HOW TO CREATE A GREAT LOGO OR HEADER, THAT'S VERSATILE

When creating a logo and header there are five important principles that you should follow in no particular order an effective logo is within reason the same apply to your header:

1. CREATING A SIMPLE LOGO DESIGN MATTERS

A simple logo design allows for easy recognition and allows the logo to be versatile & memorable. Good logos feature something unique without being overdrawn. “Simple logos can be recognized more easily, extremely memorable and the most”

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2. BEST THING ABOUT SIMPLICITY, IS THAT OF MEMORABILITY

Following closely behind the principle of simplicity, is that of memorability. An effective logo design should be memorable and this is achieved by having a simple, yet, appropriate logo.

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3. STANDING THE TEST OF TIME

An effective logo should be timeless – that is, it will endure the ages. Will the logo still be effective in 10, 20, 50 years?

Leave trends to the fashion industry – They come and go like the seasons, and when you’re talking about changing a pair of shoes, or buying a new dress, that’s fine, but where your brand identity is concerned, permanency is key, do not follow the crowd. Stand out.

Best example of timeless would have to be Coca-Cola logo… if you compared to the Pepsi logo below, you can see just how effective creating a timeless logo can be. Notice how the Coca Cola logo has barely changed since 1885? That is timeless design.

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Update: 8/08/09 – Under consideration has posted an updated timeline of the Pepsi vs CocaCola logo. Thanks for the tip off Jon. Source: www.underconsideration.com/brandnew/archives/coca-cola_vs_pepsi_revised_edition.php#.U9GGkfldWPY

4. LOGO THAT'S SCALED TO ANY SIZE IS KEY.

An effective logo should be able to work across a variety of mediums and applications. The logo should be functional. For this reason a logo should be designed in vector format, to ensure that it can be scaled to any size. The logo should be able to work both in horizontal and vertical formats.


Ask yourself; is a logo still effective if:
Printed in one colour?
Printed on the something the size of a postage stamp?
Printed on something as large as a billboard?
Printed in reverse (i.e. light logo on dark background)

One way around creating a versatile logo is to begin designing in black and white only. This allows one to focus on the concept and shape, rather than the subjective nature of colour. One must also remember printing costs – the more colours used, the more expensive it will be for the business over the long term.

“It is a great idea to draft first in black and white to ensure that the logo will look good in its simplest form. Colour is very subjective and emotional. This can distract from the overall design – say if you saw your logo in all red, that colour may be the first thing that you respond to and not the composition of the design elements. I will not even consider submitting colour suggestions to a client for review until they have signed off on a final black and white logo.”

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5. DESIGNEN A LOGO THAT'S APPROPRIATE IS KEY.

How you position the logo should be appropriate for its intended purpose. For example, if you are designing a logo for children’s toys store, it would be appropriate to use a childish font & colour scheme. This would not be so appropriate for a law firm.

It is also important to state that that a logo doesn’t need to show what a business sells or offers as a service. i.e. Car logos don’t need to show cars, computer logos don’t need to show computers. The Harley Davidson logo isn’t a motorcycle, nor is the Nokia logo a mobile phone. A logo is purely for identification.

For further evidence of this, take the top 50 brands of the world – 94% of the logos do not describe what the company does.This should of given you a better understanding of what makes a great logo design but should you still need help contact Ultimate Services Group or Stunning Creations LTD.

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