logo_design_theory

=Logo Design Theory= Communication Technology Notes

If the study of Communication Technolgy is intended to study the most **EFFICIENT** and **EFFECTIVE** ways to communicate and influence consumers, then consider how incredibly powerfull a simple LOGO can be. Even //mere fragments// of a well designed and well established logo can **effectively** evoke instant recognition, and with it, impressions, emotions and memories associated with the product. If a picture can paint a thousand words, a logo can be the epitome of consumer design **efficiency**.

Logo Creation - The Fundamentals
//SOURCE:// [|http://www.thestudyofdesign.com/articles_logo.asp]

A logo is a distinct, visual mark that signifies origin. The purpose of a logo is to serve as an identifier, to communicate a message, and to evoke a positive emotional response from the audience. A thoughtful design can enhance the client's image and give it an advantage against the competition. The logo is the heart of your identity system, that is anything that defines the character of an individual or company.

Three Basic Types of Logos

 * 1) Illustrative logos - vector icons that are scalable and generally simple in shape.
 * 2) Graphic logos - raster images that are photographic in nature: these logos are less scalable than illustrative logos; thus, generally one must work with many files at different resolutions.
 * 3) Text logos -font-based: the treatment of the text creates an individual impression.

Combinations of these three methods can also be used to create a logo.

Qualities of a Successful Logo

 * 1) **Timelessness** - A good logo should be difficult to date. For example, monograms, geometrical shapes, crayon colors, and bold san serif typefaces are indicative of the 1960's and 70's. Slashes were popular in the 1980's, and no one would argue the excessive use of the swoosh in the 90's. Durable logos generally steer clear of fashion and make their own statements.
 * 2) **Simplicity** - A simple logo communicates a message clearly and provides the best solution for reproduction and readability.
 * 3) Unique Features - Distinctive features are necessary to create a memorable visual statement. An intriguing visual statement uses content which engages the audience, possibly using vivid colors, interesting illustrative elements or an optical illusion.
 * 4) **Symbolic Meaning** - The visual statement should also have symbolic meaning, conveyed with either literal or metaphorical imagery.
 * 5) **Engaging Content** - In an instant, your logo must enable the audience to notice you, interpret your message, distinguish you from others in your industry, and remember you.

5 Steps to Logo Production

 * Assessment
 * Design
 * Production
 * Presentation
 * Delivery

> > > > > > > >
 * 1. Assessment
 * What is the purpose? To produce a successful logo, you must first, identify the intended function. Take the initiative to solve the design problem. Do preliminary research. Build knowledge about the individual or company that you are trying to define on a most fundamental level. You must gather a great deal of information and then reduce it to a single focus - what is to become the logo.
 * Who is the audience? You cannot create a logo until you know what it is supposed to do and to whom it is supposed to appeal. Know your audience. Different audiences read symbols and designs differently. Analyze the age, geography, culture, and other relevant information about your intended audience to maximize your potential and limit your liabilities.
 * 2. Design
 * Form follows function. Once you have completed your "needs analysis," you must generate creativity. Brainstorm. There may be one message, but there are a many ways to convey it. There are as many ways of getting ideas for producing your logo, as there are solutions to your design problem - infinite.
 * You might do a number of thumbnail sketches, take the best ones, and create new ones from those. Good ideas generate better ideas.
 * Play with shapes on a computer screen.
 * Make a collage
 * Look at books, magazines, or other printed pieces.
 * Check out symbol dictionaries at the library.
 * Visit the bookstore, the zoo, museums, the arcade, churches, restaurants, etc. Examine media and architecture and think about the impressions the creators attempt to stir in you. Then apply these ideas to your own work. Listen. Listen to music; listen to people. Get the opinions of others.
 * Educate yourself.
 * Collect visual experiences for inspiration.
 * Create lists of words, images, and ideas related to the project. Try free association. Try anything that will get your brain to shift into "creative mode."
 * 3. Production
 * Form
 * Now that you have a direction and your brain is in "creative mode," you must produce actual forms. There are several general points to consider in the creation of your symbolic form. KISS - Keep It Simple Stupid. Study simplicity and favor abstraction. Keep a balance of light and dark shapes. Apply parallelism and repetition. Create contrast. Strive to create forward, progressive movement in your design and search for unusual views or perspectives. To test the shape of a design, turn it upside down to see it anew and spot its flaws. Look at it from a distance. Can you still read the form? First impression - what does it look like at a glance? Your design should look as good on an ant as it does on an elephant. You never know what size or on what medium your logo will appear.
 * Color
 * Always design initially in black and white - color masks flaws in forms. Color is a secondary, but still important decision in logo design. Color carries emotional connotations (such as "blue means sad") as well as functional values (such as "green means go"). You can transform colors traditionally associated with specific forms, but you should not completely disregard them as you design. Remember reproduction and viewing environments for color are difficult to control, and logos with many colors are attractive but can be cost-prohibitive to produce. If you are designing for web, you will use the universal color palette, and if you are designing for print, you will use Pantone colors and CMYK composition. Specify CMYK alternatives for your Pantone colors.
 * Typography
 * Also, consider typography in your design. Serif is easier to read in print and carries a more traditional, conservative tone. San Serif is modern and easier to read on screen. Remember that decorative fonts are not always clear at small sizes and are better for other aspects of design than logos. Try to use all uppercase or lowercase, because a mix breaks the bounding box and can disrupt an otherwise attractive form. There are two common layouts of combination text and icon logos: title below the graphic and title to the right of the graphic. You may want to design using both layouts, because different situations call for either a horizontal or a vertical graphic.
 * Meaning
 * Reflect on the meaning you convey with the forms, fonts and colors you choose. Observe the ideas transmitted visually in modern media and apply this symbolic language to your own work. For example, curves signify softness, caring and support, and straight, sharp lines are aggressive and show strength. Warm colors generally energize, while cool colors soothe and create a sense of calm. These underlying themes are as important at the overall metaphor that you may choose to use for your design. Understand all of the nuances of your design, and develop a written concept for each logo that describes the ideas behind the creation of the design and the intended effect for the viewer. Often writing down corresponding ideas before and after your design process will help your design mature and help prevent underdeveloped ideas from reaching the presentation stage.
 * Save
 * As you create interesting solutions - ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS, SAVE YOUR WORK AS YOU GO. SAVE YOUR WORK AS YOU GO. SAVE YOUR WORK AS YOU GO. Save back-ups of your work on zip disks, on the web, on your hard drive, printed hard copies - all of these ways to save - do it - all of them. SAVE. SAVE. SAVE. Otherwise, you will live to regret it. It is inevitable.
 * Sort and Review
 * Once you have several solutions, sort them into "good," "so-so," and "just plain ugly." Do not throw the ugly ones away. Put them along with the "so-so" in your "creative collection" to pull out for later reflection. Now, look at your "good" prototypes again. Are they all good? Are you sure? Are you absolutely-positively sure? There are two hard and fast rules that follow client selection of a design. One is that every client will want a mixture of elements from all that you presented (a common number is 3). A good designer foresees this and considers possible alternatives ahead of time. The other is that if the client doesn't want a combination of the three, the client will most definitely choose the most unattractive logo that you present. Make certain that you can live with whatever mock-up the client may choose.
 * 4. Presentation
 * Showmanship
 * Never present a client with a large number of prototypes, because this encourages indecision and lengthens the process. You decide which are best, and then present them in hard copy, black and white, and mounted on black mat. Explain your concepts as you present your pieces. Your logos should speak for themselves, but you must also inspire confidence in your client in your abilities to design analytically as well as creatively. After the client has chosen the form, then present the client with different color palettes. Showmanship and professionalism are important aspects of design. A client is often paying for the actual logo, presentation, and documentation.
 * Documentation
 * A graphic standards manual is the document that accompanies a logo. This document tells when, where, and how the logo may be applied. This document is very important, because it requires consistent use of the logo that is necessary for effective branding. Some companies have graphic standards manuals with more pages than Gone with the Wind. This kind of documentation can be under separate billing, but it doesn't hurt to initially put together a small document that briefly defines important information about the logo and how it should be applied.
 * Trademarks
 * Inform the client of the importance of trademarking the logo. Two good resources for this information are: NameProtect.com and 4Trademark.com
 * 5. Delivery
 * After the client makes a final selection, you must deliver the tangibles. You should release the logo to the client in a number of formats. Adobe Illustrator native format (AI) can be read by Illustrator, Freehand, and Corel Draw. EPS can be imported into most Mac and PC desktop publishing software. You should provide these two formats as well as a 72 dpi GIF that is a screen ready version already sized for usage and a 300 dpi TIF. Also give the clients black and white and color hard copies. Don't forget to convert every element, including typeface, to outlines (record fonts used in the graphic standards manual). This measure will often forestall client troubles with file usage. Always save copies for your portfolio.
 * All that is left for you to do is to practice your talent, hone your awareness of your environment and how it affects you visually, attack your design problems analytically as well as creatively, and present your ideas with style and confidence. Your abilities will mature with experience.