Progression: Designing a Logo
Introduction: What is a logo?
Put simply, the term logo generally refers to all the marks that represent a brand.
Research: Types of Logo:
There are five different kinds of logos. Word-marks that compromises a standalone word or words like FedEx or Coca-Cola. Letter-marks that contains only one letter or an abbreviation: Think of the two C’s for Chanel or the A for Adobe. There is a logo-mark that contains a symbol only: such as Nike swoosh or the Apple seen on all Mac products.
Then there is an emblem: that is a word-mark, or logo-mark within a shape that is essential to the design: such as Harley-Davidson Motor Cycles or the NHL logo. The final type is the combination mark which contains a symbol + word-mark or letter + wordmark.
Research: What are the benefits of having a logo?
A good logo is one that aligns and feels appropriate to your industry or service. If you’re a professional services business (vs. a product) usually simpler is better. We often design wordmarks or typographical logos for clients b/c that is all they really need.It’s designed in such a way to differentiate you from everyone else and fosters brand loyalty. How? It has meaning built within it. Why? Because your businesses’ belief system, core values, purpose, mission, and vision are what your brand is built around. It’s what people remember and tells their friends about; not your logo.
Research: Logo Elements:
- Shape: Logo Shape refers to the shape of the icon that represents your logo. Squares and rectangles are the most common shapes in logo design. Shapes can communicate different ideas and can be used to direct the eye from one element to the next. Shapes can convey emotion and mood, create trust and give a sense of professionalism.
- Business Cues: a variety of visual, written and spoken messages that affect consumer buying behaviour.
- Colours: Logo Colours refer to the colour scheme present in one's logo. Colours warrant different psychological responses from the audience and through using a colour wheel can create contrast.
- Typography: Typographic logos or word-marks are logos made entirely from type. Typography can more generally mean the text that appears in a logo.
- Trends: Logo Trends refer to common tropes that appear in logos at any given time. Such as popular use of using different patterns, shapes, textures, and colours.
- Size: Logo Size refers to the size of the logo and the size of its individual components.
Research: Principles of Logo Design:
- Simplicity: the best logos are clean and uncluttered.
- Memorability: a logo should be easily recalled after just a glance.
- Originality: make your logo stand out don't use trends.
- Balance: use principles of proportion and symmetry.
- Complementary:
- Versatility:
Research: Existing Logo Analysis:
There are many different design elements of a logo, such as color, size, print, design, symbolism, and subliminal messaging. Oftentimes, companies will use very bold colours, large, distinguished print, original designs, representations of ideas through symbols, and/or unconscious stimulus to emblazon the values and mission of a company into the consumer’s mind. Color and print are critical in brand differentiation. Bold colors, such as primary colors, catch a consumer’s attention. Particular colors may send messages to consumers. For example, a logo with a red, white, and blue color scheme may cater to a target audience of a specific nationality. In addition, a logo with larger print help consumers identify a brand faster than if they were squinting and struggling to read small print on a logo.
Bold, bright colors and large print help consumer’s notice and remember products. However, a beautiful design or bold colours and big print can only take a product so far. This is where symbolism and subliminal messaging become crucial to establishing a personal connection between a product and consumer. Apple Inc.’s logo may be a bright, bold, and crisp design, but the symbolism behind the trademark apple is what keeps consumers tempted to get a little more than a taste of the product. The original Apple Inc. logo depicts Isaac Newton sitting under a tree with a single apple hanging over his head. The phrase around the border of the logo reads, “Newton… A Mind Forever Voyaging Through Strange Seas of Thought… Alone.” This picture clearly refers to the popular legend that Newton was sitting under an apple tree when an apple fell and hit his head, which caused him to suddenly discover the concept of the Universal Law of Gravity. However, apples is not only associated with the story of Newton’s revelation, but they are also associated with many other abstract ideas. In many religions, apples are forbidden, mystical fruits. The legends of the golden apples in the Garden of Hesperides and the tempting apples from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the Garden of Eden have made apples a symbol for knowledge, temptation, immortality, and sin. The 1977-present logo of the bitten apple speaks to its audience as it associate Apple Inc. products with knowledge and temptation, reminding consumers that purchasing an Apple product can offer a surplus of what was once unattainable information at the push of a button.Creating a Logo: Utilising Format:
Now that I have created a few conceptual designs for what I want my logo to look like, I must find a platform that I can use to bring my vision to life. I am going to use the logo maker that is included with Adobe Creative Cloud Express. This is a useful resource as it has 1,110 logo templates available to customise.
Creating a Logo: Logo Experimentation:
Prior to creating my logo using online resources, I figured it would be advantageous to outline the concept of what I wanted to my logo to look like based on the design principles that I have researching in covering this unit. I completed these concepts using a pen and paper.
Concept 1:
In terms of design this is the most simplistic of the three concepts that I drew up. I felt like a minimalistic design could be beneficial in portraying a very self-made, organic feel that would represent my content as having a very home-made, Lo-Fi feel. The placement of the words "Hoben Video" are on separate lines, therefore giving them emphasis, as opposed to the subtitle "Videography and Graphic design" which are adjacent to one another. This distinction between title and subtitle helps guide the viewers attention - ergo making the name of brand stand out in contrast to the subtitle.
Concept 2:
This concept contains 3D writing - something not included in my initial concept. I felt like experimenting with 3D writing as it can be effectively used to draw attention and emphasis on certain words. I feel like this is not an effective design however as while it does use 3D writing it lacks any real emphasis on anything important. It highlights the word "Hoben" thus leaving the word Video to be the subtitle. However I feel like were I to use 3D writing in the future I would have both of these words highlighted as "Hoben Video" is the name of the brand. This design does not include the "Videography and Graphic Design" subtitle that the previous design does. While I feel like this design is not effective, I feel that it has aided in my understanding of writing with 3D lettering to create emphasis.
Creating a Logo: Concept Feedback:
Creating a Logo: Initial Logo Mock-ups:
Through feedback on my concept designs - I began to work on creating them in Adobe logo maker.
Design 1:
This design is based on my third concept. I layered the primary text as so it creates a 3D feel, as shown in my concept. I similarly left the subtitle un-bolded as to create contrast.
Design 2:
Creating a Logo: Initial Design Feedback:
Smart Objects > Convert to Smart Object
Adjustments > Replace Colour
Creating a Logo: Final Product:
Comments
Post a Comment