Speaking of apples... If you close your eyes and think about the Apple brand, do you see their products in the first place or maybe a bitten apple? The brand's identity is so strong that Most people will think about her image first.. The logo, on the other hand, is a very important element of the visual communication of the brand, which can have a big impact on its success.
So if you had a thousand words to explain how great your company is, what would you say? Fortunately, you don't have to think about it, because it is the logo and its characteristics that express more than a thousand words.
1. The right shape
The art of creating a logo requires both knowing what you want to say and what it can express. Each shape has a different characteristic. It is important to match the logo to the characteristics that you want your brand to reflect.
What do the individual shapes mean?
Söll Germany - Anton Stankowski - 1970.
IBM - Paul Rand - 1956.
Chrysler Lippincott & Margulies 1962.
Crane & Co. - Louise Fili Ltd. - 2011.
Deutsche Bank - Anton Stankowski - 1973.
Hospital Construction - Félix Beltrán - 1967
Olympic Games, Munich - Coordt von Mannstein - 1972.
2. Moment “A-ha” - a hidden thought
The logo conveys the necessary information about your brand. That is why it is worth spending a considerable amount of time preparing this element.
Hidden in the message, the thought can be very subtle or even cheeky, understandable by everyone or only by your target group. It's all up to you.
Guild of Food Writers - 300Million - 2006.
“A-ha”? It is an arrow in the negative that suggests movement and dynamics. The logo, despite this, still remains confident and strong.
FedEx - Lyndon Leader - 1994.
If you include a hidden message in the logo, which after a while reveals its genius — you are the winner!
3. Color
Like shapes, each color has its own emotional connotations. Often these meanings are quite universal because they are based on things we see in the real world.
Color is one of the most important features of the logo, and exquisite Branding requires a consistent color scheme. All of you have heard of color psychology, which tells us that colors affect our emotions and behaviors. I am sure that people all over the world associate the color yellow with the warmth of the sun. Red color evokes a sense of urgency and alertness. Brown, on the other hand, is the color of trees and wood, evoking nature and the earth.
4. Appropriate tone
To effectively optimize your logo, outline a solid brand strategy and identify your target audience. Who do you want to reach with your message? The answer to this question will help to choose the ideal characteristics of the logo.
- It is natural that in the process of designing logos for public organizations, cities or municipalities, seriousness, strength and heritage should be maintained
- For brands that build messages based on humor, a logo with a slight touch of humor will be appropriate.
You can't forcibly “smuggle” the idea of a cartoon logo for a law firm just because the logo design came out really great. Think about the fact that the recipients may find the company frivolous and not very reliable.
5. Typography
The appearance of your text can affect people's perception of your brand just as much as the rest of the elements. The famous designer Paula Scher once said that”the mind always perceives visual stimuli first, only then logical”. Therefore, even if we do not know typefaces, we acquire an appropriate attitude towards them.
Serif fonts will find use in formal brands, while sans serif fonts are more casual and carefree.
PRO TIP: No matter how great your font is, if people can't read it, then just don't use it - usability first.
6. Trends - yes, but carefully
Trends come and go. Once strong colors and expressive shapes are in fashion, and once pastels and tenderness. Trends, although they pass, are nevertheless worth paying attention to. Why? Among other things, to let you know that your brand is modern and aware of the changing world.
- What now reigns in graphic living rooms are minimalism, geometry and pastel colors.
Trendy? I agree, but much more important is the resistance of the logo to the passage of time (see point 8).
7. Responsiveness
In the past, the logo was shown on prints, banners, or computer screens. Everything has changed in the mobile era. Suddenly, the logo has to look great even on very small surfaces.
- Responsiveness does not mean that you should have different logos for each communication channel, but rather versions of the same logo in different sizes.
The logo must be clear in various configurations of screen diagonal and resolution. In the mobile era, this is a must!
8. Make it resistant to the passage of time
Do you think that the designer is, as it were, a fortune teller who predicts the future and thus creates projects that survive changes in trends and technologies? There is a grain of truth in this. An excellent logo is a component of all the above points, but it is its immutability that is the real cherry on this design cake.
Most people are very sensitive to the images that make up the reality that surrounds them. It is they that speak to our subconscious, often expressing more than words.
The logo explains who you are, what you do and what feelings your brand is designed to evoke. When you do it right, customers fall in love with you at first sight. Make sure they do it as often as possible.;)
