From the course: Logo Design: Techniques

What makes a good logo

From the course: Logo Design: Techniques

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What makes a good logo

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- [Instructor] A logo is the visual representation of a company or organization. It creates recognition and helps people remember their experiences and associations with that company. Ideally over time, it inspires affection and loyalty. Every logo has three main roles. Identification. A logo identifies a company in the marketplace. In an instant, visually symbolic way, a logo represents the company to the world. The logo may be the first thing a potential customer sees and so needs to make a positive first impression. Distinction. An effective logo should be unique. It distinguishes the company from the competition, providing a way for customers to recognize and choose that company from other similar businesses. Communication. A logo says something about a company. This may be direct or it may be subtle. But every logo communicates a message and a good logo communicates a positive message. It may be sophisticated, informal, solid, reliable, caring, professional, creative et cetera. Keep in mind that a logo is not a brand. A logo is one part of a company's brand identity. The brand as a whole represents more, the company's mission, it's history and how people perceive it. Along with the logo, the brand includes amongst other things, the typefaces used throughout the company, the company colors, the building's signage, the staff uniforms and any advertising themes. So a logo is not a brand, but it is an important, possibly the most important, aspect of that brand. Everything in a logo must be simple and evident. A great logo needs to explanation. While there are many examples of successful logos that break the rules, in general a good logo should be simple. It should be comprised of only the most essential elements so that it can be remembered after a single glance. It's not always easy to keep things simple, or to quote Paul Rand, who designed some of the world's most enduring logos, "Design is so simple, that's why it's so complicated." To keep our logos simple and instantly recognizable, what we leave out is as important as what we include. A logo should complement the company name. This means researching historical and symbolic associations of the company name and using appropriate imagery for the line of business. A good logo should look good in black and white as well as in color. While this may not be as important as it once was because these days, some logos are intended only to be seen on screen. If a logo looks as good in black and white as it does in color, the contrast will emphasis the shape or idea. A logo should be scalable. It needs to work at a number of different sizes, on business cards and on websites, T-shirts, brochures, banners, vehicles, billboards, et cetera. Make a list of all the uses of a logo and consider how such uses might effect its legibility. And lastly, a good logo must be original. With so many logos in the world, we need to be vigilant that we don't inadvertently design something that looks like something else.

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