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What Is A Good Logo?
A good logo should immediately provide the viewer with a clue about your business. Have a look at our logo:
Instantly you should have the impression that we have something to do with creativity. That is spot on – we are a creative agency. However, a logo does not necessary have to be for a company. A logo can be created specifically for a product or product range, a group of people (club or association), a cause or an event. These are examples.
Anatomy of a Logo
Earlier we said a good logo provides the right impression. But how do you create the right impression in a logo? Let us break the logo down to its elements which will help you to understand:
1. Text
The logo must include the name of your company, product, group, cause or event. Sometimes for an online business such as ours, you can add another dimension by including the ‘dot com’ part even if that is not your business name. We have done just that.
2. Icon
Many studies have shown that humans recall best when there is a symbol with text because together there is more complete meaning. The icon element of a logo is optional and may not be suitable for all types of logos. The icon element is the symbol or image element of the logo.
If an icon is included as part of your logo, on its own it should have some significance. It should represent a key aspect of your business, product, group, cause or event. For example, we use a slotch of colour as our icon elemetn. Otherwise, it will be more difficult to create meaning to the overall logo. The exception is if the company logo has strong awareness. It is then possible to create a product logo that resognate the corporate logo. In this case the product logo is taking some of the equity created from the company logo.
3. Colours
Many studies have also shown the significance of colour in memory recall. The role of colours is in creating emotions. These emotions are actually memory recalls from past experience and cultural or societal norms. It conjures up images in our minds. For example:
Pink = girly/ feminine, soft/ warm
Blue = masculine, corporate
Orange = dawn, warmth, intimacy
So the colours of your logo have a very large role in the colours of your brand and subsequently the feel of your business in general. That is why the development of your logo is actually the very starting point in developing your brand identity.
4. Font type
Font type or the style of the text element also contributes to the impression that you want to imprint. It can also elicit an emotion and create images in people’s minds. For example, a calligraphic style suggests tradition, premium and elegance.
A combination of font types can be used. For example in our logo we use two types of font: a free hand-drawn style and formal block style. The effect of the contradiction suits our intentional message of being creative or different.
Logo Rules
As the owner of your brand, you should also understand how to use your logo so it strengthens your image. It is quite sacrilegious to miss-use this brand investment.
Rule#1 – Never separate the icon and text element
If your logo has both a text and icon element, they must never separate because together it is the logo. In isolation, they are merely elements. If you wanted flexibility to change the symbol or image part, then your logo should have initially been created without the icon element. For example, with our logo we will never separate the paint splotch (icon element) with the words Kaosdzine.com (text element)
Rule#2 – Never crowd your logo (with some exceptions)
You must give prominence to your logo by ensuring empty space around the perimeter of it. Within this empty space, no text or images should be present. There should be no confusion to what is included and excluded from your logo.
The only real exception is when using a transparent version of the logo onto a coloured or patterned wallpaper or background. If you are doing this, make sure it is clear what is part of the wallpaper and what is part of the logo. Also, make sure that your logo colour is not lost or merged with the coloured background.
Rule#3 – Never change the colours of your logo (with some exceptions)
Your original or master logo will contain your corporate colours. These colours on your master logo should never be changed.
The exception is complementary colours or acceptable variations of your logo colours. You must not determine what these colours are. Only creative designers will understand what colours are complementary and will provide you with options. From there, you can decide which variations you will adopt as acceptable variations.
Variations are necessary because there are many diverse possible applications of your logo. For example in a promotional pen, the physical space allowed for your logo is very small. To fit into that allocated space you must proportionately shrink your logo. However, this will reduce the clarity of your logo and often it will become illegible. The more intricate your logo is the more illegible it will become. For this reason, an acceptable variation of your logo can be a solid single colour.
Another exception is if you re-brand or refresh your brand.
Rule#4 – Have supporting symbols to support your identity (optional)
It is a good idea to include a suite of symbols with your logo. This allows you to add variety to your material. These are complementary to your logo and do not have to appear with your logo at every instance. For example, the stick figure girl found on our website is our complementary symbol. She is also on our business cards and other material.
Summary Tips
A good logo:
1. Enable the viewer to form an immediate impression of what type of business you are in.
2. Every part (element) of the logo is intentional and plays a role in shaping the impression of your business.
3. Have logo rules in place to ensure consistency to strengthen your brand.
4. Your corporate (master) logo initiates and shapes your brand identity.
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© Copyright Kaosdzine 2010
About the Author
Christina has over 13 years of marketing experience and currently owns an outsourced creative agency, Kaosdzine. Kaosdzine specialises in graphic design, web design and web development but also complementary services such as copy and content writing, SEO and Marketing.
Previously, she set up and operated the first Direct Marketing agency in Vietnam focusing on online campaigns. Christina was responsible for generating revenue, acquiring new accounts, developing campaign strategies and overseeing project execution. Clients she secured included Unilever, Liberty Insurance and Dermalogica.
Her previous roles included being the Marketing Manager for a financial services business and an electricity retail business. In these roles she learnt how to consult and influence different internal Sales clients to achieve optimum outcomes. Her key focus was to generate qualified leads through direct marketing campaigns, generate revenue from existing customers and reinforce the brand promise.
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