Logo Design:
Is a Picture Really Worth a 1000 Words?
by Catherine Webb

Absolutely! The importance of an eyecatching company logo design cannot be over emphasised. It is your company's identity in visual form. When applied, it acts like a stamp in the memory of those who see it.

So what are you saying about your company? Your logo has great influence because it often supplies the customer with the very first impression of your business, and hopefully it's a favorable lasting one.

Basically it has the power to entice your potential customers, create a sense of security for your existing ones, and it also has the power to send them away.

So what makes a successful logo?

Two factors of supreme importance in company logo design are shape & color. The most effective logos are incredibly simple, appropriate & balanced - think of the stamp again, think of Apple & hp. The goal of a logo is to be memorized. Like words, the simpler the better.

It has been established that logos are actually first recognized by their shape, then by their color. The shape of the logo effects the company's image.

Good logos have unique shapes that are quickly differentiated from the mass of other logos that we see every day. The shape must be simple, clean and quick. Some of the associations we make with two common shapes are:

Circle: connection, community, movement, safety

Triangle: exciting, powerful, aggression

If you feel your logo needs a change, simply rounding the corners of your rectangle frame will soften your look, & make you look more contemporary.

Just as important as your shape, is the use of color in your logo. Color is one of the first things we notice and the last thing we forget. Color is the doorway to our deepest thoughts and feelings, and desires.

It's also true that usage of color has become a science and it is a much needed weapon as part of your marketing arsenal.

As you will learn later in this series, color can have an influence on a customers decision to buy or not to buy.

You will need to consider your color choices carefully as it will identify you. Once a color is "owned" it is associated with you and your company. Think of Coca Cola red, Tide orange, and Heineken Green.

Another aspect to consider wisely, do you need graphics at all, or will a simple text treatment be eye-catching? Will one typeface be better than two? Sometimes logos are just the name of the organization in a well-selected font, perhaps with a tagline.

And, yes, words all by themselves are shapes. I promise to share more about words as shapes, & fonts later in this series.

Ultimately your company logo design should communicate what you do, & how professional & valuable you are. People are drawn to clean, uncluttered logo designs because they can easily absorb and recognize the symbol at a glance. That’s what you want.

Interestingly the word Logo means : A name, symbol, or trademark designed for easy and definite recognition.

Alongside these definitions, some Synonyms of logo are: brand name, emblem, hallmark, heraldry, imprint, logotype, mark, name, sign, stamp, symbol. These words are helpful to keep in mind when creating or assessing your logo.

Caution is needed when designing a company logo. Less is more where logo's are concerned. Keep it simple. Successful companies have proven this for decades.

There are of course some exceptions to the simplicity factor in logo design. If the logo is complicated, as some very good ones are, the central element of the logo must still be crystal clear. This is the logo designer's challenge.

Ultimately it is the combination of images and fonts (as shapes), painted in colors, that best express your company. Remember again simplicity, balance, proportion & legibility.