Think it’s a fluke that an apple is an iconic symbol of technology greatness for Apple Inc., a check-mark like “swoosh” represents athletic prowess for Nike, and some people get hungry when they see the golden arches of McDonald’s?
These and other company logos share important qualities: They’re simple and distinctive, but far from being no-brain designs.
“Logos that are simple [and] clean are the most remarkable in sticking in people’s minds,” says Rosy Gocher, who founded the Victoria, B.C., company RowCDesign in 2007 after moving to Canada from Mexico six years earlier.
No longer an image slapped on business cards, letterhead, stationery and billboards, today logos are pervasive because of our virtual world – exposure that has made it more challenging to get the look and feel just right.
For marketing, “you need a common visual thread for all your material, especially nowadays with the Internet and all this social media,” says Steve Douglas, a former magazine art director who founded The Logo Factory in Toronto in 1996. “If you have a logo, it presents a professional image. You need an icon unique to you, a visual look that follows you around no matter what the medium.”
One look at an apple with a chunk bitten out of it (Apple computers), a giant panda (World Wildlife Fund) or a three-pointed star (Mercedes-Benz) and you instantly know the company it represents. But it’s a lofty task to create a logo with such instant brand recognition – something that usually develops only after years of existing in the mental environment.
While there’s no cookie-cutter method for logo design, Ms. Gocher and Mr. Douglas offer these do’s and don’ts:
Start with sketches: Put ideas on paper and then use a computer for the final design. “It’s one way you can make sure your logo is original,” says Mr. Douglas. “If you drop a square and circle into a desk-top publishing program, chances are someone else has done that. Doodling can give you the best ideas.”
Determine the type: Based on the company and its message, choose a logo type. Will it be a traditional icon, text-based (basically the company name in a custom font) or illustrative (usually more complex). Each type has its benefits. Remember, a logo is for a client’s audience – the customers – so if a company is trying to reach a market of truck drivers, it shouldn’t use a wispy font – “it’s not a macho image,” says Mr. Douglas.
Consider the message: A logo doesn’t need to say what a company specializes in. For instance, an apple isn’t a computer, and the Mercedes logo doesn’t feature an automobile. But some companies, especially smaller ones, want their products front and centre. Ms. Gocher cites one of her clients, Coastal Black, a family-owned B.C. fruit winery, which wanted Vancouver Island and a berry dotted trail prominent in the logo.
Think about different media: To ensure a logo can be used across different mediums, stick with vector formats (in program like Adobe Illustrator), which allow the most design variations and can be used in every size or media application. Avoid logo design software. “Lots of people jump into Photoshop, but you get into bitmap graphics, which don’t enlarge well,” says Mr. Douglas. Logos should also have easy to read fonts (Ms. Gocher says commonly used fonts include Helvetica, Gill Sanscript and Futura). Using two fonts can create contrast that catches the eye, but stay away from using more than that, because it can be confusing.
