Unlike any other graphic design work, creating a logo needs a separate set of principles. Logo is a symbol of something that is interpreted. With a glance, people should be able to imagine the meaning behind the graphics.
When someone is looking at a particular logo, they should remember the company, what products and/or services it offers, and so forth. Logo is considered successful when the logo is easy to remember, created with a good shape, combined with good colors with text applied.
A series of analysis, research and design and process is what are happening behind a logo design. When design is made to represent something, it has to give all its necessities of attraction and information in a simple, yet creative ways.
Analysis of Needs
Analysis is needed as it would affect the outcome of a logo. Designers must first examine the company profile of the company, see what products and/or services it offers, background of the company, its visions and missions, and so forth. The aspects that will affect the outcome of a logo are:
- Culture.
- Politics.
- Economics.
- Social.
- Demographics.
- Type of company and their products/services.
Determine the Techniques
To create something out of nothing, one must have the means or techniques. This will relate on how the logo will be displayed: printed materials, multimedia, websites, products, etc.. The size, font type, logo shape, color, media will all affect the outcome.
Logo that will be printed small, rarely use much colors, and usually cheaper to make. On the other hand, logos that will be color printed and need details, are more complex to create and tend to be more expensive.
Trial and Error
Trial and error is an effective way to do things. A logo will start as sketches on paper before being implemented and illustrated on computers. With trial and error procedures, the logo's affection will be maximized.
The placements of each elements of design should be carefully designed. Each element will represent something. And each elements should not dominate others when it doesn't have to, and elements should resemble all the points taken from the analysis procedure.
Viewing Similar Logo
Viewing the variation of logo is made easier with the internet available today. Both the client and the designer can get influence on how the logo will be made by doing just a simple search. Searching similar companies with similar products and/or services can help both parties, and add insight and inspiration for the types of logo.
Creation by Creativity
Creating a logo needs through analysis. Below is a list of related keys behind the creation of a logo.
- Logo should be first sketched manually on paper. Manual sketches is the most effective way to produce design an interesting design.
- Use mathematical measure, usually marked by using squares, grids and lines. The purpose of using a mathematical measure is appropriate to keep the logo at its shapes, colors, etc.. A logo should be able to be seen perfectly and can be made in black, white and grey. By using a mathematical measure, the result is that the logo can be as a symbol of the product or the company in any conditions and sizes. This would also be helpful to third parties (resellers, distributors, subsidiaries, etc. that will need the logo).
- A good logo should be made as vector. Instead of using raster that uses pixels, vector uses path that enables it to be scaled without any distortions or changes in resolution and quality.
- A logo that is designed by using color psychology should keep its color, and doesn't change from the original color when it's in a print form or color digital form. Similarly, when the overlapping colors will be printed, the resulting color change. It would be helpful to understand the characteristics of color harmonies and color prints.
- Create alternate logos. This way give both the client and designer the vision of what is about to come. Creating a design pattern, effects, line effects, typography variations, rotations, shape effects, color effects, repetition, transformation, and so on.
- After the logo is created, the designer should establish guidelines regarding the logo. Since the created logo will be placed in all other design work, ranging from flyers, products, posters, billboards, etc., clients must understand where and which logo should be used on any circumstances. These guidelines will also help third parties for placing the logo.