1. Understanding Logo Design
Web Design 35S

2. Contents: What is a logo? A short history of logo design
Why are logos important?
Types of logos
What makes a good logo?
The logo design process
Design principles

3. What is a logo?
A logo is the visual representation of a company or organization.
forms its corporate identity.
designed for easy recognition by the company’s audience.

4. Richard the Lionheart crest
A brief history of logo design.
Ancient Greece and Mesopotamia
Use on stationery & signs
Logos of rulers or towns
Middle Ages: church & commercial use
Masons, goldsmiths, paper makers, and nobility
Widespread by 1700’s
Richard the Lionheart crest

5. A brief history of logo design.
Industrial Revolution
Mass production, mass distribution
Better logos
America,
More competition leads to brands

6. Logos have become the faces of business and our economy.
Today:
Huge diversity
Logos have become the faces of business and our economy.
The general public has become very responsive to logos
the need for innovative and well thought-out logos is central to a company’s success.

7. Why are logos important?
Logos trigger people’s memories of previous experiences with the company
Simple and direct way of promoting
A logo describes a company or organization without a lengthy explanation.

8. Types of Logos
Letter type
Symbol type
Letter & symbol type

9. What makes a good logo? Simple Versatile
should be instantly recognizable
number of colours used should be minimized
Easy to read big or small, in different places
Envelopes or billboards
Packaging or television
Distinctive
Distinguishes the company from others
Doesn’t violate copyright

10. The Logo Design Process
First steps
Conceptual development
Begin with the formulation of objectives and a verbal description of the logo
Who is the target audience?
What is the purpose of the logo?
What should it look like to meet that purpose?
Preliminary sketches to develop the idea
Present to the client
Refine the sketches into near-finished product

11. All about communication
Design principles

12. “C.R.A.P.”
Contrast
Repetition
Alignment
Proximity

14. Contrast Makes things stand out from each other. size value hue
orientation
texture
shape
position

15. Contrast Hockey Canada: where is the contrast?
White, red and black stand out against each other and sets off the player
High noticeability
Meaning of colours?

16. Repetition Repetition adds emphasis and pattern
Olympic rings: what do the repeated, interlocked circles represent?
Strength, unity, continuity…

17. Alignment Connect elements visually Not aligned = eye catching
Mercedes-Benz logo is centered
Radial symmetry
Very balanced
Looks organized; communicates quality

18. Alignment Facebook logo Aligned asymetrically Adds visual interest
Lets the eye go back and forth, left to right
Weighted towards the bottom
Why such a simple design?

19. Proximity Close Far Things that are too close get hard to read!
But too far just isn’t as interesting sometimes, or changes the reading!
What do you think the arrow means?

20. Proximity Suggests relationships between parts
Influences balance & alignment
Can create feelings and moods, e.g. serious or fun:

21. Proximity Close Far HP Invent campaign logo HP is an old, classic logo
The far proximity of “invent” is meant to freshen up the image
The letters are spaced apart: unique, innovative
Formula 1 Racing logo
Unmistakably close “F” and “1” emphasizes the name and the brand
Proximity of the lines indicates speed & action

22. Get Inspired Let’s analyze a logo…
What do you see here – what does the logo try and represent?
See the smile? What does it mean?
Where is the arrow pointing to and from?
They have “everything from A to Z”.
Which design principles do you see?
Contrast: orange/black; alignment to the left; close proximity of arrow

23. Other Basic Principles
Design is about making communication easy and clear for the viewer.
Remove all nonessential elements. Remove visual clutter. Create clean designs.
Empty space is not nothing; it is a powerful something.
Font influences feeling as well: light, heavy, old, modern, fun, serious…
Colour creates feelings, attracts attention, and much, much more