Attention entrepreneurs- while you're trimming costs and allocating precious cash to build your company's infrastructure, you may be neglecting a vital area: your logo. Charlotte, NC marketing firm Asterisk Creative has created brand identities for over 20 firms since 2001. Their nationally-recognized design team discusses how to create a logo that makes the right impression right away.
(PRWEB) April 18, 2005 -- Attention entrepreneurs- while you're trimming costs and allocating precious cash to build your company's infrastructure, you may be neglecting a vital area: your logo. Your logo reaches everyone who has any contact with you and is the first impression someone will have of your company.
Because of its potential impact, your logo must offer a favorable impression of your business. Here are some of the guidelines we follow in designing new logos. Whether you hire an agency or decide to create it yourself, commit these rules to memory--or at least bookmark this article:
Logos are recognized by shape before color.
"Good logos have unique shapes that are quickly differentiated from the sea of other logos that the public sees every day," says Rob McCaskill, Asterisk Creative's Art Director. The shape must be simple, clean and quick. Sometimes logos are just the name of the organization in a well-selected font. And, yes, words—all by themselves—are shapes.
Complicated logos are more difficult to recognize.
Simple logos are recognized faster than complex ones. Strong lines and letters show up better than thin ones, and clean, simple logos reduce and enlarge much better than complicated ones. The goal of a logo is to be memorized, and like words, the simpler the better.
While your logo should be simple, it shouldn't be simplistic. "Good logos feature something unexpected or unique without being overdrawn," adds McCaskill. Look at the pros: McDonald's, Nike, Prudential. Notice how their logos are simple yet compelling. Anyone who's traveled by a McDonald's with a hungry 4-year-old knows the power of a clean logo symbol.
Start with black and white.
If it doesn't look good in black and white, it won't look good it any color. Also keep in mind that printing costs for four-color logos are often greater than that for one- or two-color jobs). Good logos are designed in black and white first. Color comes later. By the same token, logos should be judged in black and white first, then in color.
By evaluating the black and white version first, you get a much better idea of the shape, design and readability of the logo. Good design stands up well in black and white. Lousy design does not. Lazy designers know that bad design can be camouflaged by color. A logo shouldn't rely on color for its appeal, uniqueness or ability to be recognized.
Make it scalable.
It should be aesthetically pleasing in both small and large sizes, in a variety of mediums. A good rule of thumb is the "business card/billboard rule": Your logo should look good on both.
Choose an appropriate color.
Just like the shape of a logo, color needs to be simple and easy to recognize and memorize. Colors and color combinations used in logos should be unique so that the logo doesn't blend into the multitude of other logos. "Complicated color combinations with many different colors distract from the most important element of the logo- its shape," says McCaskill.
Again, think about memorization. It's pretty easy to memorize the colors of a tan and blue logo. On the other hand, the same logo design in tan and blue and green and teal and purple and red and black is not so easy to remember.
And yes, colors do mean things, but color trends change. The trick is to find the color combination that doesn't just work today but will maintain its appeal and meaning over time.
Certain colors (and combinations) work better than others for different types of businesses and products. It really doesn't matter what your favorite color is. Blue won't sell food, red doesn't do well for translating stability, and clear is not an option. There is plenty of research available pertaining to color psychology, but here is a quick reference for starters:
Black: seriousness, distinctiveness, boldness, power, sophistication, tradition
Blue: authority, dignity, security, faithfulness, heritage, corporate stability, trust
Brown/gold: history, utility, earthiness, richness, tradition, conservative
Gray/silver: somberness, authority, practicality, corporate mentality, trust
Green: tranquility, health, freshness, stability, appetite
Orange: fun, cheeriness, warm exuberance, appetite, speed
Pink: femininity, innocence, softness, health, youth
Purple: sophistication, spirituality, wealth, royalty, youth, mystery
Red: aggressiveness, passion, strength, vitality, fear, speed, appetite
White/silver: purity, truthfulness, faith, contemporary, refined, wealth
Yellow: youth, positive feelings, sunshine, cowardice, refinement, caution, appetite
Choose Colors Responsibly.
Besides choosing the right color, you have to be sure you can reproduce the colors in a variety of mediums. Some colors that look great when printed in spot color (or Pantone/PMS color) might fall apart when printed in four-color process. When that's the case, print materials will be compromised and more expensive to produce. Oranges and greens are particularly vulnerable to cross-color-model failure.
When designing (or hiring the design) of a logo, make sure that you're seeing the logo produced in spot (PMS) color as well as four-color process. If the colors don't match, change them until they do. Pantone sells a color formula guide that allows you to see a side-by-side comparison of colors produced in spot color and four-color process.
It's rare to get a second chance to make a first impression, and for an entrepreneur, every chance counts. The logo is the base for how your entire brand communicates, where everything begins. Following these tips will give you a strong foundation to build on.
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