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Learn some of the most important principles in designing a good and professional logo. When a logo does its job and how it should be designed to do its job. Learn how to make a logo and why free generators are not the best idea.
Table of contents
To start as befits, let's define terms to find out if there is a good logo and how it should be made.
A logo is a fundamental part of your company's identity. An important role as it plays is to build awareness of your company among customers. Often it is the mark that catches attention and is the reason for associating a company by its color, sigil or general emotions related to the perception of the whole mark.
A logo is otherwise known as a symbol, an inscription, a form of communication that allows people to associate you and your brand with certain values.
Often confused or interchangeable name for a logo. It is important to distinguish between these two forms because a logotype is a textual message otherwise the textual form of the sign included in the logo. Depending on the needs, a brand can use the signet and logotype separately in its communications as needed.
In order to take a good approach to designing a logo in our agency, we follow a process of briefing and the first workshop with the client during which we get to know the key aspects and information to better understand the expectations from the created logo. Our designer asks a series of questions so as to get to know the company as well as possible, its mission, values and what values and communication should be paid attention to while creating a logo. The more information we are able to obtain during the conversation, the better we will understand how to put all the knowledge on paper. Often important during the interview is to learn about the company's development plans, direct competition,
Examples of questions that are asked from our side before designing a logo :
After completing the workshop part, getting to know the company, its needs and the purpose of implementing the new sign, we can proceed to the stage of creating associations, building a mind map consisting of writing out all the phrases related to the client's business that come to mind.
We create a tree of meanings and logical diagrams
The buzzwords, phrases, phrases that are created in the heads build the overall structure of the tree. From the first passwords (often loose associations and phrases and adjectives) are formed the main passwords describing a set of given thoughts and associations.
The final result is a large base of thought in the form of a tree of meanings, which give a picture of the words that fit the implemented project.
The vast majority of generators and automakers can create a logo from 5 minutes. And these will be concepts more or less successful at the level of a 'postage stamp'. Drawing a logo is not clipart or graphics that 'somehow' look. A logo is an idea, it's a message and communication. A symbol of the value and often the quality the company stands for. This is the essence of the logo we work on together - to capture all or the most important features of the company and encapsulate them in a mark that will capture the essence and spirit of the company.
By systematizing the information gathered during the workshop, you can solidify your knowledge of the company and look for new ideas and inspiration for concept development. We start classically with freedom and a loose hand. The creative proposals prepared in the process of mind mapping and brainstorming will be used to illustrate them in the form of concepts, sketches for a sign, i.e. a signet. A piece of paper and a pen will be in motion. After all, any loose forms or seemingly unrelated sketches can, through a further process, emerge a single image that will give a basis for continuing the work through this very route.
How to make a logo for a presentation to a client ? Of course in monochrome ;). We want him to understand the philosophy of logo creation and the message we worked on. By creating a logo in the form of sketches we get the power of possibilities and the lack of creative limitations. After collecting more proposals together, the team determines (chooses) which of them are worthy of attention and can be refined already in the graphics program. Usually it is from 3 to 5 sign concepts that are transferred and refined in the vector program Adobe Illustrator. And such a version as a basic one is presented to the client along with a relevant description of the assumptions, values and meaning of the logo.
Logo presentation in black and white
In order to present the form of the logo and convey the idea, we present the selected logo design in black and white. Colors at this stage will unnecessarily add the possibility of distorted perception of the logo itself. Yes, color is an important aspect because it enlivens the mark, adding to its character, but the process of creating a color version is the next stage after building the foundations. The usual black and white version gains when color is added. However, it is worth knowing that a monochromatic sign looks good because often color effects, shadows, gradients can cover up imperfections of the sign.
Color version of the logo, and printing
Another aspect in designing a logo is to consider what type of surface it will primarily be used on. Different colors and effects will be possible for a logo designed for apparel, and others typically for paper print like business cards, folders or a website.
A good logo should be simple.
The simpler the logo in form, the easier it is to remember. Here are some simple rules to help your logo fulfill its mission.
We covered the basics above. However, what is worth doing to make the logo technically sound?
Certainly the execution of the logo is a CMYK color version and vector form, this is the basis of the basics. Although we have already seen various versions of distorted logos created in photoshop ;)
Logo scaling and sizing
The logo should behave well in any resolution both smaller and large should be legible.
Color palette and color versions
It should look good in any color space : cymk, rgb, pantone, it is worth making proofs,
Alternative versions of the logo
What if the logo appears on a background which is its base color ? It is worth checking how the logo looks on various types of materials such as poster, website, business cards, advertising space on various types of portals. In the case when the version of the logo is vertical, i.e.: the signet occurs above the logotype, it is worth considering preparing a horizontal version of the logotype.
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