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One of the preeminent American art directors and graphic designers of the twentieth century was Paul Rand. Renowned for his designs of corporate logos, Rand was responsible for some of the most recognizable brands including the logos for IBM, UPS, Westinghouse, and ABC, just to name a few. Inarguably a genius of design, he once famously stated, “If, in the business of communications, ‘image is king,’ the essence of this image, the logo, is the jewel in its crown.”
The man knew what he spoke of. We here at Little Dragon have taken Paul Rand’s sentiment to heart. We believe that the logo is the essence of the brand, and that graphic design must be natural and completely original to have a brand stand out from the crowd. Take a look at these 10 graphic design tips for a kick-ass logo.
There is infinitely more to logo design than just pretty images. Brand development is a vital component to creating a kick-ass logo. The most successful brands on Earth, are the ones that excel at storytelling that resonates with the right audience, and consistently conveys the right tone.
Take Apple’s logo, for instance. It exemplifies the company’s mission statement and tells a story that resonates with the masses – One that embodies user-friendliness, simplicity, and creativity.
It may be appealing to create a logo that’s complex, in an effort to make it interesting. Yet, more often than not, simplicity is your friend. Some of the most famous brands (think the aforesaid Apple, Nike’s swoosh, or IBM) all have logos that contain few elements and are incredibly simple. The visual imagery a brand’s logo conveys plays a vital role in the overall success of that brand.
Colour plays a vital role in conveying ideas and feelings, which is the purpose of any logo. Because a logo is the ethos of a brand, it should instantly evoke an emotion and grab the attention of a target audience. The power of colour in logo design is very influential in communicating meaning. That said, a kick-ass logo must be versatile, and still function in grayscale, or black and white, for instance.
The most kick-ass logos are designed adhering to proportion and symmetry. In the graphic below, the circles show how the Apple logo has consistent arcs and curves. By making it proportional as well as symmetrical, the logo is well balanced and creates a pleasing aesthetic.
One of the main reasons for having a logo in the first place is that immediate association with the brand. This is crucial. A kick-ass logo should be memorable, something that is uniquely recognizable. It must convey the right identity and meaning that resonates with people, thus, making the logo instantly recognizable out in the world.
Versatility is key for kick-ass logo design. A logo should be easily adaptable for a variety of mediums, be it on products, websites, business cards – anywhere with brand recognition.
There is a profound difference between “modern” and “trendy”. A kick-ass logo embodies a modern aesthetic. It epitomizes the characteristics of the respective times, but without losing its identity and that of the brand it represents. On the other hand, “trendy” is very much of-the-moment. It will inevitably fizzle out, usually faster than anyone thinks. Always lean towards modern, not trendy with logo design. Take a gander below at the evolution of the Starbucks logo. Each one effectively represents the respective period, but still conveys the ethos of the brand.
Although not always applicable (ie. the Apple logo), adding a sense of motion to logo design can be advantageous. In 2012, Twitter rebranded their logo to much fanfare and lauding. The company changed the colour and shape of their famous bird logo, tilting it ever so slightly upwards. That upward trajectory denotes movement, making it more unique from both a conceptual and visual sense.
Some of the most kick-ass of all logos contain customized typography. Unfortunately, the custom font in a logo is all too often undervalued. Yet, it is one of the vital elements in making a logo unique and memorable. Be mindful of the dreaded clichés, or overused design styles, however. Take a gander below at the iconic Coca-Cola logo, which perfectly embodies effective use of typography.
“Meaning” has been mentioned a couple times already I this article, and it is crucial for kick-ass logo design. Random images, colours, and words lumped together will never succeed in creating an effective, memorable logo. Succinctly defining a brand’s mission statement, something that represents its identity and conveying its story, is vital in creating a kick-ass logo.
Sarah Bauder is a senior content specialist at Little Dragon Media. Sarah has a degree in journalism and has a decade of experience writing content at numerous renowned publications. She enjoys writing about digital marketing, business, entrepreneurship and more.
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Ken Weingart | Ken Weingart Photography
"They understood my business and my desire to reach clients in Dubai, India and the Middle East. Their prices and delivery of the final website were very good. I recommend them to anyone who has a complex business that needs specialized care."
Andrew Thomas | Dubai Investors Link
"It was a pleasure working with Amine and his team. They designed business cards for me and I am very happy with how they turned out. Amine did everything he could to make sure I was satisfied with the final product, and the price model was clear and transparent from the get-go."
Andrew Muller | Louis Interiors
"I'm quite happy with the branding services I received from Little Dragon Media. I hired them to help me with personal branding and competition analysis and they always delivered within a timely and efficient manner."
Hakan Okuyucu | Remax Hallmark Realty
"My team had a great experience working with Little Dragon Media. We worked directly with Corey, who is a responsive, personable and talented graphic designer. We couldn't be more impressed with the quality job. Highly recommend!"
Carly Rooney | Monroe Community College
"Little Dragon were a very efficient and professional digital marketing agency... reliable and fast which is what we needed for our start-up. We Highly recommend them."
Omran N. | SEEBA Works
"Little Dragon Media worked on developing our logo and website. They did an absolutely AMAZING job... I will only trust these guys to work on any projects that I have in the future."
Sonia N. | Nutt's Country Cabins
"I recently had the opportunity to work with the team over at Little Dragon on a complex website I was launching, their service was by far one of the best I’ve ever experienced."
Mike K. | Dubuc Motors
"My team had a great experience working with Little Dragon Media. We worked directly with Corey, who is a responsive, personable and talented graphic designer. We couldn't be more impressed with the quality job. Highly recommend!"
Carly Rooney | Monroe Community College
"I'm quite happy with the branding services I received from Little Dragon Media. I hired them to help me with personal branding and competition analysis and they always delivered within a timely and efficient manner."
Hakan Okuyucu | Remax Hallmark Realty
"It was a pleasure working with Amine and his team. They designed business cards for me and I am very happy with how they turned out. Amine did everything he could to make sure I was satisfied with the final product, and the price model was clear and transparent from the get-go."
Andrew Muller | Louis Interiors
"They understood my business and my desire to reach clients in Dubai, India and the Middle East. Their prices and delivery of the final website were very good. I recommend them to anyone who has a complex business that needs specialized care."
Andrew Thomas | Dubai Investors Link
"I highly recommend Amine for all one's promotion and marketing needs. If you are looking for that combo of knowledge, patience, warmth, generosity of time and energy, you cannot go wrong"
Ken Weingart | Ken Weingart Photography
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