Good clear Logo Design is essentially at the heart of a corporate identity.
A logo is the image which represents a company or its product. It’s function is to create a memorable, recognisable impression on the mind of a potential client or customer.
A good logo catches the eye – it makes the observer curious or engaged, if only for a short moment. A moment in which an image and the existence of your company is embedded in the mind rather than filtered out with a million other daily stimuli.
But even if a good logo ‘just is’, there are elements for making it happen and we will look at some of those.
There are three basic types of logos, which can be used alone or combined within one design:
Illustrative logos (a logo which clearly illustrates what your company does),
Graphic logos (a logo that includes a graphic, often an abstraction, of what your company does), and
Font-based logos (a text treatment which represents your company)
Colors: The majority of logos consist of but a single color, typically a primary color. Some may have two colors, but rarely do you see more than two colors. This makes it easy to attach an emotion to a logo.
Together the eyes and brain produce a cognitive and emotional response to each color.
Because of this, colors themselves take on meanings. The exact meaning is often a cultural understanding and can have multiple meanings across cultures.
In the UK, white is considered pure and positive where in China, white is used in mourning, symbolizing heaven. Red is often used to symbolize strength and life, but is taboo in financial communities.
Some color meanings in the North America, Canada, and Western Europe include: Blues are said to be calming, loyal and trustworthy, greens are healthy, wealthy and natural while reds express passion, excitement or danger.
Finally, it’s also advantageous to use a single color for your logo Design as it will save you money when it comes to placing it on different medium; this can be a real bonus for many small business owners.
Case Study: Virgin The color red and the name Virgin are linked in the minds of consumers the world over. Virgin devotes a lot of time to ensure that exactly the right red appears on their publicity materials, trains, cola cans and company vans. By ensuring that the correct shade of red is used, it helps consumers instantly identify a Virgin company or a Virgin product. Virgin finds this important enough that the company produces an eighteen-page guide to ensure ‘Virgin Red’ links all the company’s activities.
If you are looking to develop your corporate identity give great consideration to your logo and hire a company with a proven track record in logo design.