Learn how to create a logo by using the 5 basic principles in the area of logo design, collectively known as the principles of logo design; they state that a logo should be simple, memorable, appropriate, timeless and versatile. Each principles relates to a particular ideal of logo design and should be considered individually, however all the principles also relate to each other and it is when all the principles are used together that the best logos are created. If you came here looking for the principles of design then click HERE. |
| The 5 Principles Of Logo Design |
Simple:
Simplicity is the most important of all the logo design principles. Logos can appear in various places and in various sizes such as small emblems on t-shirts or as iconic symbols on billboards. It is because of this that they need to be clear and simple so that they still display correctly and effectively at any size. Logos are designed as vector graphics to ensure they retain their image quality at any size but it is just as important that they retain their overall clarity as well. By keeping you logo simple you are ensuring that at any size it will be easy to identify and read. In this way, a logo should really only contain a single graphic and a small amount of text. Prime example of simple logo are the Nike 'swoosh' and the Apple 'apple'. They are clearly identifiable at any size and even work without any text as seen below.
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| Simple Apple Logo |
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| Simple Nike Logo |
Memorable:
There are 3 stages to making a logo memorable. To make a logo memorable you must first ensure it is simple. Like anything, the simpler it is the easier it is to remember, it is no different with logos. The second key element to making a logo memorable is to make it as original as possible, if something is unique or different people tend to remember it and it will be set apart from other similar businesses, products or services. The originiality of the logo can be achieved through elements such as interesting fonts, unique shapes, bright colours or a catchy tag line. The images below both use bright colours, interesting and unique forms and shapes which themselves create original lettering. The third stage to making a logo memorable is to make it relative or appropriate to the business, product or service it is representing. This is discussed in more depth in the next section.
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| Madrid 2020 Logo Memorable Due To It's Originality |
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| Memorably Creative Vividways Logo |
Appropriate:
When designing a logo you must consider the business, product or service that the logo is representing. You cannot design in any style or using any fonts or colours that you want. Every logo is different and requires a different approach, an approach that is appropriate to the business, product or service it is representing. To give an example a logo for a solicitor should ideally be clean and linear with a mono or two toned colour scheme to represent the serious and professional nature of the service being offered. On the other hand bright colours, quirky fonts and curved lines would not be suitable for a solicitor, however they would be suited to a toy store or playschool to represent the fun nature of the business. An appropriate graphic, such as a house for an auctioneer, also helps to immediately associate the product or service being offered with the name of the business which by itself may not suggest a specific product/service. For example a local business called after the owner, lets says 'Smiths' does not in itself suggest any particular product/service that is why an appropriate graphic is necessary. An appropriate graphic is also vital for new businesses to help consumers to identify with them and their logo while they are still in the process of marketing their company identity.
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| This Solicitors Logo Is Appropriately Clean Lined & Serious Looking |
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| The Colourful Toy Я Us Logo Is Appropriately Fun & Quirky |
Timeless:
A company can be in business for months, years, decades or even centuries; therefore it needs a logo that will stand the test of time and not 'age' badly. A logo may be tweaked or updated slightly over time but it should not require a full overhaul as that would mean the company would have to spend lots of money remarketing its new identity, which can be a very expensive process, especially for large companies. Public bodies or services also require logos and as they cannot go out of business they tend to be around for a long time and thus need a timeless logo design, the London underground logo is a classic example of this. It is a simple design using basic shapes, primary colours and clean, simple text. As previously mentioned, all the logo design principles link together and it is evident in the London Underground logo as it is because of it's simple and appropriate style that it has remained unchanged for so long. The Coca Cola logo, the Olympic logo and numerous car company logos such as Toyota ,Ford, Volkswagen and Mercedes are other examples of timeless logos which have remained unchanged for decades.
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| Olympic Logo Is Iconic & Timeless |
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| London Underground Logo Unchanged Since 1908 |
Versatile:
A versatile logo is one that will work equally well at any size and in any colour scheme. The logo must first be simple in order for it to have the potential to be versatile, again reinforcing simplicity as the key logo design principle. The best way to achieve a versatile logo is to first design in black and white, as if the logo works in black and white it will most likely work in any suitable colour scheme. See the example of the Apple logo below.
Apple Logo Showing It's Versatility
Now You're Ready To Create The Logo...
Once you have used the logo design principles above to actually plan out and design your logo on paper the next step is to actually create the logo as a vector graphic using a software such as Illustrator or Photoshop. Well, we have you covered there too with this illustrator logo design tutorial. We hope you find it useful.
