Graphic Design of a Good Logo

The Importance of good Logo Design

A poorly designed logo can do irreversible damage to your image. If your logo is drab and lacking in visual impact, the audience is less likely to respond with positive visual associations, while a professional, eye-catching logo immediately establishes an impact and the perception of a higher level of credibility. The logo is therefore the entry point for your audience and an asset that builds a sense of familiarity and trust.

Now that we have established the necessity of a well-designed logo we can focus on setting the course on exactly the steps you could follow to design or evaluate your current logo.

STEP 1: Establish needs and criteria for the design.

• Who is the intended audience? It is important to note that your personal tastes are not necessarily what will attract your potential clients. A breakdown of your audience will help establish their preferences and expectations.
• How much does your logo say about your company? What sort of image you want your company to portray? Does it adequately reflect the nature of your business sector?
• Evaluate the competition. Do a competitor analysis to establish your unique selling point and find a visual means to stand out from the crowd. A mere selection of colour could already aid in this regard.

In order to do a successful design that meets both your organizational and target market’s needs the above information is vital before a visual solution can be reached.

STEP 2: The visual solution

The information gathered in Step 1 will be used to design your logo. Once these factors have been adequately communicated to us, we can employ the following characteristics of good logo design in both the development and evaluation phases of the final visual solution created.

A good logo:

• must attract attention – be bold and demand its viewers to pay attention
• must have longevity – try not to focus the logo on current fashion trends that could easily become outdated. Opt rather for a more classic approach that could stand the test of time. E.g. Nike, Coca-Cola
• must be simple – the communication should be clear and uncluttered. Try to limit your colors to two or three rather than create a visual overload
• must work as a unit - the image and text should form visual synergy and should not appear to be two separate entities
• must be pleasing to the eye
• should be unique and memorable
• captures your target audience and accurately represents your business’ character
• is technically sound:
• should be scalable. In other words, it should work on a small format e.g. your letterhead as well as a large format e.g. your building’s signage
• should also translate well into black and white for the purposes of photocopies and faxes

It can therefore be deduced that a logo has the power to influence the perceptions of your target audience even if they are false. It is important to note that a well-designed logo needs to be backed up with a strong business practice. Through repeated interaction the logo becomes a form of visual shorthand – a symbol which in turn comes to represent values, experiences and instill trust.

STEP 3: The application

Apart from using it in the usual places such as your corporate stationery, a logo could act as a promotional tool on a variety of media. At every point of contact with your audience you should aim to reinforce your identity as the repetition of the logo on a variety of media will improve recall and create top-of-the mind awareness. Such areas of placement include: stationery, uniforms, vehicles, signage, promotional items etc.

ACTION PLAN

Once the quote for the corporate identity has been accepted the following will happen:

• Client must supply us with the completed questionnaire.
• We will design a minimum of 5 concepts for your new logo.
• Once a logo has been established this will now be applied to the rest of your branding.

This could include:

• Business card
• Letterhead
• Email stationery (html)
• Complimentary slip
• Document folder
• Signage
• Vehicle branding
• Launch: Many companies use the redesign of their identity as a form of marketing aimed at creating publicity and improving the awareness of your brand. We would therefore like to recommend a launch for the new logo and identity. The details can be attended to once a budget is established. The launch of your website can also be added to this marketing effort.

We offer a one-stop solution for all your communication and marketing needs. Once all the design has been finalised we will also manage all the printing or any other reproduction needed. We prefer to manage the whole process so we can ensure a high level of quality control and make sure you get the highest quality product.

by Leanne Barnard

In conclusion a quote by Gerard Kleisterlee (CEO, Phillips) is brought to mind:"Design helps us to bridge the gap between the present and the future." Considering this, please allow us to bestow some advice in respect to logo and identity design: Start with a great logo. Don’t wait for when you are big enough in your eyes to invest, for it is well known fact that the longer a logo exists the more value it acquires.