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When a business decides it needs a logo, they may not realize it, but in essence they are trying to build something bigger. It’s called building a brand, and it’s that business’ face to the public.
“Brand” is something intangible, but is comprised of several physical pieces. Normally, a brand consists of any memorable and identifying names or images, trademark elements such as a picture or cartoon, etc. A person can be their own brand – like Paris Hilton, for instance. She’s known for being Paris Hilton. Essentially, a business’ brand is their face to the public – how they are identified and remembered.
A logo is one of the integral components of a brand – it’s how the business first identifies itself to the public. And in many cases, it’s how the public remembers that business. If you see two golden arches, most people automatically think McDonald’s. A “v” sitting on top of a “w”? Volkswagen. A white apple? Apple Computers.
So, how do you design a logo?
There’s no magic formula to creating a logo. However, a key point is to know what kind of identity you’re trying to convey or create, and then build accordingly. If you’re creating a logo for a men’s cologne, it doesn’t make a lot of sense to use pink, clowny lettering and a image of a furry kitten.
Know the business first. Talk to your clients. Ask them what they want their clients to think when they think of the business. Who is their target market? In the case of the cologne example, are they trying to sell the cologne to 20-year olds or 60-year olds? What are some of the key ingredients or scents in the recipe?
A great logo (and overall branding technique) within the cologne market is that of Kenneth Cole’s Black. The logo is white on black, implying extremes, mystique and intrigue, and looks handwritten, which is very hip and modern. These are all elements that appeal to their target demographic, which we would assume to be the 18-35 range. It also is simple enough to be used through other pieces of collateral, such as magazine ads, t-shirts, and more.
That brings up another point; a logo should be readable at just about any size. Whether it’s blown up on a billboard or printed on a ball point pen, a consumer should be able to read and recognize it without question, immediately.
We recommend going to sites such as www.logodesignpros.com to do some research. Start looking at the logo samples and analyzing them. Ask yourself things like:
-Why did they choose the colors they did?
-Is this a serif, sans serif, or other font? Why did they pick it?
-Who is the target demographic? What age? How much money are they likely to have? Male or female?
-Would this logo be as readable or effective if you shrank it down super small?
-What else do you observe about it?
Find some of your favorites and print them out. Put them in a file, and when it’s time for you to design a logo, pull out the file and study the logos before designing your own. Although you obviously should come up with your own design, there’s nothing wrong with taking cues from other people’s work. You’ll probably begin to notice logos all over the place – restaurants, business cards, the grocery store, etc. Be a logo sponge, and soon you’ll be creating high-level designs on your own. Who knows – maybe the next Nike Swoosh will come from your mousepad.
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Logo Design
