What Makes A Good Logo

WHAT MAKES A GOOD LOGO?
What makes a good logo? A good logo is distinctive, appropriate, practical, graphic, simple in
form and conveys an intended message.
There are five principles that you should follow to ensure that this is so…
An effective logo is (in no particular order):
 Simple
 Memorable
 Timeless
 Versatile
 Appropriate
1. Simple
A simple logo design allows for easy recognition and allows the logo to be versatile &
memorable. Good logos feature something unique without being overdrawn.
While in college in the mid-70’s an instructor introduced me to the K.I.S.S. Principle of design;

which translates to: Keep It Simple, Stupid. It does convey a very important design
consideration. Simple logos are often easily recognized, incredibly memorable and the most
effective in conveying the requirements of the client. A refined and distilled identity will also
catch the attention of a viewer zipping by signage at 70 miles per hour, on packaging on the
crowded shelves of a store, or in any other vehicle used for advertising, marketing and
promotion. Remember, the basis of the hugely effective international branding for the world’s
largest shoe manufacturer is a very simple graphic swoosh.
~ Jeff Fisher
2. Memorable
Following closely behind the principle of simplicity, is that of memorability. An effective logo
design should be memorable and this is achieved by having a simple, yet, appropriate logo.
You may be interested to see some examples of bad logo designs.
Surprising to many, the subject matter of a logo is of relatively little importance, and even
appropriateness of content does not always play a significant role.
This does not imply that appropriateness is undesirable. It merely indicates that a one-to-one
relationship between a symbol and what it symbolized is very often impossible to achieve and,
under certain conditions, objectionable. Ultimately, the only mandate in the design of logos, it
seems, is that they be distinctive, memorable, and clear.
~ Paul Rand
3. Timeless
An effective logo should be timeless – that is, it will endure the ages. Will the logo still be
effective in 10, 20, 50 years?
Leave trends to the fashion industry – Trends come and go, and when you’re talking about
changing a pair of jeans, or buying a new dress, that’s fine, but where your brand identity is
concerned, longevity is key. Don’t follow the pack. Stand out.
~ David Airey
Probably the best example of a timeless logo is the Coca-Cola logo… if you compare it to the
Pepsi logo below, you can see just how effective creating a timeless logo can be. Notice how the
Coca Cola logo has barely changed since 1885? That is timeless design.
4. Versatile
An effective logo should be able to work across a variety of mediums and applications. The logo
should be functional. For this reason a logo should be designed in vector format, to ensure that it
can be scaled to any size. The logo should be able to work both in horizontal and vertical
formats.
Ask yourself; is a logo still effective if:
 Printed in one colour?
 Printed on the something the size of a postage stamp?
 Printed on something as large as a billboard?
 Printed in reverse (ie. light logo on dark background)
One way around creating a versatile logo is to begin designing in black and white only. This
allows one to focus on the concept and shape, rather than the subjective nature of colour. One
must also remember printing costs – the more colors used, the more expensive it will be for the
business over the long term.
I like to work first in black and white to ensure that the logo will look good in its simplest
form. Color is very subjective and emotional. This can distract from the overall design – say if
you saw your logo in all red, that color may be the first thing that you respond to and not the
composition of the design elements. I will not even consider submitting color suggestions to a
client for review until they have signed off on a final black and white logo.
~ Patrick Winfield
5. Appropriate
How you position the logo should be appropriate for its intended purpose. For example, if you
are designing a logo for children’s toys store, it would be appropriate to use a childish font &
colour scheme. This would not be so appropriate for a law firm.
It is also important to state that that a logo doesn’t need to show what a business sells or offers as
a service. ie. Car logos don’t need to show cars, computer logos don’t need to show computers.
The Harley Davidson logo isn’t a motorcycle, nor is the Nokia logo a mobile phone. A logo is
purely for identification.
For further evidence of this, take the top 50 brands of the world – 94% of the logos do not
describe what the company does.
Paul Rand also has a say on this topic:
Should a logo be self-explanatory? It is only by association with a product, a service, a business,

or a corporation that a logo takes on any real meaning. A logo derives its meaning and
usefulness from the quality of that which it symbolizes. If a company is second rate, the logo
will eventually be perceived as second rate. It is foolhardy to believe that a logo will do its job
immediately, before an audience has been properly conditioned.
~ Paul Rand

What Makes A Good Logo

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

What Makes A Good Logo

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

What Makes A Good Logo

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

WHAT MAKES A GOOD LOGO?

While in college in the mid-70’s an instructor introduced me to the K.I.S.S. Principle of design;

You may be interested to see some examples of bad logo designs.

Paul Rand also has a say on this topic:

Should a logo be self-explanatory? It is only by association with a product, a service, a business,

You might also like

Pfad - The Proxy pFad of © 2024 Garber Painting. All rights reserved.