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Logos can be described as visual icons that provide a unique
identification element to a business or product. Logos provide quick
visual recognition of a Company which in-turn builds branding. Business
owners and overly enthusiastic artists can often go astray in their
efforts to design the perfect logo. There are too many examples of logo
designs that look uninspired, overtly abstract or seem to be nothing
more than whimsical art. Many of these logos are designed without
forethought into usage, application or even cost impact upon a
business. So how do you create a logo that makes business sense?
Consider following a few simple guidelines:
Remember that your logo is a business tool.
Your design concept should begin with a commitment to portray your
business as professional and competent. A logo is not an art piece!
Avoid using elements that may give a “dated” look such as those 1970’s
flowers that were on so many Volkswagen Beetle cars. A logo design
should take into consideration how, when and where the logo will be
used. A logo has a cost impact upon your business from the day that it
is introduced. There is more to designing a logo than simply hiring an
artist or online art shop to assemble shapes and colors – it is a
business decision. Create your logo using vector graphics software.
Simply put, images done in vector graphics can be resized and maintain
design integrity. There is no loss in clarity, sharpness or definition
and the file size remains constant. A common program for creating
vector graphics is Adobe Illustrator. Software like Photoshop, which
works in pixels, is better suite to working with photos and texture
style areas. You can create your original image in any software but
have it redone in a vector graphics format before you print or
reproduce your logo. After all, a logo is all about sharp image.
Avoid complicated and intricate designs.
A logo that is too intricate hinders rapid visual identification. The
viewer is required to “study” the image in order to mentally process
the image and relate its identification to a given company. Note the
simplicity and high visual impact of the Nike “Swish”, an excellent
image. Another reason to avoid complicated designs is that they do not
reduce well. A busy, intricate logo on the side of a company truck may
look wonderful but when the same logo is reduced in size for use on a
business card it may become a meaningless blob of ink. Keep it simple
and clean. Limit color selection to a maximum of three colors.
Ideally use one or two colors but never more than three. There are
three main reasons for this guideline. One, your printing costs for
printing business cards, letterhead, envelops, labels, etc. are
increased for every additional color that you require. Your “cheap”
logo design could end up costing you a lot of money. Reason number two,
your visual impact or even identification could be diminished or
completely lost in some mediums. Consider a logo that has overlaid
images of different colors – looks nice, right? What about when you fax
your proposal or letter and your logo is now in a black and white
realm? Does the black and white (grayscale) version still provide
distinction? An example of lost-in-translation logo is a peacock used
to promote color and via fax it ends up looking like a turkey. A final
note on color selection is to carefully consider cultural and
marketplace standards. For example, red may be lesser choice for a
medical company due to the negative association of red to blood/danger
whereas green might infer safety or a positive status.
Consistency and control in font usage.
Do not use over two font styles, as it may be distracting and
confusing. Try to use a standard font such as Times New Roman, Arial,
etc. as it makes commercial reproduction of your image easier. Any font
style should be sans serif and typically non-script to improve clarity
in small format reproduction. An exception is a logo/name where the
logo is the script font such as the trade name of a popular soft drink
in a uniquely shaped bottle.
Check Trademark and Registration Rights.
While a new logo runs a low statistical chance of violating any
trademark or registration rights of any existing logo it is not a bad
idea to make some effort to confirm this before you publish your new
logo. And after you have settled on a final logo design you should take
the effort to register or trademark your own logo. If you need an
example of why then consider the yellow pages “Walking Fingers” logo.
The design was never trademarked or registered and has no copyrights
protection – it could have been, but wasn’t – a huge loss of value for
the original creators...
Get
Real Services of Marietta, Georgia, specializes in small business
consulting, marketing services, advertising, logo and website design
for small to mid-sized businesses in the United States. For more
information on this or related topics please contact their offices at
770.654.3223, send an e-mail to GetRealServices@bellsouth.net or visit
http://www.GetRealServices.com
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