5 guidelines for logo design

The logo crafts the visual identity of a brand and is often the most identifiable feature for consumers, explaining why brands take such great pains (see: http://gawker.com/5150582/breathtaking-document-reveals-pepsis-logo-is-pinnacle-of-entire-universe) to ensure that their logos are well-crafted and immediately recognizable regardless of context. Some of these timeless design pieces can be seen in the Nike Swoosh, Adidas' 3 strokes and the golden arches of Macs. While some argue that great design immune to the test of time, it is common to see brands updating their logos to keep up with the evolution of the brand or to keep abreast of changing contexts (e.g. entering a different demographic). In any case, it is beyond argument that logos are what stick in the minds of consumers and a good use of this tool can indeed boost the memorability of your brand.

As a designer, I look out for certain features when designing logos, and these sentiments are shared by most other designers:

1) Ability to scale
Perhaps one reason why grand crests with extreme detailing are becoming less popular is due to the inability to scale. While detailing reflects an eye for the minute and are impressive when viewed up close, the contexts in which logos tend to be present in demand versatility especially in this day and age. On the small screens of phones or browser tabs, some logos become a blob of color due to the amount of detailing being lost when decreasing resolution. A general guideline would be to create a unique shape of the logo or to make the element in focus distinct. In this case, even when resolution is lost, viewers can still identify your brand from the general shape of the logo or its distinctive elements.

In the same vein, one has to be extra careful when following current trends, especially when it comes to extremely light lines and thin fonts. While these designs look futuristic and add a touch of class to any design, they will only work on high resolution mediums. This is more of a technical consideration as screens decide how to assign the final color of each pixel on a screen based on their own algorithms. On a display with lower resolution, the algorithm might decide that the average color of the pixel is the background color if your lines are too thin.

2) Losing color
Another popular mistake made by logo makers would be the obsessive use of colors to make their logo distinct. Examples would include

• using color as a distinguishing element ahead of shape 
• using a plethora of colors to convey a message
• use of complex coloration such as gradients 

In context specific design such as magazine or newspaper prints, one has direct control over how the logo will be presented, However, when required to produce the logo over a variety of mediums, such freedom is lost as the constraints of the medium are, depending on how well designed the logo is, made visible by the inadequacies in faithful reproduction of the logo. In order to avoid this, you should take pains to ensure that

• the shape of your logo should not be generic to the point that when color is lost, it is virtually indistinguishable (e.g. common geometric shapes or typefaces)
• the message you are trying to convey is not lost when the logo is reproduced in monochrome (e.g. a racial harmony logo like: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs7HtDwG1jRDT74zjujgmuRn_cRT_W9Ei1SspWMi-QRVVm9GdGfzNxntW_uaHyFrZd526hvITOPbOPCi6mM9fp9BvxnsoVnpyUMiGGB06pCf1yyVJX0sQdM4JF3va31HndrKKj7ldDmrkH/s1600/racialharmony.jpg will not carry any meaning once reproduced without color)
• avoid completely the use of gradients as they are complex to print and could result in extremely ugly rings of color and will be rendered unrecognizable when compressed into a low resolution format

That being said, if you have control over how the logo will be presented (e.g. if it will only be used in print publications), then it is OK to incorporate colors should it value add to your work. One point to note, digital media is most faithfully reproduced in RGB while CMYK would be more suited for print works. Another work around would be to have a set of guidelines for the logo that states how the logo should be reproduced, However, this will greatly reduce the versatility of the logo which might not be practical in some instances, especially when the logo is going to be used as a representation of a brand.

For some idea about the psychology behind colors: http://www.creativebloq.com/branding/choose-colour-logo-design-8133973 (I shall not pretend to be an authority on this)

3) Establishing a relationship between the logo and the brand/product

While some successful logos are totally abstract and unrelated to the brand or product, it can be seen that most embody some bits of the brand and what they are trying to sell. There is good reason as to why this is the case. When coupled with a message, a logo becomes a tool to inform consumers about what to expect from the company or product and allows them to decide if they are to buy into it. Abstract logos, on the other hand, no matter how well designed, remain only as a visual representation, which means that brands have to be able to communicate with consumers on another platform to signal their intents. That said, a brand with a rich history and communication with consumers (such as through ads or marketing campaigns) will be able to pull off abstract logos and then have more space to play with the aesthetics of it without having to be preoccupied about the message that it conveys. Ultimately, for a fresh brand, the logo is a good way to communicate to consumers about what your company does and what it believes in.

One key consideration when establishing this relationship would be to consider the demographics of your target group. After all, different signs and symbols are associated differently in different parts of the world. (e.g. the lucky number 8 in the Chinese culture has no significance in the west). Also, if one is to target the masses, it is not advisable to incorporate obscure references or sophisticated linkages between the logo and the brand. This is so as the ability of the logo to speak for itself is ultimately limited by the knowledge of your target group. 

Finally, while it may be impressive to be able to represent all of a brand's beliefs in a logo, this is certainly not necessary as it might only serve to confuse should the logo become too cluttered. Remember that the logo is the first point of contact between the brand and the consumer but is certainly not the only one. The first impression imposed on consumers should be one that invites them to buy into a product or philosophy rather than to bother them about the nuances of the brand.

4) Know your space

When asked to think about a logo, what comes to mind would be what's in the foreground. However, a logo is much more than that. It is well known that objects in close proximity exert influence on each other, affecting the overall design's unity, balance, hierarchy, scale, emphasis and contrast. It is for this reason that logo designers often require those who utilize the logo to follow strict guidelines regarding how much space must be left between the logo and any other elements. In this way, the logo will be perceived as a standalone entity and convey the message intended. Furthermore, the negative space will bring attention to the logo. 

On the note of negative space, negative space can also be used to great effect on logos. Since logos inherently occupy small spaces, the screen/print estate is limited. By carefully using the negative space within the logo, one can create tasteful design without adding to clutter. 

Additionally, since logos are often going to be placed next to brand names or product names, you might want to create some templates with the placement and relative sizing of the logo and names to ensure that they look good together. 

5) Do not copy

Well, this is pretty self-explanatory. No one wants their designs copied and in any case, it is theft of intellectual property. For all the talk the copying is the most sincere form of admiration, I would be pretty annoyed if someone did copy my work wholesale without informing me. Apart from avoiding pissing people off and the legal complications that infringement of IP brings, there is indeed a selfish reason why you shouldn't copy. A logo often entails more than a design. It includes the message that the original was trying to convey. By copying a logo, you have inadvertently imposed the values and perception of another brand on yours. While that might not be all detrimental, it takes away the ability of the designer to design the message. Contrary to copying, you should instead look for brands that sell similar products/believe in similar philosophies to analyse what they are doing right. Creating a list of what worked and what didn't will prevent you from making the same mistakes others did and allow you to gather feedback about what your target audience likes without even releasing your design!

Anyway, these are just some of my thoughts! Do comment if you disagree with my points or if you think I missed out something really important or perhaps just a message you want to leave :D Do look out for my next post on how I applied these on the CORE logo!