having a logo designed for the first time, it is essential that you be aware
that your logo must be designed for print FIRST and web second. Without getting
into the intricacies of print and web resolutions, suffice it to say they are
very different. What might look great on your computer screen will likely print
out at the size of a postage stamp and be entirely muddled. If the logo is
designed to look great online, depending on the graphics format, it might not
scale easily up to a printable version, so it is best to create it in a way that
can be downscaled.
When choosing a color for your logo, you might want to consider
using those in the universal 216 color palette supported by all web browsers.
This will ensure that the colors of your corporate identity can be used online
without a hitch.
On the flip side, the web will allow you to take your simple 1-2
color logo and do great things with it - and it won't cost you thousands of
extra dollars to add colors to it, make it 3D or animate it, like it would in
the print medium. Once your logo is created for the lowest common denominator,
the same form can be enhanced in a myriad of ways to look more exciting for your
web site. Just be sure you don't get carried away with the possibilities until
you have a logo which will present a strong image for your company on a simple
business card!
Eileen 'Turtle' Parzek is a veteran marketing designer and
online communications consultant who has been working from home and virtually
since 1995. Her business, SOHO It Goes! (www.soho-it-goes.com)
specializes in providing technology driven design, marketing and communication
services to small businesses and organizations.
Eileen Parzek, Net Profit Magazine, 1997 ©
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