Designing LOGO, SPLASH SCREENS, BOX-SHOTS, ICONS, STATIONERY

Logo Know-How

Logo – what is it?

Logo is a graphical sign that represents a product or company. Logo symbol is a shortcut to the core idea or values of product/company. As a shortcut, it should be simple, clear, not complicated with many details. Logo should not be an illustration or picture. The simpler it is the better your client will remember it.

Purpose of a logo is to enable easy identification of your product or company, establish a positive association with it and distinguish it from your competitors.

Types of logo

There are three kinds of logos:

Logo mark - a graphical sign or symbol that represents a product or a company, its character and values. Usually only very popular companies with established brand and well known logo can use logo mark separately from logotype e.g. Nike that use its "Swoosh".
Logotype - a text (e.g. name of the product or company) written in a special font letters. Sometimes the letters are changed or stylized e.g. logo of the Coca-Cola company.
Logo mark + Logotype - the most popular and easiest to remember combination.


Logo mark	Logotype	Logo mark + Logotype

Features of ideal logo

An ideal logo should be:

Attractive
Easy to remember - simple and clear, based on basic figures
Unique and distinctive from competitors
United with the nature of product / company
Applied to organization's needs e.g. adjusted to organization's financial possibilities (the more colors to print the more expensive it will be)
Easy to be effectively reproduced at different size, backgrounds and using different printing methods (that’s why gradients are not always recommended)
Ready to be used in different variations - one color as well as full color, negative one color and negative full color.

Logo variations

A logo is usually used in basic color version. There are also different variations that might be useful in other situations e.g. black and white for fax documents. In addition to the basic version there is usually a grayscale, black and white and negative version of logo. If the logo contains gradients than there is a version with and without a gradient.

All these variations are very helpful when the logo needs to be reproduced on different backgrounds and materials using different methods e.g. redesigning web-page from a light color to a dark color background. A logo mark can not be used with gradient when printing on pens or making banners (plotting from foil).