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Simplicity > Complexity

What is the best advice for presenting any new material? Great question. “Keep it simple, stupid”, a quote fondly dubbed KISS, is a phenomenal methodology in conveying fresh information. Frankly, a complicated logo is very challenging to identify in a sea of advertisements. Focusing on a clean and uncluttered design is crucial to enhancing your brand’s memorability, especially during the time sensitive window when a customer first comes in contact with your logo.
Colour…is your logo eliciting the right emotions?

Did you know there is actually a legitimate science behind colour schemes? Humans are tremendously impressionable to the point that if a business wants to evoke a particular emotion it simply needs to lay subtle cues in the colour scheme. During the design process, spend time pondering what feelings your business wants to induce.

Are you in the lingerie product line? Consider using tones of red to portray a bold, sexy character. Work in the financial market? Perhaps a shade of green or blue will display a trustworthy and professional demeanour. Bottom line, research the array of emotions associated to each colour and master the science behind ROYGBIV.

Versatility is crucial

Remember that logos are no longer just signs suspended outside the company headquarters. Expect to do more than simply print this symbol on the front of magazines and flyers. Logos are everywhere and are accessible by nearly everyone on the planet. This obviously ranges from physically printed documents to digital devices to smatterings across social media.

With this in mind, reflect on how the logo will be utilised for advertising in the future and apply design considerations accordingly. Run through every possible permutation ensuring the design is malleable to each scenario without sacrificing value.

Here is a short list of common advertising possibilities to get the juices flowing:

• Clothing: T-shirts, caps, wristbands
• Size: Large and small
• Backgrounds: Range between extremes (black to white)
• Writing: Banners, flyers, display signs

Take it to the board

One of the best techniques to generating creative and effective designs is simply brainstorming a large assortment of possibilities. For a moment, gather the design team (or just yourself!) and allow all prospects fifteen minutes of fame. Write every idea down. Yes, that means the good, the bad, and the horrendously ugly.

This design methodology is rather common in business yet extremely powerful. Instead of eliminating candidates at first blush, this provides an environment for a design idea to grow, expand, and perhaps even combine with other ideas. Don’t sell an idea short until it has been fully investigated! Remember…NIKE is only a checkmark.

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Logo design is even more important in today’s fast-paced, online world. The need to stand out among the others is bigger than ever. These tips and tricks from professional designers provide some insight into great logo creation, but remember, these points only represent the tip of the iceberg in a very complex process.

Learning the Basics

Before one can even begin creating good logo designs, he must learn all the basics behind this process. Among other qualities, most successful logos are practical, graphic, distinctive, appropriate to the subject matter and simple in form.

Simple designs offer easy recognition and versatility in the logo world. Great logos include a unique or unexpected element without becoming overly complicated. Logos must also be memorable. One of the basic goals of logo design is to help customers and other parties to remember the company.

It is also important to focus on longevity when designing a logo. Once a company has established its brand and logo, the costs of switching to another one are high. For this reason, a good logo designer ensures that his logo will remain effective for many years.

Good logo also work effectively across many different applications and mediums. For example, a good logo design looks great on a billboard and on a mobile-friendly website. Even after meeting all these criteria, a logo cannot reach its full potential if it is not appropriate to its subject matter.

Avoid Clichés

When brainstorming, there are many elements that always come into mine for almost any purpose. For example, a designer trying to create an element to represent an “idea” will almost always think of a light bulb. One trying to portray an “international” symbol may think of a globe symbol.

However, these types of symbols are the first to come to mind for a reason, they are common. For a logo designer, common is not a good thing. A logo cannot stand out among the competition with basic, common elements. Designers must stay away from these visual clichés and use creativity to come up with a different element.

Research and Communication

Although some may believe it, logo design is about much more than creating something “pretty.” Professional logo designers understand that they are playing an important role in the development of an entire brand. They know that in-depth research is essential to success and communicate regularly with their clients throughout the process.

Communication between the designer and the company is especially important during the early stages of the process. It can be easy to misinterpret the direction or message a company needs in their logo, and a logo that doesn’t fulfil its true intended purpose is a complete failure. Clear, open communication in the beginning helps eliminate these problems.

While there are many more professional logo design tips out there, understanding the true importance and complexity of logo design is the true key. It is very rare that a great logo is created without the help of a professional designer, and a business with a sub-par or even average logo is simply missing opportunities for sales and value growth.

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While there are many different factors that determine whether a logo is successful or not, logos that are especially “clever” have a better chance at grabbing your target market’s attention. To help explain the difference between clever and plain logo design, let’s take a look at a standard logo: dowjones.

While there is nothing wrong with this logo and many would argue that it promotes the correct feeling and general effect, it doesn’t go the extra step towards being creative and unique. Truly clever logo designs invoke a unique emotion due to the brilliance of the idea and execution behind the design. These logos are curiously clever and very difficult to create:

1 – Chad 2010

This logo is both simple and unique. The attractive ribbon elements provide the foundation for a great design, but its use of both a human facial profile and the continent of Africa make it stand out. Designs like this one tend to stay in the consumers memory for longer than more basic logo designs.

2 – Bipolar

When it comes to clever, the Bipolar logo may take first prize. A logo design like this one’s makes it look easy! However, creating a design like the Bipolar logo takes a different perspective and a lot of creativity. The way these basic symbols represent the world below is purely brilliant.

3 – Inequality Records

If you can’t tell what makes this logo clever, take a closer look. The standard “equal” symbol has been slightly altered so that the bottom rectangle is longer than the top rectangle. Like the Bipolar logo, the Inequality Records logo is simple, but very memorable. Not to mention that it matches the brand name perfectly.

4 – Infinity Crime Studio

Another commonly recognised symbol has been altered to create a clever logo design in this Infinity Crime Studio logo. The infinity symbol matches with a one part of the brand name and its alteration matches with the other. Again, simplicity is not always a bad thing in design!

5 – Eveva

The Eveva logo is clever in its own way. It looks and feels like an ambigram, a word or phrase that reads the same even when flipped upside-down. However, this logo is actually not an ambigram. While the “e” and “a” are the same, the “vev” in between won’t work when flipped over. This illusion could really stick in the memory of the right target market.

6 – Country Living Dentistry

This logo for Country Living Dentistry may be the perfect example of a clever logo design. While you may not notice it at first, the white element in the middle can be either a white picket fence (symbolising country living) or part of a toothbrush (symbolising dentistry). Once you catch on to that creativity, it will be hard to forget this logo design. Many business owners make the mistake of trying to create their logo on their own. These clever logos prove that professional designers can make a big difference. A unique and memorable logo can be a powerful asset for your business!

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Understanding negative space in graphic design

Check out this image to see a great example of negative space usage. The optical illusion contains two separate images. The black chalice is the object that most people see first; however, if you focus on the negative white space in the image, you can see two faces looking at each other. This image helps to present the power of negative space in design.

Negative space in website design

Negative space is big in website design. A designer’s ability to use negative space between objects, text and other elements is key to his success. The negative space keeps the viewer focused on the intended element and aligns objects to be more appealing. Simple well-designed templates and organised structures add a lot of appeal to a web page with the use of negative space.

For example, if your page title or logo element is on the top-left of the page and there is no negative space between the top-left corner of the viewing area and the top-left corner of the element, then the viewer will have a hard time focusing and reading the content. Proper alignment and consistency in negative space throughout the layout presents a clean easy-to-read webpage.

Negative space in images and logo design

When using negative space in images and logos, the designer should attempt to get users to focus on the intended objects. There are too many poorly designed images and logos that make viewers look all over the place. In these cases, the viewer may never see what they are looking for or what the business wants them to see.

An organisations logo is obviously very important to their brand image and marketability. Due to the high importance of logos, designers need to go above and beyond their normal practices. One of the most common extra elements in logos deals with their use of negative space. For example, the FedEx logo portrays a creative us of negative space in between the letters “E” and “x.” The space in between these letters looks like an arrow and adds appeal to the overall design. Check out the negative space in the Yoga Australia logo between the subject’s leg and back. This negative space forms a map of Australia!

Whether you’re designing a web site, brochure, image or logo, your use of negative space will make a difference. Get creative, but stay consistent and provide order and neatness to the design. You want your viewers to look at your design easily and remember it for a long time. The use of negative space in graphic design can help you achieve those goals.

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Your logo is important for a wide range of reasons and you may be surprised by just how much influence it can have on your business. The following list fully explains why having a good logo can make the difference between the success and failure of a business.

Build that initial trust

Your logo is your very first chance to grab a customer’s attention. When they see it, they’ll form an instant opinion on what you have to offer. First impressions can be quite powerful and if you have a lousy logo you’ll be playing catch-up from the very start.

You want your logo to let potential customers know that you mean business. You’re a professional organisation that should be trusted. You’re more than just a flash in the pan. You might even be a small business but that doesn’t mean you can’t deliver quality.

Make your logo design stand out

Many businesses haven’t quite grasped the advantages of a solid marketing plan. The focus is placed on the core business, leaving ‘extras’ like logos languishing in the background.

That gives your business a great opportunity to stand out from the crowd. Having a logo that exudes style and substance will grab the attention of a potential lead. Sitting pretty amongst other businesses that have dropped the ball will get you noticed.

Exude brand image

Every business has a target audience. Whether it’s the young teens looking to spend their pocket money, high-flying executives, or the yummy mummy, there’s a specific group that you’re looking to serve. Don’t you think you should cater to that audience by creating a logo the appeals?

It’s more than just whether your logo looks nice (though it obviously should!), but also whether it gives off the vibe you’re looking for. It’s about whether it ‘speaks’ to those that you’re looking to engage with. You only have a second to let them know you’ve got what they’re looking for. Use it well.

Keep your customers

Getting your hands on that new customer is always the hard part. However, don’t undervalue the ones you’ve already got. Companies are always making an effort to tempt people to try their services or products over yours and their spiffy logos twinned with solid marketing materials can make your business look tired and deflated.

Investing in your brand and image will let your customers know that you’re still at the top of your game. You care about what you’re providing and a logo refresh really makes that statement you’re looking for.

Learn from example

£4.6 million. That’s how much it cost BP for its new logo design back in the year 2000. It’s clear that the big companies really see the value in the design of a good logo. If the organisations that rake in millions every year see the value, don’t you think you should too?

Now we’re obviously not saying that you should spend anywhere near that for your new logo. Our argument is that your logo’s design should not be an afterthought. It should be given the attention it deserves as a decent logo can repay its initial investment very quickly by attracting droves of new clients.

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