I have been asked this question many times by designers and some of my clients. There are a lot of misconception about what a logo is and what makes a logo great. For some designers they think is the creativity or the amount of time they put in working on the logo, others try to add as many effects they know in the bit to make it looks beautiful or attractive. Some clients only believe that a logo is good when it describes or tell people what their business or brand does. But are all these true or even correct?
Let’s take a look at this in the simplest way possible.
What is a Logo?
A logo is for identification. A logo identifies a company or product via the use of a mark, flag, symbol or signature. A logo does not sell the company directly nor rarely does it describe a business. Logo’s derive their meaning from the quality of the thing it symbolizes, not the other way around – logos are there to identity, not to explain. In a nutshell, what a logo means is more important than what it looks like.
The design process must aim to make the logo immediately recognizable, inspiring trust, admiration, loyalty and an implied superiority. The logo is one aspect of a company’s commercial brand or economic entity, and its shapes, colors, and fonts should be unique to the company.
5 Principles of Effective Logo Design
Every good logo follows these five principles below:
- Simple
- Memorable
- Timeless
- Versatile
- Appropriate
A Logo has to be Simple
Simplicity makes a logo easily recognizable, versatile and memorable. Good logos feature something unexpected or unique, without being "overdrawn."
Simple logos are often easily recognized, incredibly memorable and the most effective in conveying a company’s values and message. A refined and distilled identity will catch the attention of a viewer zipping by signage at 70 miles per hour, on packaging on the crowded shelves of a store, or in any other vehicle used for advertising, marketing and promotion.
A Logo should be Memorable
A good logo is memorable, which is achieved by keeping it simple yet appropriate.
Surprising to many, the subject matter of a logo is of relatively little importance, and even appropriateness of content does not always play a significant role. This does not imply that appropriateness is undesirable. It merely indicates that a one-to-one relationship between a symbol and what it symbolized is very often impossible to achieve and, under certain conditions, objectionable. Ultimately, the only mandate in the design of logos, it seems, is that they be distinctive, memorable, and clear. — Paul Rand
A Logo has to be Timeless
The most beautiful and effective logo is not based on the current trends in the market. Will your logo stand the test of time? Will it still be effective in 10, 20 or 50 years?
Leave trends to the fashion industry. Trends come and go, and when you’re talking about changing a pair of jeans or buying a new dress, that’s fine, but where your brand identity is concerned, longevity is key. Don’t follow the pack. Stand out.
A Good logo is Versatile
A logo should present itself well in every possible format: small and large; in black and white (positive / negative); vertically and horizontally. It must be equally effective displayed on a variety of media – smartphones, tablets, computer screens and printed advertising.
Make sure the logo is recognizable after reversing the colors and decreasing the size. Check out how it looks on a stamp and on a truck.
A Logo has to be Appropriate
How you "position" the logo should be appropriate for its intended audience. For example, a child-like font and color scheme would be appropriate for a logo for a children's toy store, not so much for a law firm.
A logo doesn’t need to say what a company does. Restaurant logos don’t need to show food, dentist logos don’t need to show teeth, furniture store logos don’t need to show furniture. Just because it’s relevant, doesn’t mean you can’t do better. The Mercedes logo isn’t a car. The Virgin Atlantic logo isn’t an airplane. The Apple logo isn’t a computer. Etc. — David Airey
Should a logo be self-explanatory? It is only by association with a product, a service, a business, or a corporation that a logo takes on any real meaning. It derives its meaning and usefulness from the quality of that which it symbolizes. If a company is second rate, the logo will eventually be perceived as second rate. It is foolhardy to believe that a logo will do its job immediately, before an audience has been properly conditioned. — Paul Rand
Now, next time you have a logo design project, do well to outline these principles and measure or gauge all of your ideas and the concepts you come up with to see if it actually conforms to these principles to make it a good logo. One thing I most have to remind you of again is, always try to keep the logo simple, don’t try to be clever or over-expressive.
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