Corporate Logo Blog

Fashions come and go but a good design is meant to give you instant recognition. What are the features to look for?

Your logo must render well at whatever size.
From postage stamp size to signwriting on your delivery van, the identification with your firm must be just as strong. If you use stock typefaces or even your own variation, is it still readable real small and real big?

Your logo must standout on any background.
You cannot foretell where your logo will be featured on next. Do you need a box or outline as part of the design to make sure there is a border to delimit the logo's footprint? How does it look on a white background? Usually fine. What about a black or gray background now? What about a crosshatch pattern? Does it still stand out or does the pattern show through the blank areas?

Your logo must pass the black and white test.
We don't use fax machines anymore - email is the go. Remember some programs block images (!) the copious use of colour is the norm. What does the logo look like to someone who is colour-blind? If you convert the logo to black and white, how much of the impact is lost? Do you rely too much on some clever hues which will be impossible to render on a large range of devices? What about sticking to primary colours?

Your logo must be remembered even by someone who cannot read.
Do you use symbols or letters? Do you focus on the sound as your name is spoken or do you convey a message with a picture? Do you use a combined approach where one letter is tilted, replaced by a symbol of a near-enough shape or otherwise touched-up for special effect and attention? Logos in the 1960s were all black and white and some used a powerful visual illusion where white space around a contour caused the viewer to "fill-in the blank".

Your logo must differentiate from your competitors.
How do your competitors express their corporate identity? Don't be a me-too copycat. If they go left, make sure you go right and vice-versa. Differentiate as much as you can. Did you brief the graphic artist on the research that led to your company or trade name?

Your logo must not breach copyrights.
You might fall in love with a brilliant idea but if it's not your own, you'd better leave it alone. Creativity is the antidote to plagiarism.

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