As logo designs are specific to companies and upholds their brand identity, designing logos is entirely a subjective and creative profession. Taking up this job requires the designer to consider various critical factors. Creative efficiency plays a vital role while taking logo design decisions.
Although clients will discuss the scope, appearance and objective of a logo before the designer conceptualizes it, it should be kept in mind that the designer is in fact, the better person to understand the scope of a logo.
There are clients who will often demand fulfillment of exact specifications, such as “Make the logo colour red”, “Adjust font size to 16 pt”, “Set a circular image”, etc. This not only narrows the scope of the designer, but also gives him hardly any opportunity to attempt something different. However, there are also clients who trust the decisions of a designer and gives him the liberty to bring their innovative thoughts into action.
While attempting to design an eye-catching brand logo design, you must carefully choose the right elements for the design. However, where most designers fumble is in their choice of types of logo. The following points will assist you make the right choice while working on client projects:
Type-based Logos:Type based or textual design is a common form of logo design. Here, you may mention the name of the company in either a plain or stylized typeface. This helps register the name of the company in the minds of the customer at the first look. For instance, the logos of famous brands like FedEx, Google, Microsoft, YouTube, etc. has given them their brand identity.
Symbol-based Logos:Symbol based logos are based on specific symbols. Here, the company name is not visible in the logo. So, you are required to be creative with the designs so as to generate a lasting impression on customers. The symbol may include a pictogram, a figure, a mark or a specific symbol that portrays what the company stands for. Famous brands like Apple, Puma and Shell makes use of such a logo design to represent their corporate identity.
Abstract Logos: Many companies make use of abstract logos to represent their brand identity. Such logos use innovative signs or graphics that sums up the identity of the company for the target audience. However, as a designer, you should keep in mind that creating such a logo requires you to do a detailed research about the company. For instance, LabVantage Inc., a software company, uses a logo that has a reverse “V” sign to indicate their growth potential.
Initial Based Logo: You may also opt to form you client’s logo based on their initials. Use brief initials instead of using lengthy names to represent your client’s trademark. This makes the brand known by the acronym used. For instance, the logos of Honda and Mac Donald’s best qualify as an initial based logo where they use ‘H’ and ‘M’, respectively.
Badge Style Logos: Badge or emblem style logo is mostly used to represent automobile, sports brands or universities. The logos of car brands like BMW, Mercedes or universities like Howard or Oxford have badge style logos.
Whatever be the style of logo you choose, you should always keep in mind that custom logo design is not an easy task. Use your skills to the best to create something that sets a benchmark standard for other companies in the same sector.
