A high-quality logo is a means of increasing brand awareness that can generate interest among representatives of the target audience. It forms the visual image of the business. It is enough for the logo to get into the field of view of the client, as he must remember everything related to the work of the company behind the expressive visual solution. To do this, when creating a logo, you need to think through every detail.
Purpose of Logo Design
The logo will be used in the identity – the brand’s visual expression system. It will appear on all business cards, letterheads, annual reports, invitations sent by mail, and in a variety of promotional products. This is necessary not only for corporate, but also for small businesses.
The main goal of any logo is to form a visual image that can connect all other manifestations of the brand. The logo is not the whole brand, but a very important part of it. It is customary to highlight history, values and identity in a company’s brand. A successful logo should reflect all three of these aspects. It cannot tell the whole story, but it is designed to evoke associations that would be in harmony with the facts from the life of the company.
The best way to understand why company logos have certain traits is to study all the steps that professional designers take during development.
1. Establish a brand identity
For this purpose, it is appropriate to tell the story of the business and the emergence of its unique selling proposition.
It is important to correctly express the mission of the company by answering questions about:
what problems does her work solve, the product she creates;
why the company is doing this;
who is the end user?
In some cases, the expression of the future business is quite appropriate:
what it will be like in three years;
what problems can be solved;
how consumers of goods will change and why.
A correctly defined mission will allow you to find the right style of expressing ideas and concepts.
2. Let’s try to find inspiration
To do this, you need to study the logos of competitors and well-known world brands. It would be reasonable to single out solutions that we like in one group, and those that are completely inappropriate in another. We will also try to describe what words characterize the product range and its consumers. For example, a fashion studio can be characterized by the words “elegance”, “refinement”, “furor”, “delight”, “reliability”, and “charm”. It’s not a bad idea to try turning these terms into lines and shapes.
3. We collect information from different sources
At this stage, it does not hurt to study everything that is known about logos. Find out what types exist, in which industries some of them are most often used. Paradoxically, most logos are variations on the same design. A professional artist does not try to reinvent the wheel, but uses the most suitable ready-made solution. What are they like?
Wordmark
The word logo is the most common type. This is the expression of business in an adequate and aesthetic design and font. However, some letters can be highlighted using formatting techniques. This type of logo is called verbal because it contains nothing but words. Even if it is one word – the name of the company.
Lettermark
An alphabetic logo differs from a verbal one in that it contains only initials or an abbreviation. In some cases, it is used if the official company name is too long. However, this should be taken into account in the overall branding policy.
So, the NASA brand is known all over the world. Everyone knows that this is some kind of American department that is engaged in space research and related developments. However, not every American will remember the name “National Aeronautics and Space Administration”. If it is decided that only letters will be on the logo, then this is forever. There is no harm in this since marketing requires an emphasis on associative thinking and not some other.
Brandmark
Just a picture, no words! The brand is expressed by one visual element. An example is the modern Nike logo. There is nothing on it, except for the famous bent symbol. This is not suitable for a business that is just getting started. Recall that once the logo of this manufacturer of sports shoes also contained letters with the name.
Combination
The combined logo is the most common. It is a combination of the name expressed by the text part and the symbol. A very good option for young businesses.
Symbol
A symbol is a form that is a visual design that personifies the entire business. Nearby there may be a word – the name of the company or the slogan. All this gives rise to a laconic, but eloquent composition.
Some companies distinguish between logos depending on what product it is on. So, the Honda logo contains a wing, if depicted on motorcycles, and one stylized framed letter, if on cars.
4. Set the desired visual style
There are no rules here. The designer is guided by intuition, understanding of fashion and its trends, market traditions and is guided by general ideas about aesthetics. The logo can go inside the figure or have a certain shape.
The shape in logo design is expressed as a visual element along with words or as a bounding shape. It can be circles, squares, ovals or polygons. A competent choice of form and element is the key to the effectiveness of the logo. It must be remembered that an effective logo has the potential for a powerful subconscious impact.
For this use:
color scheme corresponding to the brand;
symbolism that generates the right mood;
fonts that reinforce the informational message of the brand.
The art of creating a logo does not tolerate the presence of an algorithm. It is a creative process that requires the generation of a wide variety of options that are iterated until a single solution appears that can express the essence of the company’s branding.