Logo Design Guide Book Logo Design Print Promotion
Contents
What is logo design?
A logo is the visual representation of a
include marks for masons, goldsmiths,
company or business, which forms the
paper makers, and nobility. By the 1700s,
base of its corporate identity. It is a name,
every trader and dealer had a trademark
symbol, monogram, emblem, trademark,
or stamp. The industrial revolution caused
or other graphic device
a dramatic gain in the value and impor-
designed for easy and definitive
tance of trademarks. By the 1950s, with
recognition by the company’s audience.
the emergence of
Logos trigger people’s memories of
national and multinational corporations,
previous experiences with the company
trademarks began to move beyond
and other implementations of the logo,
symbols, using larger design systems to
leaving a greater impact than words alone
unify all communications, to accomplish
can do. This is the simplest and most
identifiable goals. Today, company logos
direct way of promoting
have become the faces of business and
a business presence; a logo describes
our economy. The general public has
a company or organization without a
become very responsive to logos, their
lengthy explanation. If a logo appears
meanings, and their implementations.
unprofessional or unoriginal, so will be
Because of the diversity of products and
the public’s perception of the company it
services available, the need for
represents. A well-designed logo will help
innovative and well thought-out logo and
to increase visibility and, in turn, sales.
corporate identity design is central to a company’s success.
Logo design started many years ago and has its roots in Ancient Greece with the use of symbols consisting of one or more letters. These typically represented the initial letters of a person or place for use on stationery and signs. Many early Greek and Roman coins bear the logos of rulers or towns. During the Middle Ages, similar logos were seen in abundance in ecclesiastical and commercial use. By the thirteenth century, these simple letterforms had evolved into trademarks for merchants. These early examples of logo design
Why are logos important?
Logos trigger people’s memories of
previous experiences with the company and other implementations of the logo, leaving a greater impact than words alone can do. This is
the simplest and most direct way of promoting
a business presence; a logo de-
scribes a company or organization
without a lengthy explanation.Try to think of such companies as CocaCola or FedEx
without recalling their logos. These companies have established an
identity with their logos, which greatly impacts their sales. If a logo appears amateurish or derivative, so will be the public’s
perception of the company it repre-
sents. A well-designed logo will help to increase visibility and, in turn, sales.
The Logo Design Process
The creative brief*
image can also be used. A logo’s
client work together to outline the pur-
distinctiveness are the primary con-
Most of the time, the designer and the pose and limitations of the company’s logo in the form of a creative brief.
simplicity and
siderations in determining its form.
This will outline the design specifica-
Refinement*
their logo. Within the brief, the user’s
revisions, based on an analytical
tion of what the company wants for
demography should be analyzed so
that their individuality can be understood and seen by audiences. This will create a set of rules for design
decisions that can be made to target particular groups. For the designer it is important not to input too much of your own artistic preferences when designing a logo because a logo’s
key purpose should be to communicate with the company’s audience,
not to satisfy the preferences of the designer.
Concept development*
The designer develops conceptual
pathways for the logo, transforming ideas into simple sketches. Then,
these sketches are presented to the client and one or two pathways are
chosen for further exploration. This is where the logo begins to take shape. In some cases a unique text treat-
ment and a distinctive colour palette is sufficient however both text and
Through a process of three or four dialogue between the designer and
client, the logo is taken from a series
of rough sketches to the final polished and cohesive logo design. At this
stage, colour is often introduced. Co-
lour specification decisions are based on an understanding of colour psy-
chology, colour theory, the contrast
between colours, and the limitations of available printing budgets. Delivery*
Once the client has approved the final logo design, the designer assembles a package containing an assortment of logo files for different applications
and a manual outlining how the logo
should be applied to different media. The strict and consistent adherence to the manual is crucial to the success of a logo.
“The trademark in the simplest fo characteristics o institution bein
should embody orm the essential of the product or ng advertised.�
Paul Rand
A Good Logo is...
Simple*
Distinctive*
ing to include too much information
from any other companies or
A good logo is one that is simple. Trycan have a negative impact and
complex illustrations representing
all aspects of the business and long taglines should not be part of the
logo. The type and imagery should be recognised instantaneously, up
close and at a distance. There should not be a lot of colours used because these distract people from the logo’s central theme. Also the more
colours used means a higher production cost.
Versatile*
Logos which use several colours,
photographs or detailed illustrations
may be difficult to use in certain applications. A good logo should consider all potential implementations. (Often, several
versions of a logo will be designed to use in different contexts.)
Logos should be unique and different organizations. Using familiar or
common styles or typefaces defeats the purpose of having a logo, and
can even have a negative backlash
among customers who might see the company as being derivative. Be-
sides this, there are also copyrights
and trademarks of companies which should not be violated.
The evolution of successful logo design.
Evolution is a process of change or
development. It is when one version of a product is better than the previ-
ous one. This type of change was first catalogued by Darwin over a hundred years ago. But in the truest sense, evolution occurs in nearly every
aspect of our lives, and especially in the business and consumer worlds. It seems that companies find themselves needing to be fast-paced,
up-to-date and ever evolving to stay ahead of the
competition. If you think about the
world’s most prominent brands, Nike, McDonalds, Coca-Cola and others, it
is easy to visualize their respective logos. Those designs have become the visual representation of the company brand, which is what people think
about your company and their experiences with it.
Ford
Most people know that Ford was
unable to pay his bills to John and
What most people didn’t know was
Ford’s partner brought in a group of
company. Ford experimented with
Dodge Brothers to accept shares in
working for Thomas Edison, and left
company, which was renamed Ford
Detroit Automobile Company, which
Brothers went on to form their own
founded by (who else?) Henry Ford.
Horace Dodge, who supplied parts.
that this was his third automobile
investors and even convinced the
cars while
the
to found his first auto company, The
Motor Company. Later, the Dodge
went
car company (can you guess what?)
a race car and founded Henry Ford
In 1909, Childe Harold Wills, Ford’s
one year (the company later became
also help to design the Model T), lend
bankrupt in just 2 years. He then built Company. Ford left that one after just
first chief engineer and designer (who
Cadillac – see above).
a script font that he created to make
In 1902, Ford went on to create his
Ford logo. The famous blue oval was
Malcomson, Ltd., and almost lost that
remained in use until today.
third automobile company, the Ford & one when sales were slow. He was
his own business card, to create the
added later for the 1927 Model A – it
Pepsi V’s Coca Cola
Coca-Cola is the world’s most popular soft drink. Sold in more than 200 countries, it is produced by The
Coca-Cola Company and is often simply referred to as Coke. The
Coca-Cola logo, like the product
itself, is rated among the most recognized logos and brands in the world. The first Coca-Cola logo was
created by Frank Mason Robinson, in 1885. Thinking that the two Cs would look well in advertising, it was Robinson who came up with the name and chose the logo’s distinctive cursive script.
The typeface used, known as
Spencerian script, was developed
in the mid 19th century and was the dominant form of formal handwrit-
ing in the United States during that
period. The red and white coloured
scheme in the Coca-Cola logo was kept simple and distinctive to lure
young minds. The Coca-Cola logo was first advertised in the Atlanta
Journal in 1915. A Coca-Cola dis-
penser with a Cola-Cola logo was later created by Raymond Loewy.
The Coca-Cola logo got registered as a trademark in 1887 and has since
then become the brand’s corporate identity.
the most famous and well-recognized
new bottle design with crown, la-
In 1898, Bradham used a scribbled
the Pepsi bottle crown colors were
logos in the world.
logo script as the first Pepsi logo to brand the product. When his business got
established and people started enjoying his drink, Bradham decided to
modify the Pepsi logo into a more customized
version of the previous logo script.
Thus, in 1905, a modified script logo was
introduced, followed by a second change in Pepsi logo in 1906. In
1940, Walter Mack introduced the
beled with the Pepsi logo. In 1941, changed to red, white and blue, along with the Pepsi logo, to
commemorate the war efforts of the country. Later, in 1962, the Pepsi
logo was replaced with two bulls-eye marks encircling “Pepsi”, and then again in 1973, into a boxed Pepsi
logo with minor typeface changes.
In 1991, Pepsi commemorated the
evolution of its scripted Pepsi logo by featuring a logo design with an italic
capital typeface. Later at the company’s 100 years celebration in 1998,
Pepsi-Cola unveiled a new logo that
Pepsi-Cola is one of the most
and global recognition. The new
wide.
symbolized the brand’s innovation Pepsi logo consists of a three-di-
mensional globe against an ice blue
background, with the inclusion of the previously designed Pepsi typeface. It has been the official Pepsi logo of PepsiCo, till date.
Over the past century, the Pepsi logo has been evolved into remarkable
designs with significant modifications. All in all, Pepsi logo is an exemplary
piece of creativity and innovation. No doubt, it is one of the most recognized logos, ever.
famous soft drinks consumed worldManufactured and marketed by
PepsiCo, it was first developed and
produced in the early 1890’s by Caleb Bradham, a pharmacist in New Bern, North Carolina labeled as “Brad’s
drink”. In 1898, Bradham renamed his drink into “Pepsi-Cola”.
On June 16, 1903, the title Pepsi-
Cola was trademarked and had since
remained unchanged. But one aspect of Pepsi-Cola that witnessed many
transformations over the years is the Pepsi logo. The Pepsi logo is one of
the most famous and well-recognized logos in the world.
In 1898, Bradham used a scribbled logo script as the first Pepsi logo to brand the product. When his business got
established and people started enjoying his drink, Bradham decided to modify the Pepsi logo into a more customized
version of the previous logo script.
Thus, in 1905, a modified script logo was
introduced, followed by a second change in Pepsi logo in 1906. In
1940, Walter Mack introduced the new bottle design with crown, la-
beled with the Pepsi logo. In 1941, the Pepsi bottle crown colors were
changed to red, white and blue, along with the Pepsi logo, to
commemorate the war efforts of the country. Later, in 1962, the Pepsi
logo was replaced with two bulls-eye marks encircling “Pepsi”, and then again in 1973, into a boxed Pepsi
logo with minor typeface changes.
In 1991, Pepsi commemorated the
evolution of its scripted Pepsi logo by featuring a logo design with an italic
capital typeface. Later at the company’s 100 years celebration in 1998,
Pepsi-Cola unveiled a new logo that symbolized the brand’s innovation and global recognition. The new
Pepsi logo consists of a three-di-
mensional globe against an ice blue
background, with the inclusion of the previously designed Pepsi typeface. It has been the official Pepsi logo of PepsiCo, till date.
Over the past century, the Pepsi logo has been evolved into remarkable
designs with significant modifications. All in all, Pepsi logo is an exemplary
piece of creativity and innovation. No doubt, it is one of the most recognized logos, ever.
Shell
For more than a century, the word
‘Shell’ has immensely acknowledged the Shell brand and endorsed the
commercial character. Undoubtedly,
the Shell logo, highlighted in red and yellow since
decades, has played a vital role in the promotion of the company. Shell logo holds distinctive qualities that draw
audience’s attention to itself. It projects an emotion of professionalism and
defines the company’s outstanding position and stupendous products. Over the years, the Shell logo has
been renovated quite a lot of time but the shell graphic has stood courageously to
benefit the logo design. The current Shell logo was sketched by a pre
eminent designer Raymond Loewy in
1971. Shell logo has proved to be the most
impressive design by the contributions of the great designer.
Shape of Shell Logo:
Shell logo consists of a shell image
which has served the emblem since decades. This illustration was adopted after the company name. It certainly
narrates the company’s high corpo-
rate reputation and class. The image
of the shell in Shell logo has been redesigned quite some times but it still continues to hold supremacy, power and strength.
Color of Shell Logo:
The use of highlighting color is gracefully adopted in Shell logo. Red and yellow are the colours utilized to
enhance the beauty of the Shell logo. Font of Shell Logo:
A very simple and easy to remember typeface is employed in Shell logo
to enhance the characteristics of the company and its high quality products. The
alphabets are done in bold font to
impose a high status of the corporation market position.
The 10 Commandments of Logo Design
1. A logo doesn’t need to say what
You don’t need to be an artist to
Restaurant logos don’t need to show
Ideas can flow much faster between
a company does
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
realise the benefits of logo sketching. a pen and
paper than they can a mouse and monitor.
better.
5. Under-promise, over-deliver
The Mercedes logo isn’t a car. The
take to complete, estimate longer.
Virgin Atlantic logo isn’t an aeroplane. The Apple logo isn’t a computer. Etc. Etc.
2. Not every logo needs a mark
Sometimes a client just needs a professional logotype to
identify their business. Don’t be afraid to ask what they think. 3. Two-way process
Remember, things might not
always pan out as you hope. Your client might request
something you disagree with. If that
If you’re unsure how long a task will Design projects are like construc-
tion work — you piece lots of little
elements together to form a greater whole, and
setbacks can crop up at any time. 6. 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.
happens, try giving them what they
7. Work in black first
believe is an improvement, and why.
process, you focus on the idea. No
want, then show them what you
They’re less likely to be so resistant if they already see how their thoughts pan out.
4. Picasso started somewhere
By leaving colour to the end of the
amount of gradient or colour will rescue a poorly
designed mark. 8. Keep it appropriate
Designing for a lawyer? Ditch the fun approach.
Designing for a kid’s TV show? Noth-
ing too serious. I could go on, but you get the picture.
9. A simple logo aids recognition Keeping the design simple allows for flexibility in size.
Ideally, your design should work at a minimum of around one inch without loss of detail. Look at the logos of large
corporations like Mitsubishi, Sam-
sung, FedEx, BBC etc. Their logos
look simple and are easier to recognise because of it.
10. One thing to remember
That’s it. Leave your client with just
one thing to remember about the de-
sign. All strong logos have one single feature to help them stand out.
“Don’t fo pack. Sta
ollow the and Out� LogoDesignLove