Logo Design is arguably one of the most difficult tasks that an artist can be faced with. In my personal experience, the pressure stems from the fact that we become quite overwhelmed with the idea of capturing one brand’s identity in a single element, which must at once be simple and yet convey so much.
The fact about logos is that they have one job: to be an identifier. They are meant to make an immediate connection between the viewer and the brand. Just as your name is not who you are, a logo is not a brand. And just as your name draws an immediate association to you, a company’s logo should draw an immediate association to the brand and brand identity.
Over the years, the world’s largest companies have seemingly adopted the philosophy that a logo does not a brand make. The current trend in redesign is towards simplicity. It seems that in recent years, almost every major recognizable corporation has gone through a major redesign. As traditional marketing techniques become nearly obsolete, companies must stay on the forefront of technology in order to remain competitive. This means a strong web presence, social media, and highly creative alternative marketing techniques. This also means that there are hundreds of ways to express branding and identity and the logo has become only a rather small part of that equation.
With this in mind, take some of the pressure off yourself when you’re faced with creating a logo. Begin by immersing yourself in the brand and getting a really great feel for the brand’s identity. If you are working for a brand new company, make sure you discuss branding thoroughly and help your client understand how important this will be in the design process, whether you’re working on their logo, website, or print materials.
You should also keep in mind the following:
1. Start with a hand drawn idea. Let your imagination go wild. Analyze each idea and decide what its flaws are and whether it does its job as a brand identifier.
2. Remember that it needs to be adaptable. The logo should work in white on black, black on white, and even in different colors. Many businesses now are creating logos that are extremely versatile. For example, a TV station might promote a horror show and a comedy show and change the colors of their logo to be incorporated seamlessly into both. USA Today’s new logo, which is pretty much just a plain circle, adapts to every news angle and story that is told. It also must work really well in large and small viewing formats.
3. Be unique but don’t over – innovate. making a font look metallic, see through, lit-up, and iridescent is a very cool skill to have, but that doesn’t mean you should be using that for a logo. Trends age and your logo must give the feeling of timelessness. On the other hand, don’t be afraid to be unique with custom fonts and eye-catching colors.
Logo design is frightening to many designers because there is so much weight put on the importance of logos as part of a brand identity. I would argue, however, that logos are becoming a much smaller part of a brand’s overall existence then had been previously thought. It’s much more important to understand who you are working for and the kind of emotional response they want their brand identity to provoke.
Customer Success Manager
