Elemental Design
June 25, 2008
One of a designers most important jobs is education. Design isn't about 'making things pretty' it's about effective visual communication and that seems to be a difficult concept to get across.
A recent comment about the shape of a logo sent me on a search across the internet to determine whether the over all shape conveyed a certain image. I wondered if my design education had skipped this important bit of information. I didn't find any real scientific studies, although I'm sure it's out there. So I just searched for logos under certain criteria. In this case I was looking for logos that were in the shape of an oval to determine if the oval conveyed a certain feeling. I'd always thought of the oval in the context of the Ford oval so it didn't strike me as being particularly progressive or modern in and of itself. The shape is popular with car stereo and electronics companies and athletic logos but then they are going for trademarks that appeal to the high testosterone set. A lot of vehicle related logos were put in ovals like Peterbuilt semi-trucks. There's the IGA Food Store, Dupont, Batman, Hallmark, Old Navy and Dr. Pepper. There is a proliferation of extremely poorly done logos and they aren't worth discussing.
I do feel that certain shapes are useful for conveying the feeling of stability like the square. Solid, stable, not easily tipped over. On the other hand if I were going to design a logo that required those attributes an upside down triangle balancing on one of it's points would be totally inappropriate. Perhaps an oval or a circle might also work for longevity and stability.
The rash of look-a-like orbiting thingies isn't going to make it into my portfolio. Nope that's a candidate for LogoHell. Done once, maybe twice is fresh and new. After that, it's just a matter of companies jumping on the 'gee aren't we progressive and modern just like a million other companies' bandwagon. If you've got your heart set on that, just drop into your friendly neighborhood printer and they'll be happy to work with you.
But getting back to the subject at hand, great logos share some common attributes. They are memorable, often elegantly simple in their design, look great in black and white, sometimes have little hidden subliminal items like the arrow in the FEDEX logo and reproduce well in all media.
One of my favorite places to find out what people think about new identities, whether they are for a new company or an update or makeover for an existing company is Tony Spaeth's Identityworks.Granted these are all very corporate identities that companies have paid thousands and thousands of dollars to have ad agencies that specialize in identity and branding research and create just the right mark.
One of my all time favorites is the Mesa Grill logo, although it isn't mentioned on Identityworks. Solid letters with the top lopped off the substantial letterforms. Simple but incredibly effective. Makes a great sign.
I love the Coca Cola trademark. It doesn't need color to look good. It's great reversed out. It's great in black and it wasn't done on a computer. It has wonderful style, when having style really meant something. It has stood the test of time for good reason.
So where is all this going you ask? It's not the shape of your logo that defines how your customers view your mark or your company.
It starts with the typeface or maybe a distinctive graphic element like 'the apple'. All the parts and pieces of a great mark have got to go together seamlessly. Each element must relate to all the other elements. The text must go with the shape, the shape must go with the the icon or graphic. It's a delicate balance.
If you've got a strong solid typeface, it's going to say 'we think we are a strong and solid company'. Whether or not your customers believe that is solely dependent on their experience with you. The company makes the logo meaningful.The logo does not make the company.
If you've got a fragile or wimpy typeface, nothing you do is going to make it look strong. No shape you put it into or on to is going to change the primary feeling it conveys. That's part of what a good designer does. They choose the appropriate typeface that reflects the business and the clientele their client are hoping to attract.
Designing really good logos is hard work. There is a lot of 'design theory' that goes into good work. How to use it effectively takes talent and lots of practice.
- appropriateness-defines your business correctly
- hierarchy-either the symbol or the typeface gets the most weight, pick one.
- secondary element-make it different enough so it doesn't look like a mistake
- color-it's not about your personal likes and dislikes, It's about what will work well for your business model and what will be functional
- printing-will it print well across all media and inexpensively if necessary
There are many more considerations. That's just the starter list.
