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DELIBERATE DESIGN:
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Creating
Meaningful
Logos
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WHAT IS A LOGO?
The definition of a logo is:
A logo is a graphic mark, emblem, or symbol commonly used by
commercial enterprises, organizations and even individuals to
aid and promote instant public recognition. Logos are either
graphic (symbols/icons), or they are composed from the name of
the company or organization (called a wordmark).
Logos identify the business or organization.
Recognition hopefully leads to more business!
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WHAT MAKES IT MEANINGFUL?
 The logo ideally gives a good clue about what type
of business or organization it represents (i.e., a paw
print for a dog service.)
 A logo should be pleasing to the eye and memorable.
 A logo should represent the tone, or personality, of
the business or organization. (Serious? Fun? Edgy?)
 Recognition and association by the client or
audience is the goal. When they need what you
have, you want your logo to pop in their head!
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3
LOGO FORMAT IS VECTOR -VERY IMPORTANT!
 A logo should always be a vector, not raster. Vector is design
created using mathematical locations, formulas and functions.
Whereas, rasters use tiny points of color called pixels, the
amount which is dependent on the resolution.
 Vectors are extremely versatile when it comes to resizing. The
same design can be scaled down to dime -sized and enlarged
enough for a billboard without losing quality. Rasters are very
limited in scalability and will get the “ jaggies” or pixelated edges
if scaled too far.
 There are several professional standards of software programs
one can use that create vectors. Choose the one that suits you
best.
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WHERE TO BEGIN?
Let’s look at some logos to identify the effectiveness
 We may find
 We may find
 We may find
and finally…
 We may find
effective!
some logos that are just clearly bad.
some logos that are confusing.
some that are close but miss the mark,
some logos that are meaningful and
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5
LET’S LOOK AT WHAT DOESN’T WORK
 A-Co
RB Services
What is this? What goods
or services do they offer?
How would you know? Is
the yellow color
significant?
Okay, so we know it is
services, but what kind?
It could be anything from
HVAC to chiropractic.
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CONFUSING MESSAGES…
 Titan Construction
 Poodledoos Hair Salon
Why is there a flower?
Instead of building
construction, is it
constructing flower beds?
And how is Titan – a strong
foe – related to a delicate
flower???
Is this for pets? Or for
people? Is it for fur or hair?
Why are there scissors? Is
this a “stylish” cut for your
pet? Or will a human walk
out with a dog-ears style?
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7
A LITTLE BETTER…
 Super Style Studio
 Snazzy, Inc.
We have clues of color and
curves, but what type of
style? Is it body style,
clothing, or house décor?
Are the curving strands
suppose to indicate hair
styling?
While it looks a little fun, is
it for haircuts or hats? Is it
for kids and teenagers?
Could it be snacks? Why the
stars?
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NOW WHAT DOES WORK?
 Locksmith
 Repair Shop
Using both a graphic
combined with the word
“smith”, it is obvious that
this business is a locksmith.
The name doesn’t say what
kind of repair, but it is clear
with the graphic that this
business performs bicycle
repair.
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HOW TO START THE PROCESS
 Decide on the name of the company.
Use either something very relevant – i.e. your name - or something
very descriptive – i.e. Creative Design. ( Warning: Out-of-the-box thinking
is great but obscure, and unknown terms often go quickly from clever to
confusing .)
 Brainstorm ideas.
Brainstorm to write every associated word down that comes to
mind. Even list personality type traits. (Is it innovative? Is being
trustworthy a selling feature? Are there long standing traditions? Family owned?
Neighborhood oriented?)
 Sketch it out.
Once you have a name, create at least three thumbnails or quick
sketches. (Who is your client or audience? Narrow down the approach – the
method of gaining attention. Is it humor, simplicity, color contrast, etc.? Are there
symbols associated? Colors?)
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THE PROCESS CONTINUES…
 Design the logo.
Construct the logo using a good vector software program. Make
adjustments and changes until you are fairly satisfied. Create three
variations based on the basic logo. ( Try changing things like fonts or color
scheme. Perhaps rearrange placement of elements, but stay close to the original. )
 Gain feedback.
At this point feedback is even more important. Peers, instructors, or
people associated with the industry are great resources. See if likes,
trends, or common concerns surface.
 Make finishing touches.
Making tweaks, edits, and final revisions based on feedback and
perception should get you to a great logo - - one that you desire.
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AND FINALLY…
 Test the logo.
View the logo in black and white, and see how it presents. Did you
lose any impact? Is it less or confusing in any way? Save several
formats and check the quality of each one when applied to different
pieces. Make any changes needed.
 Defend your work.
As a designer you should always be ready to defend or explain your
design choices. Be ready to tell another why your choices were
deliberately made and were not just by chance. Defend why you
used certain graphics, fonts, color schemes and placement. This
explanation should include your approach and your tone, or how
you are hoping to make the audience feel, connect, or react.
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12
PERHAPS WE NEED A SLOGAN
 What is a slogan? It is a very brief but descriptive phrase that
goes along with the logo.
 It further explains something about the entity - - what it does or
how it does it.
Examples:
 The slogan could be as simple as “fast internet service.”
 Perhaps it tells you that the business is a “Professional Portrait
Studio.”
 Or the slogan can encourage you, like a very famous athletic
company with the slogan “Just Do it!”
 Or maybe you go to a certain fast food restaurant because they
promise you can “Have it Your Way!”
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IMPORTANCE OF SLOGANS
 Slogans can change confusing logos into clear ones.
(i.e. as with RB Services, “Income Tax Specialists”)
 Slogans can tell clients what to expect.
(i.e. “On time, every time!”)
 Slogans can differentiate your business.
(i.e. “Quality, not frills!” or “Service for foreign cars.”)
 Slogans show personality.
(i.e. “Fashion with an edge.”)
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REVISIT LOGOS WITH ADDED SLOGANS
Just for fun, let’s look at a couple of examples given
earlier and see what an added slogan can do for clarity.
Built to last, gentle on environment!
 A-Co now is clearly a fastcash business. The yellow is
as “urgent ” as the need for
quick cash.
 Now we see, sturdy
construction that doesn’t
destroy delicate
environments. Suddenly it
makes more sense.
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SLOGANS ADD SOME CLARITY
 Okay, so now we know it is
for pets, but pampered
ones that are treated like
people – thus the “hair ”
instead of fur.
 While it is unclear what
“snazzercise” is, it
obviously has some
connection to exercise and
transforming one into a
star.
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SUMMARY
 Logos should visually represent the business or
organization.
 They should give immediate clues about what the
business does. Add a slogan if needed.
 They must be vectors for scaling and quality. They
should be pleasing to the eye and memorable.
 Always design with the client or audience in mind,
because the business or organization would not exist
without them!
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