There are a variety of options for making a logo design for your website. However, for someone with little graphic experience, it can seem that the two most obvious choices are using a free logo template versus purchasing professional logo design. For many people, the decision is clear: choose the option that is free or design your own logo. However, there are several disadvantages to using a free logo template. Once you know these drawbacks, you can decide if this is truly the right decision for you.

The first major disadvantage is that your logo will not be unique. Many people search the internet for logo template sites when they are thinking about making logos, so several different logo design companies will share a similar logo made from the same logo template. In fact, there is a high likelihood that someone else—or even a competitor—will have an identical logo. This can interfere with corporate branding because your logo will not be an image that your customers identify with your company. Instead, it will become just another picture in a world filled with them, which goes against the whole purpose of a logo. If you know how to work with a logo designer, you will have a clear advantage. This option will be as bad as using clipart logos.

Examples of logos that look surprisingly similar.

Another disadvantage is that it may be difficult or even impossible to customize the logo template as much as you need to in order for it to work for your company. Some logo templates are made to be virtually impossible to change according to your needs. Others can be modified, but it requires a level of graphic knowledge that most people simply don’t have. After all, if you were capable of using complex logo software programs in a professional and efficient manner, you wouldn’t need a logo template in the first place. It’s almost impossible to know before downloading a logo template whether it will ever be able to meet your needs. This creates a huge potential for wasting time, often leaving you needing professional logo design company to save the day because your DIY logo design did not work out.

One of the key disadvantages of using a logo template is that many logo template sites are not entirely legitimate. It’s not unusual for people to download not just the logo template they desire, but also spyware and viruses. Some of these sites require that you give an email address, subjecting yourself to a lifetime of spam. Making logos should not mean ruining your expensive computer, but at a logo template site it just might. Some people have run into problems with their logo templates not being legally available. Unscrupulous logo template sites sometimes steal logos that belong to other people, which opens up the people who use these templates to possible legal repercussions.

A last and most important disadvantage to using a logo template website is that they simply don’t offer the same level of quality as a logo designed by a professional logo design company or another type of graphic artist. You don’t just need a logo—you need a professional, attractive, completely unique logo that will become a new definition for your business. There’s no way a cheap imitation can ever fill those shoes.

Are you in an aesthetically oriented business such as interior design, fashion, or beauty? You likely are in need of an elegant logo design that showcases your sense of style. If you are trying to sell your expertise in the visual arts, a normal, everyday logo or a free logo design from a logo creator just won’t cut it. Here are a few elements that will help you get the elegant logo design your business needs to succeed.

Use logo text more prominently. There is nothing as inelegant as a cluttered logo, and one way to avoid that messy situation is to focus in on the most basic element of the logo: the text. Your business name can even stand alone with good effect if you and your graphic designer choose the right font, color, and placement. Sometimes elegant logo design is merely simple logo design.

Choose logo graphics wisely. If you do decide to use a graphic, avoid free clip art logo. An abstract graphic logo may be a good addition to your elegant logo design if it works well with the text style and font you and your logo design team or logo designer has chosen. Some logos may look better without a graphic, or with only a small graphic element, so play around with the design before settling on anything.

Be careful with logo color. One of the key problems with a freelance logo or logo creator software is that there is poor color management. You don’t want a bright and distracting array of colors. Choosing just one or two colors allows a logo to be more subdued and more intense at the same time, allowing focus to shift to the text itself instead of the bright hues. Many an elegant logo design is created with grayscale or a single accent color.

Think timeless. Avoid trends, because that will leave you with the unfortunate situation of having to either develop a new elegant logo design every few years or make do with one that looks dated and passé. If you are trying to create a brand, you need an elegant logo design that will stand the test of time without losing appeal. While this may seem like a tall order, it is everyday business for a graphic designer.

You get what you pay for. A free logo offers a price that can’t be beat, and a logo creator seems easy enough to use, but an elegant logo design can only be created by a trained and experienced graphic artist who knows how to distill your company’s aesthetic sense into a small and attractive logo. If you want customers to come to you for aesthetic and beauty services, your logo will speak volumes about what kind of quality they can expect from you. Because a logo is the face of your company, paying for a high quality logo is an investment in public relations.

If your business depends on your ability to sell your sense of style, an elegant logo design will be an invaluable investment. Show your customers what you are made of with a timelessly beautiful logo.

Many people who need a logo are attracted to the concept of free logo design. It’s easy to see how this might be an attractive proposition. With all of the free and low cost graphics options on the internet, many people don’t see why a freelance logo design company might be a better choice than designing a logo themselves or using free logo design software. However, there are a few things to consider when deciding whether to go with freelance logo design or one of the many higher priced options.

Logos are important. That may seem like a simple statement, but the fact is that many people, including business owners, underestimate the power of a logo. A logo tells potential customers everything about your business on a subconscious level. A well designed logo will communicate more effectively than words alone ever could. If your logo says the wrong things, it can sabotage your company and make success almost impossible. Freelance logo design is definitely attractive in an age when every penny must be pinched, but can you afford to skimp in this vital area?

Logo design requires tools. In this digital era, you can’t just sit down with a pen and paper. Art skills are definitely a benefit when it comes to designing a logo, but freelance logo design will also require equipment. At the very least, you will need a computer with a powerful graphics card and a graphics program. Many people choose to use some of the free graphics programs on the internet. There are indeed many excellent programs available, but they are so widely used that you may end up with a generic logo that is very similar to many others. Is that a fair representation of your company?

Logo design requires skills. All of the programs mentioned above? They take time to learn and even more time to perfect. Conceiving a design and then perfecting it will take even more time. A freelance design artist has likely spent years in school and even more years in the work field learning how to define a company and then express that definition in a crisp and attractive manner. Without this level of experience, you may find that creating a professional design is a time consuming process. That freelance logo design may not be free after all. Depending on what your time is worth, hiring a freelance design company may be less expensive than designing you logo yourself.

There’s no such thing as a free lunch. Unfortunately, there is no such thing as free logo design either. If you don’t have time for designing a logo, freelance logo design from one of the many websites offering it on the internet can sound like a good deal. Unfortunately, there are always strings attached. Many of these sites will fill your inbox with spam. Others might provide a reasonable logo, but you cannot make any type of changes, even to customize it to your own needs. A freelance design artist typically will provide a logo tailored to your needs and work with you to revise the logo until it is perfect for you.

Is freelance logo design right for you? That depends on your needs and your situation. For many companies, freelance logo design offers an acceptable product at a can’t-be-beat price. For others, merely acceptable isn’t enough.

Is your customer base less loyal than you would prefer? Do your employees have a hard time expressing exactly what sets your corporation apart from others? If so, your company may be in need of a custom logo design. Many people think that only huge multi-national organizations need things like custom logo designs, but in fact, every business big or small can benefit from having a brand. Luckily, this can be accomplished in a few simple steps.

1. Determine your core values. What is the driving force behind your business? What factors (besides profit) affect your decision making process? If you can’t answer these questions, your customers won’t be able to, either. You need to know what issues and value systems are shaping your decisions and be able to communicate these to your logo design firm so they can be worked into your business’s custom logo designs. Also, if your customers can’t communicate what makes you the best choice, they will have no reason not to choose your competitors if a better offer comes along.

2. Define your corporate identity. If your company were a person, what kind of person would it be? What would make him or her unique? In short, what exactly sets your company apart from its competition? Corporate identity and logo design are inseparably linked, so this step is a crucial part of developing custom logo designs.

3. Create a custom logo. Some people try to accomplish this step themselves, and those who are gifted logo design team or logo designer and have the right resources may very well be successful. For others, a reputable logo design firm is the answer. A firm like LDW will have a full stable of employees who are experts in corporate identity and logo design, people who can create several custom logo designs that express your company’s core values and unique personality.

4. Get your logo out in public. There are several ways to do this. Most logo design companies include custom logo designs on items likes signage and stationery design, but there are other opportunities. Your logo should be on every item that leaves your business, from invoices to packaging materials. Custom t-shirt design, hats, and other wearable items get your message out into the community and increase your market’s awareness of your brand. Whether you chose a logo design firm or created your own, that corporate identity and logo design likely result in a good investment. Use your brand to your best advantage by getting it in the public eye as much as possible.

A good logo doesn’t just fill in that lonely corner of your business card; it expresses who you are as a business and gives you the opportunity to determine your company’s core values. Creating a corporate identity and logo design is important, but presenting it accurately and attractively with custom logo designs is the key to creating and maintaining a loyal customer base. While the process of defining your custom logo design can be difficult, it is nonetheless an important part of holding your own and getting ahead in a brutally competitive marketplace.

Does your business have a logo?

If not, you should be very interested in logo design. Big or small, every company needs a logo. Having a logo not only gives customers a memorable visual image of your company, it shows that you are a professional, established part of the business community. Unfortunately, hiring a graphic designer to design a logo for your company requires an investment. Not only will you have to invest money for design services, you will also need to spend time in the design process. If either of these is not an option for you, you can consider another option: DIY logo design.

Why should you design your own logo? There are several benefits to designing a logo for your company. The most obvious of these is the money saved. Whether you hire locally or find a logo design firm on the internet, talented graphic designers would cost money. While they bring an impressive set of skills to the table, not all business can afford a professional service. With the right tools and a natural talent for it, you could spend some time and effort to try and create a decent logo, which is why do it yourself logo design is popular with one person logo design companies or small companies with no budget.

However, economic savings aren’t the only benefit in store. While a lower cost is the most obvious reason to design your own logo, but it is merely a side benefit. The most important reason to invest time in DIY logo design is that nobody understands your business as well as you do. A logo should express what sets you apart from your competition, and only you can know that. Designing a logo allows you to develop a finished product that you can be proud of, one that gives the exact message you want to share with your community.

Can you design your own logo? Consider the following questions:

Do you have a solid sense of style? That is, are you good at other forms of design, like home decoration logos and drawing? If you cannot grasp basic principles of design in other areas, leave designing a logo to the pros.

Do you have the time? Having a graphic designer create a logo takes time, because you must meet with the professional to help them understand your business and your needs. However, DIY logo design also requires time—not just time spent designing a logo, but time spent mastering the computer programs involved and going through a trial-and-error process of learning graphic design basics.

Do you have the resources? You don’t need the fanciest design program on the market to design your own logo, but you will need a computer with a decent graphics card as well as graphics software.

There are many resources available for people who are interested in designing a logo. Not only are there several DIY logo design websites, there are also books at libraries and bookstores that can help you design your own logo. There are also many graphics programs that make this process easier, although many budding designers have been able to design striking logos with everyday programs such as Paint and Photoshop. There is so much information available that this low cost, high quality option is available to just about anybody who is interested in it.

Most of us are made to believe that the logos are related only to businesses and marketing. Though this notion may be true to certain extent, it is not the completely truth. There are logos all around us, and they have been with us since time immemorial, and the markets have been using them to their advantage.

Most of the activities, which have very little to do with the commercial world, have symbols representing them. We see them all around us in our everyday life, but we are either too busy to recognize them or too used to having them around that we take them for granted and never give them a second look or thought. But they have been there!

In fact, if we take the ‘logo’ phenomenon seriously, we are bound to recognize that logo designing is a religion in its own right. It is human nature to have a ‘symbol’ to show a person or a group of people direction, guidance and solace in times of disaster.

Wilson – the Wilson volley ball in the film ‘Cast Away’

The best example can be found in the film ‘Cast Away’ in which a man stranded on a remote island after his plane crash- landed on the sea near an island survived with the help of an imaginary companion in the form of an icon. In this film, the character Chuck Noland (Tom Hanks) uses the washed off things from the plane to survive on the island, and one of them is a ‘Wilson volley ball’ on which he paints a human face-like figure with his bloody hand and names it ‘Wilson’. And most of his four year’s stay on the island, Noland uses it as a guide, mentor, companion and even a ‘god’!

He talks to ‘Wilson’ as if it were a real person, and after losing Wilson in his attempt to escape from the island, he loses all hope and even the will to live any longer. This is one of the traits human beings alone have and the object ‘Wilson’ is nothing but a symbol of faith in one’s own self – so when Noland lost the ball, he lost all hopes of living because his faith was lost!

So, it is not uncommon to see people having a symbol of some sort, mostly from the things they like or fear much, to keep them going. In ancient times animals were used as symbols – most of the ancient gods and goddesses, and the saints after them, have an animal each to represent them.

The most ancient and most important symbol is the 4000 year old “rod of Asclepious” which the WHO (World Health Organisation), Royal Society of Medicine, American Medical and Osteopathic Associations, the British and the Australian Medical Association incorporated in their insignia (logos). The old shape, the ‘rod with a single snake’ took the shape of a ‘rod with two snakes and two gryphons on either side’ in the later years; by and by, this icon again is given more than one subtle shape with minor changes here and there and has been used by several international pharmaceutical companies in the modern world.

And the most popular life-saving symbol, logo, is the ‘red cross’, a voluntary organisation founded by Henri Dunant of Switzerland in 1875 to give medical assistance to the wounded soldiers, irrespective of their nationalities, in battle fields. This symbol, a red cross + mark on white background, the opposite of the colour of Swiss flag, is an icon of humanitarianism which has been saving thousands of lives, military and civil, all over the world.

The most common but the least talked about is the ‘chevron’, the symbol ‘>’, supposed to have been found on the entrances of some of the ancient tombs, which is now used in military and police uniforms to show the wearer’s rank. There are several companies and sports clubs that use this sign in their logos, not to mention the multi-billion-multi-national Chevron Corporation, the oil and natural gas giant.

The Olympic Games is a global event that is celebrated in a different city once every four years. Pierre de Coubertine, a French national who was responsible for the revival of the ancient Olympic Games designed the International Olympics logo and flag, the Olympic Rings, to inspire people of the five continents on the Earth to unite and play games fairly. He said at a meeting of the Union des Sports Athlétiques in Paris on November 25, 1892: Let us export our oarsmen, our runners, our fencers into other lands. That is the true Free Trade of the future… He designed it in 1912 and then it was used officially for the first time in the Antwerp (Belgium) 1920 Olympics.

And each city (country) that has hosted so far has its own Olympic logo and flag, starting from 1896 to 2008. It is amusing to learn how the design has been developed over the years: the simple pictures of people have changed to the pictures of important landmarks of the host city (country) to abstract designs that just represent the spirit of the host and the games.

We can see from these Olympics logos of different hosts that the logo design has come a long way from mere photo posters and pictures of people to the pictures of the famous landmarks of those cities to the graphic designs with animation in which only the abstract symbolism is highlighted. There has been a radical change since 1984 – the Olympic design of any host’s Olympic logo and flag has had the touch of Olympics only with the Olympic Rings. The Beijing 2008 logo, for example, has the Chinese language character made into an athlete in a running position on the red background that represents the colour of the Chinese national flag.

Not all logos are very welcomed by the people in general, and one recent incident is the London 2012 Olympic logo. The London 2012 Olympics Logo Design has been under great criticism not only from the British but also from the logo designer all over the world. The design became such a faux pas that some Londoners even wondered whether the date of release of the logo was the first of April and the logo designing company was trying to fool everybody just for kicks!

However, in support of the logo, Lord Sebastian Coe, Organising Committee Chairman, said: “It’s not a logo; it’s a brand that will take us forward for the next five years. This is truly innovative …” The then Prime Minister, Tony Blair, said: “… When people see the new brand, we want them to be inspired to make a positive change in their life. It is a deliberate change from previous Olympic logos, which often feature images from the cities.” {This logo is supposed to inspire young people.}

Then there are logos of international organisations we see almost every day. The UNO (the United Nations Organisation) which was formed in 1945, presently with 192 member nations, has the logo that encompasses the entire world.

It is interesting to know the simple beginnings of a great logo. When there was a meeting of the newly formed UNO, ‘an identifying pin’ on the lapels of the delegates was needed, and a Navy officer, Mr. Oliver Lincoln Lundquist, was asked to make one, and he, in turn, assigned his assistant, Mr. Donald McLaughlin, a graphic designer, to design one. Mr. Donald McLaughlin made this round design with the globe showing all the five continents surrounded by a wreath of olive branches. That simple round design with a very minor change has been the logo of the UNO – just an identifying pin design became a symbol of peace and global cooperation!

The International Civil Aviation Organisation has adapted the same design, with wing-like projections on either side of it.

The international clubs, such as the Lions International and the Rotary Club International, have their logos seen by almost all the people of the world as they have clubs (branches) in almost every major city of the globe.

The ‘Lady Justice’, a young lady with a set of weighing scales in one hand and a double-edged sword in the other and with or without a blind-fold, is a very common symbol at court houses around the world. A statue at the entrance of a court house reminds people of impartiality in the weighing scales, power of Justice and the consequences for being guilty of something immoral (punishment) in the double-edged sword, and the treatment the people get irrespective of their position, status and appearance in the ‘blindfold’. A ‘logo’ representing the entire business of that house!

We have had this line “A rose by any other name would smell as sweet!” from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, 1594.

Yes, a rose flower gave us the same sweet smell even if we gave it a different name, but that was long, long time ago. In the present world, we have hybrid rose flowers of different colours, different shapes and different smells; we cannot name a flower by its shape, colour or smell any more. The development of logo is like-wise!

A logo expresses symbolism, honour, neutrality, unity, theme and other practical activities the establishment owns it. But does it have to be? Do all logos contain all the details? Is it possible to show all the details in a design that measures 4X4 ? The answer is a simple ‘NO’. We have seen that mostly people and animals were used in the logos of the past, and some things found in the nature were used in the later days, and finally we see virtual images that have nothing to do with the original theme or purpose of the logo in the present day logos. Is there anything terribly wrong with the present day logo designing? No, not at all! It is the CHANGE we see in the logo designing in general. When there was only the technique of sculpting, we had just those statues representing the theme. As the technology developed, the fine arts including the logo designing simultaneously developed.

Back To Logo Designing In The Commercial World

Naturally, every establishment, commercial or non-commercial, likes to have a logo of its own – a different one from the rest of the designs (and it should be different because of the ‘copyrights’). And each designer has a vision of his own. But the point here is that in days gone-by, it was easy for the people to understand the theme from looking at the logo, but these days, it is not so… it is like ‘artificial insemination’. People do not actually get the theme by just looking at the logo; they need some explanation. Therefore, most of the time we cannot understand the logos; we just look at them! It is like the logo has become a status symbol rather than the representation of the spirit, theme, etc. {Well, it hardly matters for most of us as long as we are given some feedback on the product or service the logo represents.}

For example, the first one of the beautiful designs we see below, which needed a lot of computer manipulation, is attractive to look at, but does it give us any information? I don’t think so. The purple coloured line is supposed to be, according to the designer, the letters V and S – video and sharing. I had not been able to make out the shape until I read the designer’s note under the heading ‘Inspiration’. The other example is the second one, ‘ultimatennis’ – the symbol is supposed to be a tennis ball with letter U in reverse (in black) and letter T in light green. Well… And in the logo for ‘alera’, according to the designer, the bird represents freedom, and the two projections, which I thought were the wings of the bird, are, in fact, a hammock! The ‘edgelink’, on the other hand, has a look of its own – the letters being linked to one another, and the designer is proud to state that it is an ambigram – a word or design that looks the same even when reversed or rotated, and, of course, it does represent ‘edge’ and ‘link’. It is to be noted that, after all, not all names can be given this sort of treatment, however efficient and imaginative the designer may be.

People In The Logos

In the modern era too we see some exceptions. There are popular logos with the pictures of real people – the KFC, Kentucky Fried Chicken, for instance. The statue of Colonel Harland Sanders is placed at the entrances of some KFC outlets in some countries. Though it has had its share of changes and improvements made to it, it is a good looking logo, but we certainly cannot expect every logo to be with the picture of the owner of that establishment and, to be frank, not all faces look as pleasing as that of Colonel Harland Sanders – we get bored!

Client’s Logo Choice

The outcome of a logo is directly dependent on five factors: the type of business, the client’s concept, the budget, the customer target, and the designer. Of the different types of logo designing – Iconic logos, Illustrative logos, Enclosed emblem type logos, Text based logo, etc. And again, like the Shakespeare’s line ‘A rose by any name …’, the basic purpose of a logo is the same: to let people know, get attracted to and remember the logo, the brand and the product that logo represents! In addition, keeping the terminology aside, every individual business has a specific market target, and the logo that represents it must be appealing to that particular market.

For example, a florist in a town can be very liberal with his logo that is more illustrative with relevant words, but a multi-national software company needs a design with a modern concept, like that of Apple Inc. , because in the international market language and complicated design do not serve the purpose, and translated versions may not give the desired punch, and in addition, young people who are the potential customers of the computer software sector like to see their favourite brands in modern and chic logos! On the contrary, not all international products fare well with only a simple symbol.

The company that produces the Christmas cards, for instance, needs a logo that is full of merriment – jingle bells, coloured ribbons, tree, bright ornaments, etc. that represent nativity story. An international food product company certainly needs an iconic logo that shows, without much use of words, that the content in the pack is an item of food – the Nestlé can be a suitable example.

In case you are curious to know more about the LOGOS, you are free to visit Logo Design Works, and have lots of fun!!

Our Earth is full of colors. Colors are an integral part of our lives. The colors found in nature are important to us because we have adapted to survive in nature! Colors are an important part of our visual arts, too, which is considered to be the first of the human professions!

In the modern concept, manipulation of colors to get a desired effect is believed to be both subjective and technical. Basically, the multitude of colors we see are divided into groups:

primary colors (colors in their own right; they cannot be made by mixing other colors) — red, yellow and blue;

secondary colors (colors we get by mixing the primary colors) — green, purple, orange, etc.; and

tertiary colors (colors we get by mixing the primary and secondary colors) .

And the main bands of colors are six: red, orange, yellow, green, blue and violet, and according to Sir Issac Newton, (1642-1747) mathematician and physicist and one of the eminent scientific intellects of all time, there are seven colors: red, orange, yellow, green, indigo and violet. But the popular pattern with which an artist creates an ever-lasting colorful impression holds up to a set of twelve colors: black, grey, white, pink, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, brown and azure.

An expert on colors stated that: Colors by themselves are not a fundamental property of light but are often related to the physiological response of the eye to light. The color of an object depends on both the physics of the object in its environment and the characteristic of the perceiving eye and brain. It is believed that the human eye can distinguish thousands of different colors – shades, hues and tints! Most humans have three types of color receptors, the organs that receive colors and transmit them to the brain, but many animals, such as some species of spiders, some marsupials, birds, reptiles and several types of fish, and some human females, have four types!!

It is interesting to know that a person’s perception of the color of any object depends not only on the spectrum of light reflecting from its surface but also on a number of contextual cues so that the color is perceived as relatively constant. This effect is known as “color constancy”. For example, when we think of milk, we think of it in ‘white’ color, but not in any other color; when we think of blood, we think of it in ‘red’, but never in black, blue or green though there are some animals whose blood is other than red; when we think of a leaf of a plant, we see it in green in our mind’s eye.

Just because we are now able to define color and give it a colorful terminology, it does not mean that the concept and use of color are new phenomena. colors have been an integral part of the human societies since pre-historic times. From stone-age man, cave man, man in ancient civilizations to the present computer-man, all have been influenced by colors and all have used colors in their everyday life.

The man in primitive societies used color for war-paint (drawing colorful designs on their face and body in order to frighten the enemy and also to show off their status), for decorating the deities, shrines, idols, totems; the man in the medieval societies used color for their clothes, for decorating their dwellings, and more importantly, for representing themselves in other social activities, such as war, sport, traditional ceremonies, etc. Read more about the ancient history of logo design.

And in the present modern societies, color is in every aspect of life in general – just try to imagine how difficult it would be to have all ‘white’ toothbrushes in a family of four, they can never know which is whose, and how hard it would be for you to find your own car in a parking-lot when all the cars are painted ‘black’! In nature, the animals have mastered the art of camouflage by having colors or by changing their colors to suit their surrounding, and some animals are with bright body colors, usually yellow and red, to warn their predators that they are toxic and so should be avoided.

The colors the first people (according to the records available, between 40,000 and 10,000 years B.C.) used mostly were: red, black and white. The Magdalenian painters, the people who were supposed to have lived between 18,000 and 10,000 years B.C. and drawn pictures of animals on the faces of rocks in the open, and on the floors, walls and ceilings of the caves in several places across Europe, used yellow and brown. By using crude methods and raw materials – minerals found in the earth, water rich in calcium, vegetables and animal oils – these cave painters of Magdalenian were able to produce awesome “polychrome art”!

Though there has never been an undisputed explanation for the purpose of drawing these paintings, one very strong explanation we all must agree to is that ‘art’ is a form of expression and man needs to express his thoughts in one form or through one medium or the other; man needs to express his thoughts for communication or for preservation of history or for recreation or just for the mere satisfaction of expression, and there has never been a stopping to this urge.

Though there has been no agreement on the purpose of drawing these cave paintings, the time period and the material used among the experts, almost every eminent historian and art critic opines that the awesome colorful cave art was thought-provoking and probably this art later became the ‘father of religion’!

Color stimulates our senses:

“Color psychology” is a recognized system of investigating the effect of colors on human behavior, feelings and emotions.

The eye receives the light reflected from the surface of an object and sends it to the brain which then acts or reacts by creating impulses depending on the ‘color’ the light brings in, which, in turn, control the person’s or animal’s behavior. It is like we smile at a smiling baby but turn away from or wince at a crying baby. The same way, studies have shown that people react in different ways to different colors. [This assumption may also depend upon the culture, time period and religious aspects.] It is a proven fact that when we see items of food in red color, we tend to get hungry faster and drool more than when we see food in pale colors.

Some of the most common ‘colors and the moods (positive and negative)’ they generate in people and animals are:

GREY

Positive: solid, intelligence, modesty, practicality, maturity

Negative: old age, obsolete, rusty

BLACK

Positive: mystery, secrecy, tradition

Negative: fear, evil, death, mourning

BLUE

Positive: power, calmness, success, trustworthiness
{the most common and most liked color}

BROWN

Positive: earth and nature, simplicity, seriousness

Negative: drab, uninteresting

GREEN

Positive: harmony, health and healing, nature, prosperity, money

Negative: greed, jealousy

ORANGE

Positive: affordability, fun, youth, creativity, celebration

PURPLE

Positive: royalty, justice, fantasy and dream, luxury, wealth

RED

Positive: excitement, action, adventure, love, passion, food

Negative: danger, death, caution, anger, hunger

WHITE

Positive: simplicity, cleanliness, innocence, purity, peacefulness

Negative: death, mourning (in certain cultures)

YELLOW

Positive: cheerfulness, playfulness, curiosity, amusement, intellect

Negative: flashy, carelessness, harmful
{the most difficult color for the eye}

PINK

Positive: femininity, flamboyance, openness, friendliness

Negative: carefree, demanding attention

Colors in everyday life:

The ‘eye’ which is the body organ that receives thousands of colors of objects in itself comes only in a limited number of colors – ‘brown’ being the most common and ‘green’ being the least common. There are believed to be 20 cases of pure natural red eye color throughout the world.

[And so, it is known that people with brown eyes take in only the brown color and the people with blue eyes take in only the blue color and so on … No!! I’m just trying to bring some color into my article (LOL). Whatever be the eye color of the beholder with a healthy eye, he/she can receive colors and most of the thousands of their shades and hues.]

As colors influence our moods and behavior, we use colors for different purposes in our daily activities. The use of a specific color in certain traditional or ceremonial activity, however, has a different connotation depending on the culture of a society and the period of time of its existence. For example, a bride wearing a ‘white’ dress on her wedding is accepted very well in the western cultures, but the same white is used for mourning and worn by widows in some eastern cultures. The westerns may feel repulsive or offensive on seeing yellow color being used at a religious ceremony, but the same yellow color may generate reverence and intellect in people of the East!

As every rule has an exception, this color code also has exceptions and there are some colors that are used for certain specific purposes universally! The best example is the color red which is used for ‘danger’, ‘stop’, ‘no’, ‘wrong’, etc., and the quite opposite is the color green used for ‘safe’, ‘proceed’, ‘yes’, ‘right’, etc., and the color white being used to express peace, simplicity, purity, etc.

Color terminology in languages:

Colors are used extensively in languages. There are proverbs, sayings, phrasal verbs and some common expressions used in similes and metaphors (‘color idioms’) to express the moods, feelings and behavior of people and animals with color-word phrases. For example, “to see red”, “to paint the town red”, “ to be in the pink”, “ to feel blue”, “white lies”, “written in black and white”, “being green with envy”, “white as a sheet”, “once in a blue moon”, “green card”, “green light”, “with flying colors”, “nailing one’s colors to the mast”, “one’s true colors”, etc.

Colors are also used to represent the different human races: white people (the Caucasian or white face), black people (the Ethiopian or black race), yellow people (the Mongolian or yellow face), cinnamon-brown or flame colored people (the (native) American race or red face), and brown people (the Malay or brown race).

Colors & Computers:

People who work with colors in their profession or occupation should have some basic knowledge of the science of colors and color combination, and how colors influence the moods of people and animals.

Colors change to different shades and hues depending on the material they are projected (printed) on. A certain color may look pale when it is used on a piece of cloth that absorbs liquids, and the same color looks bright when it is used on a glossy paper, and yet looks with a different hue when used on a plastic sheet. And a color combination made on the computer screen may not be the same when printed on a paper – it is not that it changes into a different color, but gives out a different shade or hue.

To gain mastery over the use of color combination, an artist, painter or logo design team or logo designer must have some basic knowledge of the dynamics and terminology of the color and color combination. Some of them are as follows:

“Chromatics” – the study of colors physiologically; “color psychology” – the study of identifying the effects of color on human emotions and activities; “chromatic therapy” – using color psychology scientifically (‘chromatic therapy’ is used as a form of alternative medicine attributed to various Eastern traditions); “color theory” – the art of color mixing and the visual impact of color combination; “color code” – a system for displaying information using different colors; “color contrast”; “optical illusion” – a condition in which the eye (the perception of color or vision) is manipulated into believing something that is not there or something that is not what it actually is; and so on.

Colors and website design:

When it comes to web-designing on computers, designers had been encouraged to stick to the ‘web-safe’ colors which were a set 216 colors (colors with their shades and hues) commonly used. However, David Lehn and Hadly Stern, have discovered that only 22 of the 216 colors used in the web-designing are reliably consistent (on 16-bit computer displays). These 22 colors can be considered “really safe” colors to use in web-designing because they are relatively consistent.

Another important fact a web-designer or any other professional, using color combination must bear in mind is that not all people can identify all colors. People who cannot recognize all colors are generally called ‘color blind’. (This phrase is not very apt because they do identify some colors; they do not see the world only in black and white, and so the more appropriate term or phrase to describe them is “color deficient’!)

In some people partial eye-sight, aging and congenital color deficits all produce changes in perception of colors that results in reduced visual effectiveness of certain color combination. [In countries like Sweden, along with the traditional set of traffic lights – red, yellow/amber and green – another set of lights that are easy to perceive for the color deficient people are placed at the road junctions!] A combination of two or three colors that contrast sharply to someone with normal vision may be less clear or even confusing to someone with color blindness!

Therefore, the web designer should not take it for granted that the clarity of a design is appreciated in the same way by all the people.

Color in sensory branding and log design:

Branding or logo design is the art of giving a symbol or icon to a commercial product a company produces or a service a firm or company (law firms, hotels, travel agents, etc.) gives, or just as a symbol for recognition for a club or association.

A logo design is the most repeated and frequently displayed symbol of a business, and “color” plays a major part in creating a logo design.

There are three kinds of logos: text logos – with simple words without picture, design or symbol that explain the nature of that particular business; symbol logos – with a picture, design or symbol but without written words; and text and symbol logos – with some written words and a picture, design or symbol in it.

Martin Lindstrom, one of the most respected ‘sensory branding gurus’ and author of several books and DVD’s, advises his clients, the logo designers, to have good knowledge of colors and color combination because, according to the statics, 83% of all commercial communication appeals only to one sense – our eyes!

It is a very well-known fact that the human mind is hardwired to respond to color, and a person’s subconscious mind turns colors into messages, and that colors can influence the opinions of a person in less time than it takes to blink an eye!

As the main purpose of commercial branding is to facilitate cross-language and cross-culture marketing, most logos tend to be ‘symbol logos’ because language plays little or no role when the logo crosses its place of origin, and while creating a symbol logo, the choice of color is as important, if not more important, as the symbol design itself.

The logo designer without this basic knowledge is bound to ignore or overlook the choice of color in his client’s logo, and the client may be losing his/her potential customers or clients instead of luring them. In such cases the main purpose of having a logo is lost!

At Logo Design Works, one of a very few logo designers who are equipped with such tools of trade to create not just logos but legendary logos, a client is given not only a colorful logo but a never-fading colorful experience of having a logo!!

Iconic Logo Design Illustrative Logo Design Difference

There are 2 types of logo designs. Illustrative logos and Iconic logos. Read about the difference between illustrative and iconic logos.

Illustrative Logos

Illustrative logos are much more elaborate and harder to design. They are the best among all treatments. To establish an logo as a brand in a highly competitive market, an illustrative logo is the best solution.

Illustration in the logo goes beyond iconic representation and involves very clever and intricately detailed logo that would inspire awe in the audience. Elements of the illustrative logo can then be used in stationery and related promotional material to achieve branding. Enclosed emblem style logos can also be considered as illustrative logos.

Iconic Logos

An iconic treatment of a logo involves a simple and some times clever representation of an item associated with a product or service the company promotes. Incorporating a stylish and simple gavel in a auction company logo is a good example. Iconic logos do not have too much detail and border on being abstract logos. The designers expertise determines how clever the icon is. Read this article about memorable logo icons. Iconic logos usually tend to be minimalistic style logos or text based logos. Read how to design a communications logo to understand more about iconic logo creation.

Mascot Designs

A mascot design is a character that is cartoonish. A lot of time and effort goes into creating a mascot including character development. This type of design project has to be quoted on a per case basis because the cost varies with the scope of the requirement. Check out more examples of mascot designs.

Every day I see at least one project where the client says they want the logo to make their company look big. While this is an interesting notion and nothing wrong with the thought process behind it, I find it difficult to deliver on that promise from a designer perspective.

When clients cite big brands as examples and want a logo that would make them look as big, I try to enter into a dialogue with the client and try and analyze that requirement. Yes, granted a company logo can at times make a company look bigger than it really is. Yes, a skilled logo design team can create a design that looks polished and high quality that in turns makes the company look big. But the fact of the matter is that, a company logo design alone can not enhance the image of a company.

The company logo along with other points of interaction make for an impression that is either big or small. Points of interaction could be things such as the business card design, the website design, marketing materials, decals, sticker, the tone of the company message and even the language used by the person in the company picking up the phone.

So, what can be done to make a company logo enhance the image of a company and make it look big? Now, that is tricky question. Could it be the logo design color, the font, the layout or a combination of all these?

In my opinion, if the logo designer considers the market segment and the target market and tries to design with the flow of the contemporary trends while still trying to make the identity stand out, it definitely could be considered as heading in the right direction. However, simply looking at the major brands and their logos in that market segment and trying to emulate them would not be the answer. In fact I would recommend against looking at the big brands for references. Instead I would recommend looking at the visual clues of the entire market segment as viewed by the target market.

So to go back to the question of weather your company logo can make your company look big, I must admit it is not a straight forward answer. At the risk of alienating some of our customers or potential customers, I must say that trying to design a logo that would make a company look big would lead to failure in most situations. Approaching the design with the target market in mind would be a better solution. If the message can be distilled down and conveyed effectively in the logo design then I would say that looking big would come naturally as a by product.

Just like old soldiers, old logos never die, they just fade away. Is your logo fading?

Remember the powerful voice your logo had when you first gave it your brand’s identity. It spoke for your brand in its infancy but is it still saying what you want it to? By its very symbols, logo design colors and shapes, is it still communicating the image you currently desire for your brand? Does it subtly suggest the many benefits your customers will receive if they become your client?

Tough questions – all of them – but ones every entrepreneur should ask each year. Some logos rise up to become irrevocably united with the brands they represent. Others lose impact and like old soldiers, simply fade away.

Even the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval has been updated seven times since the first GHSA logo was designed some 100 years ago.

If your logo doesn’t subliminally broadcast how unique your brand is, if it doesn’t bring to mind specific qualities that are innate to you and your brand, it is not doing its job. For example, an outdated product logo on an established brand can inadvertently help a newly-introduced brand from the same company to cannibalize the older and weaker one.

Marketers who have several brands in the same product category, e.g. laundry detergents, bar soaps, are often faced with the danger of cannibalization. When a new entry excites the consumer, he/she is apt to switch usage to the new brand – unless his/her current brand has a strong image, one that ensures unwavering loyalty simply because its benefits are clearly delineated via a comprehensive marketing program.

A great logo can help to create a strong image that will defy cannibalization. Analyze yours. What do its colors say – clean? soft? strong? What do its shapes suggest – a new direction? uplifting movement? Is your tag line speaking in unison with the graphics?

Your logo is your brand’s silent mouthpiece. Study it and see if you get any message. If it is not communicating your brand’s message in its current form, turn up the volume – update your logo with a new look, one that still encompasses your brand’s tried and true values while adding a current-day dimension, an additional facet to your design.

The “positioning” of a company’s products or services determines its competitive placement. Each and every marketing device – a marketing logo, a tag line, packaging artwork, pricing, promotional offers, advertising – should always communicate to the market and, specifically, to consumers, the niche in which the product or service belongs. Perception by the consumer ultimately determines that niche but a marketing manager can encourage the positioning he wants by the creation of a unique logo.

Such a logo, through logo design color, font, symbols and design artwork sends out an image to the consumer. The logo communicates to the consumer a subliminal message. It implants the suggestion that this product or company has exactly the desired attributes.

New entrepreneurs must ask themselves which marketing niche will afford the most profitable positioning for his company. A company‘s products or services are seen as either innovative or unimaginative; expensive or cheap; unique or commonplace; elegant or brash. Logo design can communicate a multitude of dichotomies and ultimately help to determine a company’s competitive position. Is it a newcomer to the industry who will bring major changes or is it just another entry into a static market?

The art of positioning was first practiced by the major consumer packaged goods companies – Procter & Gamble, Unilever, Colgate, et al. Their research showed them why certain stimuli reaped the best consumer response, yet it also raised a question of why some products, with similar attributes and media weight behind them, sold less than others.

The more successful brands had been “positioned”, via a coordinated advertising approach, to appeal to a specific population segment – one that had a need for products with those attributes.

Logo design is integral to creating a brand or company, product or a service image. Just as an oval presents a softer image than a circle, and bold blocks create an image of strength, various hues of color affect consumers’ response to a logo. Pink communicates softness; red communicates strength. Touches of gold or silver will add elegance.

The fonts used in a logo also will affect consumer response. Careful thought must be given to company logos for they will be used for many years on a wide assortment of carriers. Consistency is important; strict adherence to colors, shapes and fonts must be observed by every agency who uses the logo for any publicity needs.

Companies that are blessed with having strong and iconic symbols such as the Pillsbury Doughboy, the Maytag repairman, or the Michelin man can actively manage and use the symbols to super charge their brand.

Such iconic logo symbols give a personality to the brand and help tell a story effectively. For example, the Pillsbury Doughboy is quite upbeat with a sense of humor and signals freshness and superb quality. The Maytag repairman is relaxed and confident, and symbolizes the reliability of Maytag. The Michelin man is strong and positive and means safety.

Iconic logo symbols can have a life of their own. It is usually much easier to make a connection with a logo symbol rather than a product. Budweiser’s Frank and Louie lizard characters has such a following that customers would go to their website to check out the ads. They would also buy custom t-shirt designs and toys from their website. These characters were strongly linked to Budweiser because they were marketed so well in their ads.

When considering a log design for your company, you need to try and work our a brand strategy first. What would be your identity, how would you want to be related to etc, are questions you need to ask yourself. The answers to these questions would then help you decide weather you want to go for iconic logo symbols or for a logo design that is more illustrative in nature.

There is a negative connotation of being global. Despite its advantages, globalization has made most things generic and bland. You won’t even notice a huge difference difference between McDonald’s in the U.S. and Asia.

In an industry where personal attention and uniqueness are valued so much, graphic design firms are branching out in different strategic areas to deliver superior service. Besides, many companies these days prefer smaller local logo design firms since they are perceived to be more hands-on and conversant with local trends. Big design firms sometimes make clients feel disconnected and alienated.

Even though globalization opens the door for overseas client base and technology helps bridge communication gap, there is that void waiting to be filled. Local and cultural references are lost because everything looks the same. Setting up a local firm seems to be the viable alternative to rekindle the forgotten local identity.

Some global companies find it hard to absorb the unique characteristics and intricacies of being local. In the US, the differences of one state to another are really apparent. What more if you’re talking about different countries and cultural backgrounds.

Setting your own local logo design firm is a wise and strategic investment so you can provide excellent service to businesses with local focus and businesses that want to make their local identity stand out from the overtly crowded global market.

Collaborating with people who live, work, and study in different areas is a win-win situation. You will gain invaluable insights and perhaps discover unique design trends which you can spread in the global arena. Clients, on the other hand, have direct access to graphic designers to make the project run as smoothly as possible.

Here at LDW, we’re working hard to balance global and local perspectives through our established offices in the USA, UK, France, Singapore, and Australia.

All brands undergo different life stages. Some are in early stages while others have already reached maturity. The same thing happens with your logo design. It may be cool today but corny tomorrow. As a branding practitioner, business owners, or logo designer, you have to learn how to ride the wave of the future and know when it is time to redesign your logo.

The emergence of the so-called Web 2.0 logos, for instance, has altered the way we run our Internet marketing campaigns, communicate with our customers, design websites, and inevitably logo design.

It’s actually simple to sense the changing tide. Read about emerging design trends, monitor your competition, talk with your customers, and observe your sorroundings.

Logo redesign, if done correctly, is a great way to revitalize your brand and improve brand visibility. Internally, it will give you the opportunity to motivate your employees and give your salespeople one good reason to rekindle their relationship with existing and old customers. All in all, it can result to incremental profits.

As I wrote a few days back, logo redesign need not be radical. Depending on the value of your current logo, simply enhancing the “look and feel” will do wonders. Remember the AT&T logo redesign?

Logo redesign can also help extend the life cycle of your product. More than that, it is also effective tool if you want to reposition your product. As a cardinal rule, the change in logo design must create value to the equation. Otherwise, it won’t help your brand impression at all.

The right combination of logo design colors, font texture, patterns, and images usually result in a good logo design. You have to remember though, that your logo is not a standalone symbol. It is always works with various elements of your brand such as your communication materials, your corporate attitude and of course the quality of your service or product.

You have to make sure that your logo will be able to blend well with your other collateral materials. Here are some of the things you might want to look at:

1. Your company logo should be scalable. It should work well in different media like digital and print materials. Consider its appearance in your brochure design, signage, training materials, giveaways, packaging, merchandise, flyer design, and website. Make sure you get vector logo files when you get your logo created. Your printers and sign makers would be looking for EPS logo files. Logos created in Photoshop would have scalability issues.
2. Your logo should be original. It doesn’t matter if your business is small or if you’re just starting up. Avoid using templates for your logo and business cards. There are many free logo design service programs you can find online but all they do is give your a design generated from a clip art that 100s of other company might use. This won’t help you stand out and cut through the clutter and of course don’t forget the potential copyright issues.
3. Your logo should work well in black and white. Before adding any color to your logo, make sure it looks good in black and white. A good logo design company would offer to show the clients a black and white version of the initial design concepts along with color versions. Another point to remember is that having too many colors in your logo would make it difficult to reproduce in different media. (How to select the right logo design company)
4. Mind your images. Visuals can be culturally sensitive so do your research extensively to ensure its appropriateness to your target customers. This is particularly important for businesses targeting different geographic locations.
4. Remember, getting a good logo design for your company is not an expense. It is an investment. Far too many times, startups do not mind spending money on fancy office furniture or a startup party etc. When it comes to investing in a good logo design, usually, most people try to find the cheapest option around. Find out what is sacrificed in a cheap logo design.

These are some of the basic considerations if you want to develop a compelling logo design.

We upgraded to CS4 a little while back and absolutely love it. There are hundreds of little improvements over CS3 that make it a joy to be designing logos and graphics using Adobe Illustrator CS4 or Adobe Photoshop CS4.

The new Adobe Dream Weaver CS4 is awsome too with its new “LiveView” feature, the “Code Navigator” and many more exciting and useful features.

However, the new crop marks features in AI CS4 had us stumped for some time. In CS3, after you had aligned your artwork to the art-board, you would normally go to “Object” menu item and select “Crop Marks” and the marks would appear around the art-board. So when you saved the image to a JPG format, the border of the image would be the same as the art-board and your artwork would be inside it.

In AI CS4, the Object > Crop Marks menu item has disappeared and moved under “Effects” menu item. Secondly, if you select the Crop Marks menu item and applied to an artwork and tried to save a JPG, you would see the crop marks in the image being saved.

If you did not apply the crop marks then the artwork saved as the JPG image would sit snugly with the border of the image. This is not desirable since it is normal for images to have a space between the actual artwork and the border of the JPG image.

We struggled for a little while with this issue before we realized that there is an option in the “Save to Web” dialog box that lets you “clip to artboard”. Check that option and you will have the whole art-board saved with space between the border of image and the artwork.

Browsing thru stumbleupon, I came across a website about surfing and other action-packed waters sports. Indeed, it was really exciting to watch the triumph of human prowess against nature’s giant waves.

In some way, designing a logo is like surfing. You have to learn to adapt to changes or else fail. Flexibility and quick judgment are 2 vital skills you need to acquire.

That’s why here in LDW we always emphasize the need to create effective logo designs with enough room for modifications or variations. Like those giant waves, all business industries undergo different changes every year. Some are subtle but others are very evident.

Your logo design must be able to adjust to the wave of the future. This is very important particularly for businesses competing in very dynamic categories. The arrival of Web 2.0 logo design, for instance, has rendered some Internet marketing principles obsolete. It has created a shift from one-way communication to meaningful conversations. Along with these changes are new trends in graphic designs. Now more than ever, we are falling in love with something big, bold and vibrant.

On top of that, different seasons and holidays give you the opportunity to play with your logo designs. Google has remained the undisputed leader in constantly altering its logo to reflect important events from Halloween to Valentine Day. MTV is another master of flexibility. Created more than 25 years ago, its logo has managed to remain fresh and relevant to its target market.

Logo design reflects the outlook of your business. You need to understand when to redesign your logo or when to remain consistent. In the words of the infamous English author, H. G. Wells: “Adapt or perish, now as ever, is nature’s inexorable imperative.”

After all the revisions and logo focus group testing, you are ready to launch your new logo design. This is your chance to generate buzz and increase brand awareness. As there are many ways to launch your logo, there are also various ways to wreck this very important event.

Because your logo captures the essence of your business, it’s crucial to augment it with meaningful changes or new initiatives. Here are some classic blunders that you could avoid when unveiling your logo design:

1. Launching without consulting your employees. Believe it or not, internal stakeholders have the power to undermine your efforts. Make them your allies before going public.
2. Redesigning your company logo while facing controversies such as legal complaints or financial audit. The new logo will appear to be a contrived effort to escape from your responsibilities.
3. Having a grand logo launch without major initiatives to go along with it. It’s just a simple facelift with no value to customers.
4. Using the new logo as a silver bullet to solve all the troubles in your business.
5. Launching without set expectations about the impact of your new logo and branding efforts.

Logo design launch can be your stepping stone to revive your branding efforts. The outcome varies depending on how you approach it and the industry you’re in. It helps to ask your friendly logo design team and your logo designer for advice. Their rich experience makes them a credible resource contact for evaluating your plans.

To test or not to test, that is the question. Some see focus group testing as a powerful tool others view it as a complete waste of time. Given all things equal, I say test, test and test. Outside perspectives can be really valuable particularly if you’re looking too closely on a project. It eliminates bias and allows us to get a taste of reality.

Focus Group Testing need not be expensive. The important thing is to involve those who matter most – your target customers and internal stakeholders like employees. And ask the right questions. Face-to-face interview is highly recommended but you can live with questionnaires. Create a focus group with a mixuture of business and personal associates. Get family members involved. As friends for their opinions.

When you are presented with your initial logo design concepts, print them out and make a few copies and pass them to your focus group. All this effort will give you a good ROI in terms of being able to understand how the logo concepts affect people with different backgrounds.

The goal of a focus group testing is not to just know if they love or hate your new logo design. It’s about understanding the reasoning and emotions behind their reasons. Use open-ended questions to unlock insights. Probe every statement. If they say it’s beautiful, ask why. If they say it’s really hideous, ask why. Take note of first impressions as well as any changes in reactions.

Find out the associations with your brand attributes. More importantly, find out what’s missed out. The stronger the connection of logo to your selling points the better. Solicit suggestions on what to improve on. You’ll be surprised how much ideas you will get just by listening.

And don’t forget to compare your logo against your main competitors. Find out where your logo stands relative to existing brands or business in your industry. Is it distinct enough to be recognized amid other logos?

Focus Group Testing logo designs is also very important if you’re entering foreign markets where you have no idea about culture and customs. Some words may be offensive when translated in different languages. Simple images and basic shapes, on the other hand, might connote something negative or rude. Test the water first.

If there’s one quality shared by famous logos and brands like Nike, Google, CNN, and MTV it is the simplicity of their designs. In the words of the great abstract expressionist painter, Hans Hofmann: “The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak.”

While designing a logo, it would be a mistake to give too much emphasis on visual effects and play with different logo design colors in a desperate attempt to stand out. On the contrary, a simple and minimalist logo design that is a compelling logo design can create a difference. In a bigger context, it can be a strong competitive advantage for any business in any industry.

But what should you look for in a logo design any way?

Over the years, we are bombarded with different messages from various media, making it hard for most of us to absorb and retain the info in our minds. This is where simplicity comes in. It has the power to cut through the clutter and send your message direct to your customers. A strong antidote against visual chaos indeed. Additionally, you can easily spice up a simple logo to fit different seasons and reasons. Google is the prime proponent of this initiative as it alters its logo every month.

The same concept holds true in designing your website. Aside from readability and ease of navigation, a simple yet eye-catching web design won’t encounter any compatibility issue with different browsers like Internet Explorer to Mozilla Firefox. Complex designs eat up too much bandwidth and slow down page load time. It costs more money to you for bandwidth and frustration to your online visitors who have slow internet connection.

Remember the paradox: less is more. Remove all the excessive designs and ornaments. Strive for clarity in business and in design.

A great graphic design is a product of elaborate thinking and visual creativeness. Failure to translate your ideas to a compelling design is pointless. At the same time, a well-crafted logo is ineffective if it doesn’t embody the essence of your business.

That’s the purpose of design brief – to set direction, place parameters and stir creativity. It sounds quite complicated but it’s not. It can be formal or informal depending on the graphic designers you’re working with. The important thing is to have crystal clear objectives before going to the drawing board.

So, what’s in a design brief? It alls starts with your branding strategy or how you want to position your brand or business relative to your competitors. Some of the questions below will help you develop a practical brief:

1. What’s the one thing that you want your customer to remember about your brand or business?
2. Who will be exposed to your logo? Talk about your target market.
3. What images and words describe the personality of your brand?
4. Who are your major competitors and what are their main talking points? Be sure to check the logo design color combination they are using in their graphic designs so yours won’t be confusingly similar to them.
5. What’s your target media? Do you want heavy exposure online, TV, radio, or newspaper? This is essential for finding the right materials to use.
6. What’s the measure of your logo’s effectiveness? Make sure you and your friendly graphic designer have a clear definition of measuring the impact of your project.

Here’s one thing you should remember: it must be brief. That’s why we call it design brief. Avoid analysis paralysis. Two hours is too much, assuming you’re very familiar with your branding initiatives. At the end of the day, it must be clear, concise, and direct.

What makes you stand out from competition? The idea of having a unique selling proposition (USP) is preached by almost every marketing guru on the planet. And it’s true. No business will last long without a distinct identity. There are hundreds of ways to create one’s brand reputation. For instance, you can compete on affordability just like Wal-Mart or innovation like Apple.

Once you pick your battleground, it’s time to choose the right logo design to embody the essence of your business. Unfortunately, some starting entrepreneurs fail to see the bond between logos and USP. In fact, your logo design plays a very important part in building your USP and identity over the long haul.

Because your logo is exposed to different market segments via different media, it must convey a clear message of what your business is and what it is not. In other words, can your logo design relate to your target customers? Are you using the right logo design colors? What does the image in your logo say about your business? Does it use the appropriate font? These elements work together to convey the visual language of your brand.

Designing a logo does not rely 100% on creativity and visual appeal. It must have substance and relevance to the image that you’re building for your brand or business. At the end of the day, it must make business sense. If there’s a gap between your USP and logo design, perhaps it’s time to redesign your logo or get a fresh concept from your friendly logo designer and the logo design team at LDW.

Christmas and New Year is a good time to upgrade your company logo design. To add some spice to your website and to communicate to your customers and site visitors the fact that you are proactive in terms of branding, you can upgrade your logo to have subtle elements related to either Christmas or the New Year.

For example seen above and also in our website header, our logo has been dressed up with a Santa hat just to give it the christmas look and feel. Before the New Year we might change our company logo to reflect the New Year holiday mood etc.

Things you can add to your company logo design to reflect the holiday mood and spirit can be Santa hats, ice man, snow flakes, christmas ornaments, bells etc.

As I was getting ready to start my daily project assignment, this morning, I got a call from Isaac Iren. Isaac was our very first client back in 1998, when I had set up a logo design company. He was in town in and wanted to touch base with me. I was happy to hear from him and was quite surprised he has remembered me and called me.

Later in the afternoon as I was munching on my sandwich, I reflected back to the humble beginnings of Logo Design Works and how far we had come. Logo Design Works started out in Sarasota, Florida, as a two man company. Today we have 23 full time designers and have worked on 1000s of logo design projects.

In those days there were just a few serious logo design companies online. One of the leading companies, introduced the package system of selling logo design services. We were also among the more prominent logo design companies and in those days packages were priced much more than what they are now. Then came the boom in the logo design industry and by 2002-2003 there were 100s of logo design companies mushrooming online.

Due to the increased popularity of this service and the perceived notion that Logo Designing was an easy business, we now have 1000s of online companies and freelancers offering logo design services. Due to this intense competition, pricing became the focal point of differentiation. Anyone who has access to Photoshop or Illustrator or CorelDraw now sets up a website and goes for a share of the logo design business. While this kind of entrepreneur ship and competition is healthy, it is the low standards that these so called logo design companies set that actually hurts the business as a whole.

That is what made me think that perhaps logo designing has become a commodity. A commodity is defined as anything for which there is demand, but which is supplied without qualitative differentiation across a market. Just as milk or rice, people tend to go for the shop or supplier providing it at the cheapest price. Because of the hundreds of logo design companies online, price wars have led to a state where, talented designers are plying their trade for peanuts.

Right now, your website, your logo portfolio gallery, your logo design process or even the fact that a client can call your company and talk to a logo designer, have ceased to be differentiating factors. Small businesses looking for logo design services, tend to search for the cheapest service around and even though, the company offering the cheapest logo design service might be doing so by offering clip art based logo or sometimes software generated logos, buy their services.

This of course leads to misery and we have seen our share of customers who come to us after they have tried the $30 or $50 service and having been disappointed realize the need to pay a fair amount for the right kind of service.

Having said this, I must admit, we are also part of this price war scenario. We too offer a logo design package system and price our service at a ridiculously low amount – just to survive and continue doing what we love the most – create logo designs. Many times I am tempted to change our pricing structure, remove the McDonald fast food type packages system (with fries on the side) and introduce a quote based system. But fear of loss of sales and the realities and necessities of running the daily business and paying the bills prevents me from doing so.

Every day I would wish for a standard being established in the industry – by the leading companies that would set the tone for turning this industry around and making it possible for talented designers to be paid what they deserve. I know this is wishful thinking. Everyone, including the “big” companies, is afraid of losing market share if they increase their prices.

But I am working on a long term plan that hopefully would help us raise the standard and go after the right kind of market that except high quality and professionalism and are willing and have the means to pay for such a service. Till that time, I guess we would have to continue offering a high quality logo designer service at rock bottom prices and in the process make no profits at all. Years pass, and in the end we have nothing to show for all the projects we have worked on and the 1000s of logos we have created.

When getting a logo designed, it is important to pay attention to the kind of files to expect and the files you actually get. Professional logo design companies usually provide the following types of final files for the logo designs they create: EPS, AI, JPG, PNG and GIF.

What are these file formats, and how do you use them? These and many other file types are used to encode digital images. The choices are simpler than you might think. When it comes to a logo design, it is even simpler.

Part of the reason for the plethora of file types is the need for compression. Image files can be quite large, and larger file types mean more disk usage and slower downloads. Compression is a term used to describe ways of cutting the size of the file. Compression schemes can by lossy or lossless.

Another reason for the many file types is that images differ in the number of logo design colors they contain. If an image has few colors, a file type can be designed to exploit this as a way of reducing file size.

Lossy vs. Lossless compression

You will often hear the terms “lossy” and “lossless” compression. A lossless compression algorithm discards no information. It looks for more efficient ways to represent an image, while making no compromises in accuracy. In contrast, lossy algorithms accept some degradation in the image in order to achieve smaller file size.

A lossless algorithm might, for example, look for a recurring pattern in the file, and replace each occurrence with a short abbreviation, thereby cutting the file size. In contrast, a lossy algorithm might store color information at a lower resolution than the image itself, since the eye is not so sensitive to changes in color of a small distance.

Number of colors

Images start with differing numbers of colors in them. The simplest images may contain only two colors, such as black and white, and will need only 1 bit to represent each pixel. Many early PC video cards would support only 16 fixed colors. Later cards would display 256 simultaneously, any of which could be chosen from a pool of 224, or 16 million colors. New cards devote 24 bits to each pixel, and are therefore capable of displaying 224, or 16 million colors without restriction. A few display even more. Since the eye has trouble distinguishing between similar colors, 24 bit or 16 million colors is often called TrueColor.

Logo Design Image file types

AI Vector Image File Format

AI is the default file format of Adobe Illustrator. It is a vector file format. Please read about the difference between vector and raster file formats.

EPS Vector Image File Format

Encapsulated PostScript (EPS) is a standard file format for importing and exporting PostScript files. It is usually a single page PostScript program that describes an illustration or entire page. The purpose of an EPS file is to be included in other pages. Sometimes EPS files are called EPSF files. EPSF simply stands for Encapsulated PostScript Format.

An EPS file can contain any combination of text, graphics and images. Since it is actually a PostScript file, it is the most versatile file format that is available. To avoid the need for a PostScript interpreter, EPS-files usually contain a small preview image that is used to visualize its content.

EPS files can be generated by all drawing applications as well as most layout applications. Image manipulation programs like Adobe PhotoShop can also save bitmap images as EPS-files. Some printer drivers are also capable of generating EPS-files as well as PostScript files.

GIF Raster Image File Format

GIF creates a table of up to 256 colors from a pool of 16 million. If the image has fewer than 256 colors, GIF can render the image exactly. When the image contains many colors, software that creates the GIF uses any of several algorithms to approximate the colors in the image with the limited palette of 256 colors available. Better algorithms search the image to find an optimum set of 256 colors. Sometimes GIF uses the nearest color to represent each pixel, and sometimes it uses “error diffusion” to adjust the color of nearby pixels to correct for the error in each pixel.

GIF achieves compression in two ways. First, it reduces the number of colors of color-rich images, thereby reducing the number of bits needed per pixel, as just described. Second, it replaces commonly occurring patterns (especially large areas of uniform color) with a short abbreviation: instead of storing “white, white, white, white, white,” it stores “5 white.”

Thus, GIF is “lossless” only for images with 256 colors or less. For a rich, true color image, GIF may “lose” 99.998% of the colors.

JPG Raster Image File Format

JPG is optimized for photographs and similar continuous tone images that contain many, many colors. It can achieve astounding compression ratios even while maintaining very high image quality. GIF compression is unkind to such images.

JPG works by analyzing images and discarding kinds of information that the eye is least likely to notice. It stores information as 24 bit color. Important: the degree of compression of JPG is adjustable. At moderate compression levels of photographic images, it is very difficult for the eye to discern any difference from the original, even at extreme magnification. Compression factors of more than 20 are often quite acceptable.

Better graphics programs, such as Paint Shop Pro and Photoshop, allow you to view the image quality and file size as a function of compression level, so that you can conveniently choose the balance between quality and file size.

TIFF Raster Image File Format

Tiff is, in principle, a very flexible format that can be lossless or lossy. The details of the image storage algorithm are included as part of the file. In practice, TIFF is used almost exclusively as a lossless image storage format that uses no compression at all. Most graphics programs that use TIFF do not compression. Consequently, file sizes are quite big. (Sometimes a lossless compression algorithm called LZW is used, but it is not universally supported.)

PNG Raster Image File Format

PNG is also a lossless storage format. However, in contrast with common TIFF usage, it looks for patterns in the image that it can use to compress file size. The compression is exactly reversible, so the image is recovered exactly

RAW Image File Format

RAW is an image output option available on some digital cameras. Though lossless, it is a factor of three of four smaller than TIFF files of the same image. The disadvantage is that there is a different RAW format for each manufacturer, and so you may have to use the manufacturer’s software to view the images. (Some graphics applications can read some manufacturer’s RAW formats.)

BMP Image File Format

BMP is an uncompressed proprietary format invented by Microsoft. There is really no reason to ever use this format.

PSD Photoshop Image File Format

PSD files are proprietary formats used by graphics programs. Photoshop’s files have the PSD extension, while Paint Shop Pro files use PSP. These are the preferred working formats as you edit images in the software, because only the proprietary formats retain all the editing power of the programs. These packages use layers, for example, to build complex images, and layer information may be lost in the non-proprietary formats such as TIFF and JPG. However, be sure to save your end result as a standard TIFF or JPG, or you may not be able to view it in a few years when your software has changed.

Currently, GIF and JPG are the formats used for nearly all web images. PNG is supported by most of the latest generation browsers. TIFF is not widely supported by web browsers, and should be avoided for web use. PNG does everything GIF does, and better, so expect to see PNG replace GIF in the future. PNG will not replace JPG, since JPG is capable of much greater compression of photographic images, even when set for quite minimal loss of quality.

When should you use each?

TIFF

This is usually the best quality output from a digital camera. Digital cameras often offer around three JPG quality settings plus TIFF. Since JPG always means at least some loss of quality, TIFF means better quality. However, the file size is huge compared to even the best JPG setting, and the advantages may not be noticeable.

A more important use of TIFF is as the working storage format as you edit and manipulate digital images. You do not want to go through several load, edit, save cycles with JPG storage, as the degradation accumulates with each new save. One or two JPG saves at high quality may not be noticeable, but the tenth certainly will be. TIFF is lossless, so there is no degradation associated with saving a TIFF file.

Do NOT use TIFF for web images. They produce big files, and more importantly, most web browsers will not display TIFFs.

JPG

This is the format of choice for nearly all photographs on the web. You can achieve excellent quality even at rather high compression settings. I also use JPG as the ultimate format for all my digital photographs. If I edit a photo, I will use my software’s proprietary format until finished, and then save the result as a JPG.

Digital cameras save in a JPG format by default. Switching to TIFF or RAW improves quality in principle, but the difference is difficult to see. Shooting in TIFF has two disadvantages compared to JPG: fewer photos per memory card, and a longer wait between photographs as the image transfers to the card. I rarely shoot in TIFF mode.

Never use JPG for line art. On images such as these with areas of uniform color with sharp edges, JPG does a poor job. These are tasks for which GIF and PNG are well suited. See JPG vs. GIF for web images.

GIF

If your image has fewer than 256 colors and contains large areas of uniform color, GIF is your choice. The files will be small yet perfect

Do NOT use GIF for photographic images, since it can contain only 256 colors per image.

PNG

PNG is of principal value in two applications:

If you have an image with large areas of exactly uniform color, but contains more than 256 colors, PNG is your choice. Its strategy is similar to that of GIF, but it supports 16 million colors, not just 256.

If you want to display a photograph exactly without loss on the web, PNG is your choice. Later generation web browsers support PNG, and PNG is the only lossless format that web browsers support.

PNG is superior to GIF. It produces smaller files and allows more colors. PNG also supports partial transparency. Partial transparency can be used for many useful purposes, such as fades and antialiasing of text. Unfortunately, Microsoft’s Internet Explorer does not properly support PNG transparency, so for now web authors must avoid using transparency in PNG images.

Other formats

When using graphics software such as Photoshop or Paint Shop Pro, working files should be in the proprietary format of the software. Save final results in TIFF, PNG, or JPG.

Use RAW only for in-camera storage, and copy or convert to TIFF, PNG, or JPG as soon as you transfer to your PC. You do not want your image archives to be in a proprietary format. Although several graphics programs can now read the RAW format for many digital cameras, it is unwise to rely on any proprietary format for long term storage. Will you be able to read a RAW file in five years? In twenty? JPG is the format most likely to be readable in 50 years. Thus, it is appropriate to use RAW to store images in the camera and perhaps for temporary lossless storage on your PC, but be sure to create a TIFF, or better still a PNG or JPG, for archival storage.

There are a variety of options available when choosing logo design program. All are nice in their own way and may provide you with the services that you require, but logo design program cannot replace the design of a professional graphic designer.

Professional graphic designers may use a variety of logo design program in conjunction with each other. There are a variety of logo design program packages available to the average consumer, but many will provide “cookie cutter” logo designs to all the people who purchase the program.

If you are an aspiring professional graphic designer yourself, then you should choose from only the most professional logo design programs. The logo design program packages will allow you to hone your skills and develop unique designs, not designs that several hundred other people are using as well.

The most popular illustration logo design programs include Adobe Illustrator, CorelDRAW and Macromedia Freehand. Plan to spend several hundred dollars on these programs, but you will be glad that you invested in them. Along with the logo design program, you should plan on purchasing books and tutorials. These will guide you through the program and help you to learn their features.

Many major advertising and marketing corporations choose these illustration logo design programs for their in-house creative departments. If you are interested in entering that field, it will be helpful for you to have a good understanding of the logo design program and how it works.

Adobe Illustrator will be one of the best investments that you make into your logo design program library. Illustrator has been widely accepted as an industry standard in logo design and illustration. Illustrator integrates with the other Adobe design products and is available for both Mac and Windows platforms. Illustrator will require an ample time of learning, but it is accepted by service bureaus and printers as a top professional logo design program.

CorelDRAW Graphics Suite 10 is popular amongst both experienced and novice Windows logo designer. CorelDRAW bundles both vector and bitmap formats. This program has seen increasing use by professional logo designers and is now featured in Mac formats.

Macromedia Freehand is also another valuable logo design program as it combines PDF, HTML and flash logo design animation features. If you are looking for a program that is capable of designing the most unique designs, Freehand will provide that for you. The price of this program is comparable to Illustrator.

All Adobe and Macromedia programs are available for trials. This allows aspiring designers to use the programs prior to purchasing them. Classes and tutorials may be required for designers to have a full understanding of these logo design program products. Remember that although these logo design programs are available for purchase to anyone, it is difficult to reproduce the quality of work that a professional logo design business will provide you.

Many graphic designers understand that not all businesses have a huge budget when they first start out, especially small businesses. They have to spend a lot of their budget on their building, hiring a staff and buying important supplies or technology.

Many businesses realize, however, that it is important to advertise effectively and to have a professional logo on their storefront. Many graphic designers have taken this into account and are able to provide affordable logo design to these businesses.

Affordable logo design does not necessarily mean that the logo is cheap and unprofessional. Affordable logo design should be a simplified version of an expensive process. Many professional graphic designers have smaller packages that are great for the beginning small business.

An example of one of these affordable logo design packages would include the following:

* 3 unique logo concepts
* 4 business days to design these concepts and return them to you
* 1 designer working on the project that you will be able to contact with questions and concerns
* 3 rounds of revisions
* PC compatible file formats
* 100% copyright of the final design

These affordable logo design packages are great for small businesses. Many graphic artists will allow you to purchase additional revision rounds if necessary. They will also provide you with a virtual studio that makes it easy for you to view the unique logo design concepts from wherever you are located.

These affordable logo design packages are also great for businesses that already have an idea of what they want in their logo design. You will be able to provide the graphic designer with your ideas, samples and business information that they can use in the initial design process. Affordable logo design packages may have a limited number of revision rounds so you should use them carefully so that you end up with the logo design that you have envisioned.

Even with an affordable logo design package you will have a logo designer or logo design team that will be working on your project. You will be able to work with them on your idea and the design that you want. They will be able to provide you personalized customer service and provide you a professional and unique affordable logo design.

There are many factors that play into the “best logo design.” The best logo design includes factors that boost the image of a business or website as well as perceives a positive image from the consumer. The best logo design is one that matches the business, its values and its needs. The best logo design is one that will be kept in the memory of all those who see it.

The best logo design should be an excellent vehicle for promoting the firm. They should be able to help position the business or website in the marketplace. The best logo design should also be able to position a business’ product or services in the marketplace as well. Stop and think about what comes to your mind when you think of high profile businesses such as IBM, Apple, and Dell. These businesses have found the “best logo design” for their companies and they use their logo wisely.

The best logo design should not be targeted to the general public unless you are a business that the general public can use. If you are a specialized business that is used by other businesses you will want to target those businesses. You may also desire to target investors and managers of other firms that may be interested in your services. Targeting the correct group of people will insure that you have the “best logo design.”

The best logo design for your business may be one that is simple or complicated. Consider where you will be using your logo design and then decide on how you want it designed and what file formats you will require. The best logo design will depend on how you will advertise your business and whom you are advertising to.

The general principles of advertising and marketing play an important part of finding the best logo design. A professional graphic artist will help you to design a logo that is effective and unique. The best logo design is a professional and unique design that will help you to create the best image for your business or website.

A logo design company is considered a creative boutique in the world of advertising and marketing. A logo design company is a company who provides only creative services. Logo design companies specialize their services to the clients’ desires. Clients of advertising companies may seek creative services from logo design companies because they believe they are in need of extra creative services.

Many advertising agencies have creative departments, but it is up to the client whether or not to use them. They may choose to use a logo design company to design a custom logo design and then send it to the advertising agency to be incorporated in their advertisements and print designs. Advertising agencies and logo design companies can vary in size. Both may be large agencies that provide a variety of services to their clients.

They are basically a one-stop shop for their clients’ needs. These large agencies typically have departments and allow their employees to specialize in specific areas. Smaller agencies and logo design companies may expect their employees to learn many aspects of the industry.

For example, their account executives may be required to research, produce a media schedule, coordinate the production of ads and design products themselves. Logo design companies may also venture into different areas of advertising and provide not only logo design but ad design, stationary design and other services. Logo design companies are becoming one-stop shops in themselves.

Today, logo design companies are taking in more projects in various areas. Many are adding web design services and promotional product services. Logo design company’s staff may be a mix of logo designer or logo design team and freelance designers. They may or may not have a degree in graphic design, but typically have a very great skill in their artwork. They are proficient in a number of different design programs and use them all collectively. Logo design company owners are usually creative members of advertising agencies who have left the agency to pursue their own personal career.

Logo design companies usually perform their work on a fee basis. There are many benefits to working with a logo design company. They usually have a staff that work only on a few projects at a time. This allows the logo design company to focus on each individual client.

The client has the ability to contact the individual designer or the logo design company if they have a special need or are in need of additional assistance. A logo design company is able to work one on one with clients and provide exceptional customer service as opposed to large agencies that have a large number of clients of varying sizes.

The majority of free logo design options are through companies who want you to buy other products or services through them. They entice you to use them because they offer free logo design when you purchase items from them. It is important to realize that in the graphic design business, you get what you pay for.

There are many upsides to this type of free online logo design. If you are a small business and you don’t have a lot to spend then this type of graphic design may be for you. On the other hand, if you are a large business or becoming a large corporation, you will want to insure that you receive the best logo design that you can get. This will involve having to pay a considerable amount of money for a unique and professional design.

Most free online design services are also very limited. They can do a lot with your text but when it comes to graphics they are limited. They may also use clip-art logos that they have developed. This clip-art may be used in a variety of different free online logo design purchase. This means that you may end up with the almost exact same free online logo design as your competitor. This is not good as you want to insure that your free online logo design is unique and not a rendition of a logo design that belongs to some body else.

There may also be many flaws in free online logo design. The files may be extremely large or small. They may only come in one file format and you may have to pay for someone to put it in a different file format. They may also only design the logo for free but you will have to pay them if you want to use it on anything professional.

There are many downsides to free online logo design and some of them are not discovered until the design process has been finished and you want to use the logo. It is a better bet to use a professional logo design service and have them design the logo that you desire. It is better not to take chances when you are trying to brand your business with a specific logo design and somebody else already has one that is almost identical to yours. Remember, you get what you pay for or don’t.

A cheap logo design does not necessarily mean that they design is of poor quality. The design may be by a professional logo designer but at a lower price than most professional logo designs. A cheap logo design is also what you pay for. Logo designs take several hours of thought and inception. It may take a designer several hours to draw and produce different designs for viewing by the client.

A cheap logo design may be a simple design or based on clip art logo. Designers produce several logos of varying quality and technicality. A cheap logo design may be as simple as your businesses name in a fancy font or design. They may incorporate simple lines and graphics. Often times these logo designs are very professional despite their low cost. Cheap logo designs may appeal to businesses or firms such as lawyers or doctors who do not need an expensive logo to display their name.

Cheap logo designs may also be used on simple promotional products. Products like envelopes, stationary and business cards may have cheap logo designs on them. They are simple designs that are meant only for decoration and livening up the product. They may not be technical and are great because they are easy to print and duplicate. These cheap logo designs are great for individual who are on a low budget and require only a simple design to get a business started. These are also great for individuals who have a clientele and who do not require a complicated design.

Cheap logo design is great for companies that do not reply on their image for promotion. As the company grows they will be able to take the same logo and redesign it for added professionalism. As the budget grows for the business, the cheap logo design can be used in the re-branding process for the business.

When getting a cheap logo design, be aware that what you pay for is what you receive. It is a good idea to view the designer’s portfolio and to research their work prior to ordering. Cheap logo design may also only mean that you receive fewer revisions and fewer options for your logo design. If you are certain that the designer will be able to provide you with logo design samples that you will really like, you may be able to get a very professional logo out of the cheap logo design process.

Custom logo design is essential in the business world today. A business must portray itself as professional and must use a custom logo design to do so. There are many processes that determine the look and effect of the logo design. The most important of these processes is the creative process of the custom logo design. This is the process where the many ideas all come together to form the final logo design.

The first step is immersion

The client and the designer must immerse themselves in the logo design. They must gather raw material and inspiration. These materials may range from newspaper clippings to personal photos. All ideas are gathered together and looked at in different ways to develop ideas for the logo design.

The second step is digestion

The designer and client will digest all of the information that they have gathered. They will draw and think of ideas using the information that has been found as inspiration for the logo design. Many ideas may be drawn out at this time for later use.

The third step is incubation

The designer will allow the many thoughts and ideas to settle. The will put the project out of their conscious mind and let their subconscious mind work. New ideas may appear at this time or they may begin to lean towards one particular idea and begin playing with that. Sometimes you have to step away from the work and let the work come to you.

The fourth step is illumination

At this point the designer will finally see the light bulb flash above his head. One idea will be chosen as the “one.” This idea will be worked up and possibly presented to the client.

The fifth step is reality or verification

Here the client will make any necessary revisions to the idea. The logo design will be worked into its final stages and put in a practical and useful form.

As you may see, most of the work on logo design is done by the designer’s mind. They look for inspiration and work with the client to find the right ideas for the logo design. Many ideas may be drawn and presented and these steps may be covered many times. In some instances the designer may become blocked and will have to start all over-looking for the perfect idea and design.

No matter where you are located you can find a graphic design studio that offers online logo design solutions. They are very handy if you find that you love the portfolio of a graphic designer in Ohio and you are located in Texas or a foreign country even. Many of these studios are offering online logo design services that allow the buyer to login into a virtual “studio” and view what the designer has developed. The designer is able to upload several designs for viewing by the client. The client is then able to email, call or post any revisions or ideas that they may have for the logo.

Just because the online logo design services are online does not mean that you have to suffer from low quality customer service. Many of these online graphic design studios have messenger features, email and direct phone lines to their designers. The client is able to contact the designer easily regarding their online logo design. The designer is also able to contact the client easily for more information or additional input.

Online graphic design studios are also making it easier to purchase online logo design. Graphic designers are setting up e-commerce websites for their online logo design services. Clients are able to purchase online logo design packages. These packages may include a certain number of revisions and file formats. You may receive fewer revisions with smaller packages and more revisions with larger packages. You are able to purchase and pay for the online logo design services on the Internet by credit card or through Paypal. These websites make it very convenient for the graphic designer and the buyer of the online logo design. After conveniently paying for the online logo design, the client may download the different file formats for use on their home computer, business computer and various other projects.

Millions of people are using the Internet these days and this number will continue to grow. The Internet has made purchasing services and goods extremely easy. This concept has now been adapted to the graphic design industry including online logo design.

There are a variety of places that you can find logo design services. You will be able to find the services that meet your needs and your budget. All it takes is a little searching and you will be able to find excellent logo design services by professionals.

The first place that you may want to check is your local yellow pages. There are often graphic designers within your own community. Depending on where you live, however, logo design services may be difficult to find. When you do find them, they may be above your budget since your community is small and services are limited.

The next place to look is online. There are a variety of options on the Internet. Many professional logo design services are on the Internet and they stay up-to-date with the latest technology. There are also many convenient logo design services on the Internet and you won’t even have to leave your couch. Online logo design services often provide online display of your current designs in a logo design virtual studio. You will be able to log in to the studio and view what the latest designs are. You will also be able to email or phone the designer to explain what revisions you would like to have made.

Another online option is freelance logo design services. There are a variety of websites that allow you to post your project and logo design services will bid on your project. The process is similar to an eBay auction except that designers typically don’t tend to outbid or underbid each other. You will find an array of logo design services at a variety of different prices. The next here is to look at the portfolios of each logo designer and pick the one you like and the one that is within your budget. This is a great option if you are looking for logo design services and you have a set budget. You can post what your budget is and only those who are willing to work for a certain price will bid on your project. This also allows you to see what you can get for your money. If you are not happy with any of the logo design providers then you don’t have to pick anyone or commit to the project.

These are just a few options on where to find professional logo design services. You should be sure to research every service and view every portfolio. This will give you a good idea of where you stand when looking for logo design services. You want to be sure that you are able to get the design that you want in your budget.

Small businesses generally have to operate on a small budget as well. Those that are just getting started usually have to be very conservative with their spending. Just because advertising and marketing is tax deductible doesn’t mean that they have the money to spend on it right now. A logo design is a big step for a small business, but it is also a necessary step. A small business must establish itself in the marketplace and to do that they must have a small business logo.

In designing your small business logo design, you must be prepared to spend some of your advertising and marketing budget. A small business logo is a huge step for your business and you want to make sure you make it solid. There is nothing worse than tripping your way through this process. To begin your small business logo design you must have a business name. This is crucial as your small business logo design is built around this name. Your business name is the key component to your small business logo design. You want to insure that you are completely satisfied with your business’ name before continuing this process.

The next step is collaborating with a professional graphic designer. You will have the opportunity to work with the designer and come up with a few starter designs. The designer will submit these small business logo designs to you and you will pick which one you like the best. You will then tell the designer what you would like to have changed with that design. The designer will then go back to the drawing board and come up with another small business logo design for you.

This logo design process may continue on until you are satisfied with your small business logo design. You may also purchase packages that include a certain number of designs and revisions. So, you want to be sure that you find something that you are happy with as quickly as possible without losing focus on what you really want your small business logo design to look like. Most designers are very flexible and they work with you until you are completely satisfied with your small business logo design.

Most graphic designers that work with small businesses will understand that you have a specific budget. They will then work within your budget until you are happy with your small business logo design. They will do their best to help you if you do your best to make the small business logo design process a smooth one.

There are many businesses in the graphic design world that claim to be logo design firms. They may have a logo design portfolio and the work that they have done may look good. They may also have rates that are just too good to be true. These are they types of things to look for when trying to choose a logo design firm. There are also just basic concepts to explore when choosing any business to work with.

The first important concept is customer service. Look for logo design testimonials on their website or letters from clients. If the logo design firm has good customer service skills they are sure to be mentioned in these testimonials. You also want to be able to contact the designer in a variety of ways, either by email, phone or direct mail. Many professional and large logo design firms may have a way for you to chat with them online. Professional logo design firms will also pride themselves on their customer service. This will be their main goal as they want you for return business in the future and they want positive feedback from you.

The second concept to explore is experience. Research the logo design firm and see how long they have been in business. Graphic arts have really taken off in the last few years as computers have become more advanced and easier to use. There is also a lot of new and great software available to designers that allow businesses to work faster and easier. Graphic design artists and logo design firms should have large portfolios. They should have several samples of their work to show you. Each logo design should have its own identity and the logos should not look the same as the next. Each logo should look like a custom designed logo for the business or service. Explore the portfolios carefully and look at any credentials the designers may have.

The third concept to look for is quality. Quality in essence goes with experience. Well-experienced logo design firms should be producing quality work. The logo designs should be unique and professional. They should be free of any flaws and should look clear when viewed online or in print. Experienced logo design firms will have logos saved in various file formats for uses on everything from stationary to vehicles or billboards. The designers should not use clip art or reuse designs. This will insure that every design is unique and different from the next. This will also insure that there are not any trademark law or copyright law inflictions due to the logo design firm reusing designs.

Finally ensure that you can talk to your designer on the phone directly and not to any account manager or middle man. Now, it may not be possible for your designer to be available on the phone all the time, but it would be good to know that you can speak to him/her if you urgently require to do so.

Adobe Illustrator is the software of choice for any professional logo design company. We have been using Adobe Illustrator right from the time we opened shop back in 1999 and are now on the latest version – CS4.

Even though, there are many Adobe Illustrator tutorials on the internet and we are probably late in trying to post some tutorials, we felt it was worth the effort because we hope to bring a logo designer point of view to our Illustrator tutorials.

Overt he coming weeks, we hope to cover some of the basic drawing tools and techniques and then move on to much more advanced topics that deal with using Adobe Illustrator or create logo designs.

This week the topic deals with paths and anchor points. Paths are central to the make up of various objects in Illustrator. They are the underlying lines that make up the objects. There are several tools in Illustrator that can be used to create these paths including the Pen, Pencil and Paintbrush tools.

What is a Path?

A path is the black line that appears when you draw a line in Adobe Illustrator. A path is made up of a series of points called “anchor points” and line segments between these points. The anchor points on the either end of a path have “control handles” and these can be used to control the direction of the curved path.

There are three main types of paths:

1) Open Paths – This is a simple line with two end points.

2) Closed Paths – A closed shape no end points. Ex: rectangle, circle etc.

3) Compound Paths – Two or more open or closed paths.

What is an anchor point?

As mentioned above, each path is made up of a series of anchor points that connected by line segments. Each anchor point has control handles and control handle lines. The control handles are small squares on the path that allow you to control how tightly or loosely you can bend the curve at each of them. Control handles are tangent lines that allow you the direction of the path bend.

There are two main types of anchor points:

1) Smooth points – A smooth point is made up of two linked control handles and help prevent the path from changing direction abruptly.

2) Corner Points – A corner point helps the path change direction. There are three different types of corner anchor points.

a) Straight corner point – The point where two straight lines meet at an angle is called a straight corner point and do not have any control handles. For example the corners of a rectangle.

b) Curved corner point – The point where two curved lines meet at an angle is called a curved corner point and it has two corner handles. For example the top dip of a heart shape.

c) Combination corner point – The point where a straight corner point and a curved corner point meet is called a combination corner point and it has one control handle which controls the curved line.

How are paths used in logo designs?

In Adobe Illustrator, when creating logo designs, you can use either pencil, paintbrush or the pen tools to draw paths and then use the anchor points and controls handles. Here we will draw a falcon head that will be used as an icon for one of our client, AJ Fetko Inc.

With the pen tool, we will draw an arc. You can draw this arc by placing a point on the artboard and the pulling the control handle a little to the bottom left and then drawing a second point and draging the control handle of that point to form a smooth arc. Using the same method we will draw 10 arcs and then connect them to form the shape.

If you want to create compelling logo designs sometimes you have to think outside the box or break conventions. Now, a new study reveals a unique way to develop logos – use images that consumers can relate to even if it’s not related or have little to do with your products or services.

This is a major paradigm shift for conventional branding tells us to use symbols strongly relevant to our products or services. And this is very evident in different industries like the image of a car for automotive services, silhouette of a body for beauty salon logo, or the cross symbol for religious logo designs.

But what’s happening in the wine industry begs to change our perspective. It turned out that 1 in 5 table-wine brands launched in the last 3 years use animal images as part of its logo design. Central in this tactic is the so-called concept of “psychological priming”. Here’s a concrete example:

In one experiment, participants first had to do a word jumble, either searching for words related to dogs or words related to cats. They then participated in an ostensibly unrelated study and were asked to rate a series of products, including batteries and dog shampoo. Those who had done the word jumble relating to dogs rated the dog shampoo higher, on average, than those who had done the cat-related jumble.

However, this research is limited in scope so it may not be wise for startups to assume it will apply in our chosen category. Still, it is interesting to see more examples of this approach in action. Please let me know if you find one.

via huliq

Here’s another compelling reason why logo design is important in building your brand identity. A new study suggests that exposure to famous logo designs can affect our creativity or thinking processes.

Published in the Journal of Consumer Research, the experiments of professors in Duke University and University of Waterloo (Canada) concluded that “even the briefest exposure to well-known brands can cause people to behave in ways that mirror those brands’ traits.”

Several experiments comparing competing well-known brands were conducted to validate this theory. The first one involved the famous Apple and IBM logos. After testing more than 300 students, each participant was asked to identify the possible uses of bricks aside from building a wall. It turned out those who are exposed to Apple logo have provided more unusual and creative answers compared to the IBM group. Since Apple is known for its innovation and creative flair, the group simply mirrored its traits.

Another test was conducted between Disney and E! TV Channel and the result was the same. Disney group shown a more ”family” behavior compared to the group exposed to the gossip-laden E! Channel.

This study underscores the importance of creating memorable logo designs and more importantly putting strong emphasis on building your brand traits. In terms of implementation, one of the professors recommends that famous brands should put more emphasis on brief brand exposure and less on print or TV ads.

Even the best and the most talented logo design team should know how to negotiate with their clients to survive in this business. At the end of the day, a logo designer will need the client’s buy in to complete the task and of course get your paycheck.

That’s why you should learn and master the art of negotiations to help your clients see through your eyes and appreciate the logo design you’ve just created for them.

3 Basic Tips for Logo Designers

1. Have the right perspective. You client is not the enemy. He’s a powerful friend who can recommend your services to his personal and professional networks. Be the problem solver by understanding their needs thoroughly. With this right frame of mind, you will tend to focus on solving the issues at hand.
2. Explain the logo design. Don’t just flaunt it. Explain your logo design process again or why you came up with that final output. Build co-ownership by highlighting the inputs and feedback coming from your clients.
3. Listen before you react. It’s a common reaction to get defensive and even annoyed when our project is criticized. Resist the temptation of talking back. Learn to control your emotion and listen attentively to their remarks. Analyze the information thoroughly before reacting.

We have echoed this a while ago that the hardest working presidential candidate logo design belongs to Sen. Barack Obama. Now, a group called Substance has taken this to an entirely new level with Logobama.com, a new site which empowers individuals to customize the famous Obama logo and use it wherever they want.

Substance has noticed that a growing number of people display their support to Obama by using his logo design as avatar. From that, they created Logobama.com to allow his avid supporters to upload their photos inside this powerful logo design featuring a blue letter “O” with three red stripes.

What makes this site really cool is that it enables users to easily slap this customized logo on popular social networking sites like YouTube, Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, Digg, Eventful, LinkedIn and Flickr.

This group is not officially affiliated with Obama. Perhaps what inspired Substance is Obama’s call for people to participate in changing the world. According to its site, “we can make this change, one logo at a time.” In return, there is a link encouraging users to donate directly to Obama’s official site.

On Small Business
In this interactive world, it pays to be flexible on our logo design in the same way Google has been constantly tweaking its symbol for special events and holidays.

Logobama.com is an interesting concept which you can apply to your business to add a personal touch to your customers. Who knows this might be the future of logo design since the world is becoming exceedingly efficient in developing customized products and services.

via Mashable

If you think that car logos of famous cars are stylish and timeless, you will be more amazed once you know their meanings and contributions to history. Good thing Neatorama has written a comprehensive blog post about the evolution of car logos.

Discover why Audi uses four interlocked rings as its logo and the controversy behind Cadillac’s design based on a family crest of a minor aristocrat. These are just teasers of what you will discover in that evolution.

The brand Renault turned out to be the most fickle among car logos given the number of significant alterations it had implemented since the early 1900s. On the contrary, Ford is the most loyal to its original logo. So it BMW.

But I’m most intrigued about the dark past of the Volkswagen or the German phrase for “People’s Car”. It turned out this concept came directly from World War II scoundrel and military genius Adolf Hitler. I won’t be spilling the details here so check out Neatorama. But for someone who grew up idolizing that weakling yellow Volkswagen Beetle Autobot named Bumblebee in Transformers, I find it rather ironic and quite upsetting.

Whether you are a novice or expert logo designer (read how to work with a logo designer), you should always leave a room for learning. In this world of graphic, it pays well to understand new trends and best practices.

The good news is that Just Creative Design gives a glimpse about a Leslie Cabarga’s book entitled The Secret Life of Logos: Behind The Scenes With Top Designers. In essence, below are the 8 crucial steps followed by 75 top designers for designing compelling logos:

1. The Brief
2. Research
3. Visual Research
4. Sketching & Conceptualizing
5. Reflection
6. Positioning
7. Presentations
8. Celebration

You might notice its semblance with our logo design process here in LDW. It might quite easy to implement but in reality a very difficult process to perfect. Moreover, I like to emphasize about positioning. It is described as:

This is where the designers choose to position themselves. They either position themselves like contractors and take orders according to their clients wishes (ie. Don’t advise their clients of design matters) OR they position themselves like a business and build themselves a long term relationship (ie. Guide clients to a more appropriate solution much alike how a lawyer does.) Designers have to choose how they wish to work.

Forging strong relationship is the pillar of every business. It is true a contractor type is a lot easier to do and has lesser risks because you can always put the blame to your customers’ bad concepts. Unfortunately, most entrepreneurs are not familiar with logo designs and some simply copy the style of leading brands. It is then the responsibility of a good logo designer to share his experience and creative expertise to create a unique and effective logo.

A growing number of religious organizations are turning to branding to create awareness to the community amid so many distractions these days hampering our worship to God. In the words of Richard Reising, president of Artistry Marketing Concepts:

There’s not a church in the world that doesn’t market itself. Some do it well, some do it badly. But when you don’t do it consistently and effectively, then you say clearly to the community that you don’t know who you are; you’re not professional, and you don’t take time to think about what you are about.

There are several aspects of church branding but here we will focus on developing a Christian logo to differentiate your organization. You can also visit our collection of religious logos as your reference.

Brief

It is enough to create a creative logo design. It must have depth and meaning. Before sketching anything or talking to a logo design company, your first step is to build your identity.

Try to describe your church in terms of the people in your community, dominant culture and other services you might offer like daycare services or some livelihood programs. If you have something special to talk about or a unique selling point then include that in your list. At the end of the day, this will serve as your guideline for developing your logo.

Symbolisms

Christianity is filled with symbols so use that to help create instant recognition to your logo. Very common in Christian logos are the cross, chalice, chi rho, candles, fire, and animals like fish, pelican or lamb.

Colors

The colors blue, red and yellow are very common in Christian logos. It’s better to understand the meaning behind these colors before using it. For instance, yellow signifies light or divinity while purple is for mourning and penitence. You can get more logo color meanings here.

Read more about Religious Logo Use: Is It Right For Your Business?

Colors have a strong impact on our logical or emotional state. For instance, red evokes sexiness or aggressive nature while blue is associated with calmness and loyalty. You might find it hard to believe but colors can even help treat some diseases.

It is no surprise then that finding the right color or color combinations is proven to boost your brands. It helps attract attention and set a mood for your customers. Though a great logo designer (read what to look for in a good logo designer) can help you choose the right colors, it is also valuable to learn this aspect.

A common mistake committed by many entrepreneurs is using more colors in their logo designs. Each color creates a single message or association. So if you are using 5 colors in your logos or brands, it will deliver 5 different messages. Unfortunately, consumers cannot handle that much perception.

The first thing you should consider in finding the appropriate color is your competitors. It is not wise to copy the color scheme of the leading brands for it will create an impression that you’re just a second-rate version.

Also, pay attention to the demographics of your market such as gender, age and culture. A trendy neon green might appeal to youngsters but painful to look at for your average grandmas and grandpas. In a way, it sets the limitation of the color you can use.

For more information about this topic, I suggest you pay a visit to Inspiration Bit for it offers a comprehensive discussion of the dos and don’ts of colors.

Disclaimer: The image is for reference only. Hence, copyright belongs to the respective owners. If you are the owner and wish to have the image removed from this post, please send an e-mail to remove-logo@logodesignworks.com.

In the latest study sponsored by Unilever, the front-of-pack logo is found more effective in aiding consumers find healthy foods in the supermarket, compared to the standard guideline daily amounts (GDA) system usually listed at the back of the packaging.

Obviously, a simple logo stamped on the front of the product has an edge over detailed information at the back because most shoppers do not spend much time reading information about a product. Moreover, its purpose is quite similar with the controversial Alaska Grown logo (see Alaska Logo Design)for it helps enhance your brand’s reputation and boost sales as a result.

Given this advantage, food companies led by Unilever have launched the Choices logo to help consumers find healthy choices quickly in accordance with the international dietary guidelines. The logo features a blue circle with a rising golden sun over the big blue check mark. It is also open to all food manufacturers and retailers in more than 20 countries worldwide.

Choices front-of-pack logo is the answer to the big problem in food industry – lack of straightforward information. Even though most people like to eat healthy foods, the information provided on products is oftentimes too technical for the average consumers. Now, the Choice stamp makes it clear, simple and very effective. Its website Choices International Foundation provides additional information for those consumers craving for more information.

As the world of politics heats up, you cannot help but notice the branding campaigns and designs used by these presidential hopefuls.

I happen to agree with Speak Up that the hardest working presidential candidate logo design belongs to Sen. Barack Obama.

Just to clarify, this post just tackle the design aspect and must not be, in any way, interpreted as an endorsement for Obama. Now, let’s go back to the topic.

Created by a team of Chicago graphic designers, this logo design features a blue letter “O” with three red stripes. The idea is to create an image of a rising sun over the horizon to depict a sense of hope and opportunity. It strives to promote a youthful and dynamic vibe since Obama has a strong following in this segment.

What makes Obama’s logo stick to the minds of many people is its consistent use in different settings. If you visit Obama’s official Web site and click on the “People” and “States” section, you will see the clever integration of this logo on different states and groups supporting him, including the African Americans, LGBT, veterans, women, kids, Latinos and environmentalists. Here are some few examples:

Sure, these designs will not win you the much coveted and most powerful title of the land but it can help boost awareness and retention among people.

Disclaimer: The logo and other images used is for reference only. Hence, copyright belongs to the respective owners. If you are the owner and wish to have the image removed from this post, please send an e-mail to remove-logo@logodesignworks.com.

There are still some entrepreneurs who mistake their logo and web design as their branding strategy. That’s why some tend to spend so much money just in re-branding and creating a new logo. At the end of the day, they will realize it did not make any difference at all.

Keep in mind, your logo is just one of the important aspects of your branding. It means there are other things you need to worry about like positioning, building awareness and relationships. Knowing the connection and distinctions between logo design and branding will guide you in making the right decisions.

That’s why you need to have a branding strategy first before you go to your friendly logo design company and create your own logo. Consistency is very critical in this stage.

Your logo is like your body and branding is like your soul. No matter how creative or well-crafted your logo design is, it is empty if you do not put much meaning behind it. Your logo becomes more important after you establish your company/product and create strong awareness to your target market.

More importantly, your logo will not save your business if you fail to deliver your promise and create solid relationship with your key customers.

As designers who specialize in corporate identity, we have seen many clients who are in need of a professional logo design and feel that having everything including the kitchen sink in their design is the best value for their money. It seems quite reasonable from the point of view of the client that getting a highly detail illustration seems as though it would be worth more than a minimalist design. But quite often the end result can see be very little return on investment. From the designer’s perspective the minimalist design style is often the most impactive and best designed corporate identity around. In the business world that is full of over the top logos, designs with the most simple and effective designs often stand out the most.

Andrew Belson is an arboricultral marketing consultant that came to us looking for a very modern and sleek design that would separate himself and his business from the competition. Tired of seeing the standard tree and landscape designs, Andrew needed something distinctive that still conveyed the field and industry he worked in. What we created was a very polished minimalist design of an over simplified tree leaf. Using very few details it was important to arrange the elements in such a way as to create the most expressive use for the icon. Simple gradients were added to create a basic form and dimension while keeping the overall design very modern and professional. The unique layout also helped to separate himself from the standard horizontal layout of his competitors.

Our client, CueRate needed a design that reflected the feeling of a modern art gallery. Using simple shapes to create some kind of abstract pop-art look, a muted color palette was utilized to create a graphic reminiscent of the kind of style seen in the modern contemporary art world. The colors in the circles were offset on purpose to help create the illusion that the logo had been printed using older lithographic printing press. This helped create a kind of retro and nostalgic look. Quite often the style associated with minimalist design utilizes a very clean sans-serif typeface. As a side note, many people don’t realize that a lot of the fonts used today that are associated with the modern and futuristic style have been around for nearly a century and remain just as effective now as they did in the 1920’s.

Many times, a minimalist logo will lend itself to very square geometric designs. By combining even the most basic geometric elements many different design can be created. For James Lambert Architects a minimalist icon based on the initials “J” & “L” was created using these basic geometric shapes. The overall design not only conveys the initials in a unique and symmetrical way, but also carries the architectural theme across in a very effective and meaningful way. By combining a soft grey color with bright accent the design also uses the color palette to helped convey the modern design style.

Using a similar style, the design for Xoom consulting also utilizes simple geometric elements in a unique and distinctive way. Using a hexagon as the foundation, a dimensional cube was created by joining the letters. In a creative twist, the initial “X” was cleverly hidden into the minimalist icon as well. Three brightly colored squares were then added behind to the icon to give the image more visual impact. The end result is well constructed design using very few, but well placed elements to create an identity that is both memorable and effective.

Often the most effective minimalist designs are so simple that they become much more distinctive because of their simplicity. For out client Device Analytics, this was accomplished by utilizing a simple circular shape with unique letter shape of the initial “D”. The overall design may be a simple concept, but to the clients market it can express all the right ideas and feelings. The clean style reflects a polished and established company that is at the forefront of their industry. Minimalist design are also used more often then not by the very largest companies in a given industry. By utilizing the same modern design appeal you are telling your market that you are just and confident and able as those at the top. It’s not so much as copying a design style as it is dressing the part as an industry leader.

For our client EVO Electric, utilizing a minimalist design was necessary to enter their chosen market. Doing their own research first, they too noticed that the more successful competitors also used a modern, minimalist design approach and that companies with cliche icons and elaborate illustrations were often viewed as small “mom and pop” companies. Rather then focus on using a simple design to go with the name, the simplicity of this design is integrated with the name. The elliptical shape that sits behind the letters in EVO uses an asymmetrical shape to help convey a sense of energy and motion while maintaining an overall minimalist appearance. The overall design successfully matches with their top competitors. By knowing ahead of time what their market visually associated with as the best, they have the ability to enter the market with the best and allow their business to further its success.

Initials tend to work very well for minimalist icons. The letters have a close relationship with the name and give the viewer something interesting to associated visually with the company. On a side note using literal images can work against the corporate identity. They can pigeonhole a company into the present, which becomes the past very quickly. They can also look cheap and come across as clip-art depending on your market. A good example of this would be cell phones. A successful cellular telephone company is more then likely not to create a logo using the image of a cell phone because the shape and style of the product changes every three months and can seem out dated after six months in business. The “initial” however, is as timeless as the company name and will always be unique and customized because of the relevance to the name.

Flemington Consulting came to us looking for a logo that would look as good in 10 years as it would today. Using the initial seemed like the right choice because as long as the company was called Flemington the icon would be effective. Rather then follow the standard square shape of the letter “F” we experimented with using circular shapes to help create a unique image. By using the quarter of a circle we were able to create the side and top of the letter another circle was utilized to create the cross bar. The icon was then laid out into a square block to give it a bit more structure and also help to convey more of a corporate style. The end design is a very crisp identity that captures all the qualities the client was seeking while at the same time being very simple and versatile.

A very similar style and theme was also utilized for our client GRASTA. The idea of creating a custom initial was also ideal for this project and the minimalist design style really helped create a very sleek and modern identity. Using the circle as the background for the “G” also acted a way to help the viewer form the initials. Separating the parts in various bright colors added a unique and distinctive feeling and mixed quite well with the polished silver text. Besides being a good representation of modern style, minimalist designs are also the most practical and versatile logos. More often than not, these designs work well as great stand alone icons. As watermarks, embossed, engraved and embroidered image they can really maximize the usage of corporate identity. The most effective brands become recognizable symbols that people associate with the company, field, and industry and minimalist design are very effective in creating that image.

The decision to rename Williams Gateway Airport to Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport effective October 15, 2007 prompted authorities to create a new logo design to complete the re-branding initiative. The outcome is what East Valley Tribune describes as a stylized, orange-red letter “G” with “PhxMesa Gateway Airport” spelled underneath, the word “Gateway” emphasized in bold letters.

Although the sharp “G” symbolizes the forward vision and aggressiveness, community leaders and other stakeholders are quite satisfied with the outcome of this new logo design.

Mesa Mayor said it is too futuristic and a board member commented it failed to associate the logo with culture and heritage. Also, a resident was quick to point out that using “PHX” in the logo is very confusing because it is already associated with Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.

After all these negative comments, the authorities decided to go ahead with the new logo because they don’t want to waste their time.

There are many companies, big and small, facing this same problem about logo design. This is commonly caused by lack of knowledge about logo design projects and poor logo design process.

That’s why here in Logo Design Works we pay strict attention to our process right from the very start. Our painstaking effort to come up with the right logo is a product of strong collaboration between our logo designer and customers.

When the time comes that you need to get a new logo, make sure you check the process first to save your time and resources.

Can you identify the brands just by reading the phrases below?

Just Do It
Connecting People
Think Different
The Free Encyclopedia
A Diamond is Forever

Most of us can easily tell these are Nike, Nokia, Apple, Wikipedia, and De Beers. If you want to win the branding game, it is not enough that you have an appealing logo design. You should also create a catchy phrase that your customers can associate with your brand.

Whether you’re creating a new tagline or changing it to be more effective, you might want to use the following tips:

1. Highlight your key benefits. In most situations, a tagline is just a creative and concise way of conveying to customers your key benefits. Capture the unique experience and emotions you want your customers to feel.
2. Add your company or product name. Established brands have the right not to use this approach. However, this is very crucial for small businesses to increase the customer recall rate quickly.
3. Maintain it. You should not use numerous taglines for different marketing campaigns because it will definitely confuse your target consumers. Success of a tagline is also dependent on your consistency and willingness to use it for a long period of time. Also, don’t forget to protect your tagline with a trademark.

You can also check the Lonely Marketer and Living Light for examples of worst taglines in market today.

There are many reasons why a company or any organization should have a logo makeover. Some do it to ride the current Web 2.0 trend logo designs while others are simply bored with their current logo and needed to create an excitement.

If you want to have a more significant logo makeover, you should put more meaning to it and share it with your target market and other stakeholders. You can associate it with new goals or another direction to take.

Take for instance the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), one of the largest national medical organizations determined to ensure high-quality, cost-effective health care for patients of all ages. Read related medical logo design article.

Last week, it unveiled a new logo featuring a “variation on the staff of Aesculapius commonly used to symbolize the practice and profession of medicine. Where the traditional symbol features a serpent-entwined staff, referring to the ancient Greco-Roman god of medicine, the new AAFP logo replaces the staff with a torch. The torch is symbolic of life, knowledge, principle and leadership and represents the AAFP as the progressive, forward-thinking organization it is.”

To make this new logo design more significant and powerful to the eyes of the general public, this organization also set new strategic initiatives captured in their new tagline, “Strong Medicine for America.” These initiatives tackle advocating family medicine issues and emphasizing importance of family medicine in national health care debate.

We know the search engine giant Google is the most valuable brand in the whole world. Yet, its logo design is made of simple font and basic colors. Although it has enough money to do a logo makeover, Google has maintained its logo to represent the simplicity and user-friendliness of its search engine.

Instead, it opted to do what big and small businesses dare not to do – play with its logo. For many years Google is constantly tweaking its logo for special events and holidays like:

New Year

Halloween

Thanksgiving

Christmas

Lesson #1. Certain level of flexibility is important in this period where blogging, social networking, mash-ups, user-generated content rule the web. You may try to play and integrate content into your business logo to break the monotony. Google is no longer alone in this category. Brands like Gap, Apple, and American Eagle are making some modifications with their brands in the (Product) Red campaign.

However, not everybody is happy with this logo-tweaking activity of Google. Recently, it became a subject of harsh criticisms by many conservatives for its lack of patriotism. According to a news report:

The Mountain View, Calif., company bathes its logo in stars and stripes every Independence Day, but last week’s decision to honor the 50th anniversary of the Sputnik launch — the second “g” in Google was replaced with a drawing of the Soviet satellite — is being blasted by some conservatives.

Not only did Google honor an achievement by a totalitarian regime that was our Cold War enemy, they griped, but it did so without having ever altered its logo to commemorate U.S. military personnel on Memorial Day or Veterans Day.

Lesson #2. Put your customers first. Changes in your logo should be relevant to your products or services. Take time to consult with a logo designer (read logo designer expression thoughts) so it won’t look like a vandalized version of your original logo.

When designing a logo for the blogging community it was important to understand that for the most part a blog is content driven. Because of the type based nature of a blog web site it can be very difficult to grab a readers attention and interest. The blogging community has sush as large number of competing writers that having a solid logo can help grab the interest of a potential reader and lead them into the content creating potential blog subscribers.

This particular client runs a blog that publishes blogging tips, technological news, and computer and internet directed content. The client came to us with the hopes of recreating the brand identity for QUICK ONLINE TIPS and help draw in new readers with a fresh, new look. With no specific direction we came up with distinct concepts that fit with the type of look and style that could help bring in readers.

For the first concept we took the theme of “quick” and create a theme based on the concept of time. Using very detailed gradients a realistic pocket watch was created. In order to create the high gloss look of the silver on the watch a high contrast gradient from black to white was utilizsed. To get the beveled look where the glass meets the silver, two gradients moving in opposing directions create a sharp change in form which gives the illusion of an edge. For the glass, the illusion of transparency was created by softening the color of the watch face from black numbers and elements to a light grey. This creates the feeling of a light reflection bluring the image below the glass.

The overall design of the concept follows the horizontal layout of the web site. The high impact image of the watch helps lead the eye up and across to the name. The completed look conveys a very modern and professional look which helps reflect the content in the blog.

For the second concept, the inspiration of time, quickness, motion and energy were utilized in a semi-abstract design which also symbolizes the initial “Q”. Using the initial as the imagery for the design gives the icon element a specific and unique relation to the name. The addition of the sweeping lines and arrow helped to give the inital extra meaning and context. The use of gradients further enhances the image creating a 3D polished look for a communication logo design. Using gradient in opposing direction creates a high-gloss beveled effect that adds a nice sharpness to the image.

The clean and modern look of the graphic portion of the design blends nicely with the modern squared text. Placing the text onto 2 lines and bolding the word “QUICK” creates a focus on the idea that this blog is place to come for the most up to date news and tips.

For the last concept, a softer and generally more inviting sample was created. Using a combination of bright high-gloss colors and a friendly bold text, this concept was designed to invoke a sense of warmth and belonging. The image utilized in this design is a combination of standard “pixel” pointer arrow and a glassy button. The imagery is very recoginzable to avid computer users and developers and creates the idea that all of the information, tips, and news they need is just one click away. To achieve the high gloss look and the sense of depth, gradients were placed in a manner that would optimize the sense of light and shadow. This creates a more realistic look for what would normally be a very flat and ordinary computer element.

By creating a design that has an element of fun and whimsy while keeping the overall imagery relevant to the industry, the feeling of excitement and intrest can be utilized to its maximum potential. Bright colors and a high impact design can really help to distinguish a page full of type from its competitors.

Previous articles in this series

How to design a communications Web 2.0 logo design

How to design an advertising logo design

UPDATE: Here is the black and white version of the logo for faxes, photocopying etc.

Last week we talked about how to go about designing an advertising logo. This week we will look at how to design a web 2.0 style telecommunications logo.

From a design standpoint the style associated with the Web 2.0 style logo designs have received a lot of both positive and negative attention. From the point of a logo designer (read logo design client input) the Web 2.0 can be a very positive logo design process. This is because generally, the look and style of the logo utilizes the basic guidelines for logo designing, layout and type principals with effects and finishing touches that are relative to the modern digital age.

Recently we were asked by a client to create a set of samples that utilizes the Web 2.0 style for their new company MangoNet. Set in the industry of network logos it was important that the brand identity convey a fresh and modern look that was fitting to the high tech field they were in, as well as to their target market.

There are several design characterizations, which can be associated with the Web 2.0 look;

• The first of which is the use the choice of typeface. Generally the style of typeface used
  in the style are classic fonts that are highly legible for maximum visual impact.
• The next quality is the use of color and digital effects such as gradients and reflections to create a modern and polished look. Bold and bright colors as well as gradients create a fresh and modern feeling because the processes, technology and software used to create these effects are relatively new and have the most impact “back-lit” on a computer monitor.

In the first concept we utilized an idea that was provided by the client. A text based logo where the “O” in MANGO was replaced with an image of a brightly colored mango. Gradients were used in combination with simple geometric shapes to create the illusion of form. To achieve the effect the removed core a smaller shape was centered and the gradient from yellow to orange was reversed changing the illusion of light and shadow.

In addition a reflective effect was added to the text giving the design the appearance of sitting on a shiny surface. This effect is used commonly in many Web 2.0 identities and works as an afterthought to give the webpage or printed material a unique and realistic perspective. It brings the logo from an image that is just stamped on the screen to an identity that is placed into the virtual environment.

The overall design for this concept is very simple yet effective. The use of the symbol image replacing a letter helps to separate the two words and also create a bit of context. Although the image doesn’t necessarily convey wireless technology, the fresh and unique name and design will create a buzz of interest, which will let the consumer look further into what products and services the company does offer.

For a second concept a much more abstract logo design was created which was intended to create an emotional connection with the viewer. The fluid lines and organic shapes help to convey a sense of energy which reflects the high-tech industry that the company is in. The central shape still fits the theme of the mango and also helps give the abstract icon some focus. Gradients were utilized to give a polished look and create depth and dimension.

In order to achieve this illusion it is important to have an understanding of both light and shadow and other business logo design essentials but also how gradients work in vector based software. It is important to avoid common design blunders.

Generally, a gradient is simple a blending from one color to another either in a straight line or a circular radiating pattern. There are other ways to create more complex gradients but they can cause printing and compatibility problems for the client after the design is finalized. By utilizing a combination of both a lighter color and white the illusions of form and glass-like highlights can be created.

The overall design of the second concept is a nice combination of an abstract, energy fueled icon with a clean and simple font. The bright colors again convey a very fresh and modern look that is bound to capture the attention of a potential consumer.

For the third concept design the idea utilizing a series of abstract shapes to help convey wireless technology and communications was used. The basic premise was to create an image that related to the industry with a color scheme that related to the name which would help create a complete design.

A radiating pattern of circular dots was created to express waves or bits of information traveling over a distance. To achieve the effect of perspective the circles were stretched into ovals with smaller shapes at the back and larger shapes gradually getting bigger toward the front. The mind will correct the oval shape back into a circle and view the image as if it were stretching off into the the distance.

By placing the dots as a white image onto a block of color, the maximum amount of visual impact could be achieved. The clean square format blends nicely with the text creating a very clean and effective design.

For the final concept we went back to the mango theme and created an icon with the potential to act as a stand-alone image without the name but still represent the company. To do this the image of mango was created in combination with the initial “M” running through it.

Using gradients once again to capture the form and color of a mango, the cut away “M” adds an additional touch helping to create a very fluid image. The stylized scripted letter utilizes various elements to create fun yet elegant icon. The bold look helps draw the eye whiles the flowing lines help create a sense of energy.

The overall design follows a very “traditional” Web 2.0 layout by utilizing the icon at the end of company name and acting almost as a superscript symbol. The end result is a very effective design that creates a sense of impact and interest while following a modern Web 2.0 style.

Most of the time you see that small businesses get logos that are just graphic images. They do not convey any message and are poorly thought out. Just because a business is small does not mean that their company logo design should be shoddy.

Every logo design should have a goal. You might argue that every logo does, other wise why would people get a logo created in the first place. I agree with that. “Goal” here means a message. The message of the logo should be aimed at a specific section of the audience – the so called “target market”. To do that you would have understand a few basic things.

First of all every company should have a core value system. Even if you plan on selling your company down the line. It is the core belief system that defines what the company. Even though companies are built for the purpose of profit, there are other factors also which influence the creation and nurturing of companies. Profit alone does not justify the passion with which companies are built and run. Every company should identify what these core values are. Yes, this does require a crucial business skillset. They should take a step back and take a long hard look at the various issues that motivate the company or its leaders. These factors are a very good indication of the kind of message the company logo needs to show in order to effectively communicate with the target audience.

A logo they say is like the face of a company. Some times it is the only thing that gives potential customers an impression about the company and either prompts them to do business or not to do business with you. To create the right impression you need to think of what the customer wants. Benefits are more important than features and it is these benefits that must be distilled and turned into a visual form and poured into your logo design.

Most people underestimate the significance of how a logo can effect the buying decision of customers. A logo can create the impression of trust or it can do the opposite. It can give the impression of a big company or it might may your company look shoddy and cheap. Put yourself in your customers shoes and see what would motivate you. Look at some of your competitor’s logos and see what they communicate to you as a customer.

Have an open mind and try to form an honest opinion. Does a competitor’s logo work well? Do you feel it makes you want to buy from them? If so then you should try and analyze what element of the logo design is creating this impression.

Look at your current logo and ask yourself weather the logo truly represent your company. Does it communicate any thing at all? Is it right for you target market?

This is a roundup of blog carnivals that articles from either this blog or our sister Small Business Tips blog have been accepted into recently.

1. The article Better Websites: 7 Elements of Good Link Building Articles was published at the following carnivals:
   1. Make Money Blogging.
   2. Making Money Online – Edition 3.
   3. Working at Home Blog Carnival #45.
   4. Webmaster Articles Blog Carnival Aug 2007.
2. Making Money Online – Edition 6 published Better Websites: 10 Article Research Sources.
3. Make Money Blogging – Aug 31 published Improve Your Site’s Look With 15 Easy Tips.

If you’re interested in visting blogs similar to this one, go check out the above carnivals. Don’t forget about our sister blog’s Small Business Tips Carnival (submission page). This blog wil also soon be hosting the Better Blogging Carnival. If you do start using blog carnivals to promote your blog, also see 10 Tips for Managing Your Blog Carnival Submissions.

Welcome to the first edition of “how to design a logo” series. This week we will analyze how to design an abstract logo for an advertising company. We will take a look below at all the logo concepts we came up with for our client, Quantum Creative, how we came up with those concepts and what elements were used to bring our ideas to life.

A little bit of info about the client, Quantum Creative: a data driven advertising agency. The company is strongly driven in its decisions by research data. It is affiliated with the top business consultancy in UK and benefits from its strong data based strategic positioning. The target market is current Elixir Business Consultancy clients and local manufacturing brands that require advertising and branding services.

The client wanted to see a logo design that represented the concept of Quantum which is “indivisible energy that is everlasting”. The client came to us without a real vision of what they wanted. They knew that they wanted a very modern, cutting edge type design that would appeal to a younger, more tech savvy market. Using themes based on the idea of energy, and science a set of five initial logo designs was created.

For all of the initial concepts it was important to create a basic geometric structure that could easily be converted into a simple one color image. That said, various gradient effects were then utilized to create a polished look to add both depth and dimension to create a modern, technological feeling.

The first concept is based on an abstract rendering of the atomic symbol. Dynamic rings were created first, which were then layered to create a sense of space and depth. For the center globe, a circle was rendered and then using a series of simple elements the illusion of a glass-like finish was created.

After adjusting the angle and placement of all the elements the graphic was then formatted to flow with the type treatment. For a maximum visual impact, a very clean and simple font was used to offset the 3D logo designs look of the graphic. The final design for this concept is a clean and modern image that effectively reflects both a technological idea as well as the theme of science.

The second concept utilizes an abstract shape reminiscent of the initial “Q”. Using the initial in a very stylized manner is a great way of expressing the overall theme without resorting to literal imagery. It also gives the graphic a direct relation with the name creating an integration which makes the brand more memorable. Using a simple series of circles and a crescent, the elements were adjusted as solid shapes to get an over all sense of flow and layout.

After that step, gradients and highlights were created to give the elements a sense of form and shape. By adjusting the gradients in simple and subtle ways the overall light and shadow begins to blend which adds to the realism of the overall design. Because the image is an iconic logo, it was placed above and centered to the text, which utilizes a very modern and almost futuristic style creating the completed brand.

For the third concept we wanted to focus more on the concept of energy, reflected in an abstract, organic way. The first step was creating a kind of free flowing vortex shape. By developing just one side first, the element can be copied and then rotated to create an overall symmetrical look that gives the illusion of movement and seamlessness. By utilizing very simple geometric shapes you easily create a very dynamic and fluid image that has a high visual impact.

To enhance the organic quality of the graphic a series of soft, silver background elements were created. This not only helps to enhance the visual impact of the main part of the graphic but can also help to direct the eye. In the end an oblong, circular shape was used. The abstract shape flowed nicely with the rest of the image as well as added direction down to the type. In terms of font choice a simple, yet modern square font served to complete the design.

For the fourth concept keeping with the theme of science and energy, the next concept utilizes a kind of molecular structure that could also be used to convey the initial “Q”. By experimenting with several circular shape, a unique yet simple design was created. By breaking down the letter “Q” down to the simplest identifiable elements, the larger circle and the cross at the lower right, it was easy to create an abstract icon that could represent both ideas at the same time. To enhance the overall visual impact, a globe shape was created using subtle gradients. The “Q” image was then inverted to white and placed over the globe to form a “cut-out” look.

For the text, a simple sans serif font was used to reflect the straight forward “scientific” look of the overall design. The icon was also utilized in the text to give a correlation between the imagery. The placement of the icon to the right just over the text is a reference to mathematical symbols, further enhancing the science theme and completing the brand.

For the fifth initial concept we wanted to try a more identifiable representation of the atomic symbol. This rounds off an overall spectrum of styles and images and also creates a good base. To start, a simple ring was created and given a gradient to convey the feeling of round tube-like shape. Once that was achieved, the ring was stretched out to create a sense of perspective. The next step was to copy the rings and position them at angles that correspond with the atomic symbol.

A circular disk was also to create some impact and also enhance the idea of energy and movement. The graphic was then placed next to a very bold and striking type which creates a very strong and stable impression. The block of color at the bottom serves as a way to display the tag line and balance out the heavy type at the top.