Logo design has become the one of the most competitive marketplaces on Earth. Studies made by marketing professionals and graphic designers, about the impact of logos and ideograms over the years, have revealed that humans are highly visual creatures attuned to style and aesthetics. Logos serve a variety of purposes; they are used for identification, branding and communication. Here are just some of the reasons why a logo can make or break your business.
Logos Mark Beginnings
New businesses begin with ideas, and logos usually come next. Entrepreneurs can convey a main idea or multiple thoughts into one logo. Two of the immediate purposes are to establish a visual platform for recognition, and start down the road to brand building. Logos are highly purposeful concepts, and this is why it’s essential for businesses to sit down with a professional and work on creating a design brief.
A strategy often employed by logo designers is to get their clients to write down several single words or adjectives that describe their ideas, business functions and objectives—before moving on to the conceptual design stage. It is also a good idea to get key people involved, such as business principals and employees.
Distinction at First Glance
A logo is truly successful when it achieves iconic status. A single mention of Twitter immediately brings to mind the cute bluebird logo. In the past, mentioning the word Android would have conjured up images of science fiction films, but these days it’s more likely to evoke a vision of a curious green robot. Powerful logos manage to enter the realm of popular culture and ingrain themselves into the collective consciousness, such as McDonald’s golden arches and the United States Army star. In the vast ocean that is today’s competitive business environment, the right logo can help consumers choose between different brands.
Napkin Sketches
Business history is filled with mentions of startups that began with a rough outline of a plan and a logo hastily drawn on a napkin. Some of these famous stories include the logo of Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin business empire, the Porsche logo, and Paramount Pictures’ iconic mountain. People love these stories because they shine a light into the amazing spirit of entrepreneurs, but the reality is that these napkin doodles quickly found their way to a logo designer. The world of graphic design is filled with highly influential nuances and subtleties that call for expertise. Had Virgin chosen to stay with Branson’s crude doodle, history may have played out differently.
The World of Typography
Graphic design owes a lot to typographers. They are responsible for making visual communication both pleasurable and mesmerizing. They are the technically inclined passionate nerds of the visual arts. Logo design firms often consult typographers for inspiration and highly technical aspects of the logo creation process. Typographers are visual psychologists who are well versed in the intricate ways in which we interact with text.
Some of the world’s most recognizable brands base their strength on typographical logos. Think about Pizza Hut, the Facebook lettering or the Toys “R” Us logo; these may seem like fancy written versions of the company’s name, but a significant amount of careful design went into making them visually appealing.
Logos Are Forever
Successful companies that realize their logos are intrinsic to their achievements take extra steps to ensure their logos are curated (make sense and are effective) and then protected. Michael Dell at one point employed hundreds of designers to ensure that his iconic Dell Computer logo met the stylistic requirements of our times. Polaroid has transformed itself as a business many times over, but the company’s logo has pretty much stayed the same. Even after a company departs the marketplace, its logo survives and sometimes becomes a marketable item.
There are several other considerations regarding logos—such as trademarks and redesigns—which are not covered here. The bottom line is that a logo is highly integral to your business, and should be given the right amount of attention.
Professional logos say a lot about a company. It is your first impression to the world. Avery Petersen, a personal consultant and brand marketer, provides his clients with advice on how to put their best foot forward. Logomojo.com has been providing his clients with logos that represent them in the right way.
