Business Logo Design
Designing a good business logo can be a tricky process. IMX has a unique process and theory applied to corporate logo design. Not all may graphic designers may agree but hey, we do it and believe me, these logo design tips work great!
To start, let me state the golden rule of logo design (and this, ALL graphic designers will agree with)
The golden rule:
Never EVER use Clip-Art for your Corporate ID!!!
Don’t overkill your logo!
Business owners want the best company logo, the one that will stand out the most! So what do they do? they overkill! They put so much detail and so many elements in the logo that it becomes cluttered and virtually unusable in any media format.
The theory is that you want to create different levels or versions of your logo. Depending on which medium you are displaying the logo, you can then choose to display a simple version or a more complex version.
Keep it simple!
Your logo design should have a ‘basic form’. A simple black & white vector form. This is the first building block of your logo. Too often when we show this basic logo to clients, they worry that the logo is too simple, too plain. REMEMBER, plain is what you want at this stage... later on, we will get creative with the logo!
I don't even have to name these businesses. An apple and a check-mark... no name, no tagline, no crazy gradients, no color! Just an apple and a check-mark.
Different versions of the logo
Once we have our basic black and white vector shape, we can start designing the different versions of the logo. (You can have as many or as little versions as you want.)
- Black and white vector logo
- Colored vector logo
- Textured logo
- 3D logo
Examples of logo design evolution:
Different versions for different media
You still need that plain black and white vector version for single color print ads. Use the textured full color version for posters, flyers, websites, etc... When it comes to video, how cool is it to see your 3D logo rotate into frame with some crazy special effects!!
I repeat! DON'T OVERKILL!
If the basic version of your business logo is TOO complicated (too many elements, colors, shapes, gradients, etc..) It becomes very difficult, if not, impossible to transform it into these upgraded versions. Don't be afraid of a plain logo, because you're never stuck with it. There are always way to spice it up, give it flare, without damaging the brand or corporate ID.
Having multiple versions also helps you reach different audiences and demographics. Old school corporate audiences may prefer a clean cut single color logo whereas a younger generation may find more appeal in dynamic highly creative 3D logo. You can have both! and much more!
Vector and Raster... what's the difference?
Vector and Raster are the two ways computers can represent graphics. Raster images use an array of colored dots known as pixels to generate a graphic. Resolution is critical for raster images, quite simply put: more pixels = more quality. The measurement generally used for this resolution is DPI or PPI (Dots per inch) or (Pixels per inch).
Vector image on the other hand use geometric primitives and mathematical equations to generate graphics. Resolution is not an issue here because the graphic can be resized to any proportion and maintain quality.
Converting images
This is important to know: Vector images can be converted to raster images but NOT the other way around. Pixel based images cannot be converted to vector based.
RGB and CMYK... knowing your colors
RGB (Red, Green, Blue) is an additive color model used by monitors and TVs to create a broad array of colors.
CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black) is a subtractive color model used for color printing.
Understanding these color models is very important for logo design in order to maintain color consistency. When you first design your logo on a computer, you're seeing your logo in RBG. When you print your business cards, brochure, etc... you are now seeing your logo in CMYK.
Choose your colors wisely because color shift does occur when converting from RGB to CMYK. Often this color shift is negligible but from time to time, the shift can be very noticeable and ruin your logo.
Avoid fluorescent colors
The CMYK color model has trouble with bright fluorescent colors so those should be avoided when designing your logo. If you absolutely want those colors, they CAN be printed but it requires a Spot Color, a customized color added to the CMYK model. Printing with spot colors can become expensive.
Things to avoid
Some final advice from myself and many other graphic designers out there. Stay away from the following: Clip-Art, Papyrus, Motion Blur and Lens Flares.
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