Great Logos Communicate Your Brand
I accidentally insulted a friend of mine who asked for any opinion about a logo design that he had worked on for months. I candidly told him to start over since his logo violated many of the principles of good logo design. It was not what he wanted to hear.
You know a good logo when you see one. It somehow gets your attention and makes you think or pause. It communicates a message or an essence. It describes the brand. It tells a story about your firm’s identity. Or, at least it should. A great logo incorporates five basic elements: shape, color, contrast, differentiation, and functionality.
As far as shape is concerned, know that smooth lines or rounded edges can convey serene or passive messages, while jagged edges or sharp corners communicate urgency or aggression. The Nike swoosh is both graceful and powerful while a lightning bolt is aggressive and full of action.
Colors evoke mood and can be provocative or benign. When choosing a color, you should consider the colors supported by web browsers; it turns out there are 216 colors on the web palette.
Ever notice that many of most memorable logos are invariably red and/or yellow? It is no accident, since red and yellow are attention grabbing and sometimes irritating colors. Think of the most successful companies and look at the logos: Coca Cola, Nike, and McDonald’s.
So should your firm have a red or yellow logo? Yes, if that color reflects the image of your firm and if you need a logo that screams, “Look at me”. Otherwise, there are many other colors on the color wheel to choose. Orange is a hot color for technology companies as is bright green; I am told these are very “retro”.
Contrast is achieved when the logo communicates well in black and white in addition to color. If the logo uses to colors to close to each other on the color wheel, it may not communicate well and instead might confuse the viewer.
Differentiation? Start by not using a template. Avoid a logo that looks like your competitor’s logo. Expresses your uniqueness---otherwise why do one?
As for functionality, consider how a logo will look on a business card; if it works on small scale, it will likely look OK when blown up on the web or on a brochure. Also, make sure the logo can be faxed clearly; overly ornate logos lose detail when faxed, while some are not even readable.
An important objective for a good logo is for it to be legible and understood. If you have ever examined a logo and not really understood what it was or what the image was trying to say, then you have seen a bad logo.
Logos must very quickly communicate and be understood. Intricate or arcane logos will fail to meet this objective. Also, when testing prospective logos, make sure that you don’t offend your potential audience due to accidental ethnic or racial slurs, gender bias, or other such blunders.
Finally, test your logo with your customers---how they feel about your logo is most important.
John Bradley Jackson
© Copyright 2008 All rights reserved.
P.S. Keep your tag line off your logo since you might want to change your tag line later.