Jan 09 2008
Branding Part 2.5 (Logo Design Tips) Continued
I have really learned alot since launching this blog in early December on a variety of subjects both online and offline. I would just like to say Thank you for visiting and interacting. This is my motivation to delivering useful information and opinions to you geopreneurs.
Came across some more great stuff from an associate of David Aireys’. (MORE)
1. Learn what a logo is and what it represents
Before you design one, you must understand what a logo is, what it represents and what it is supposed to do. A logo is not just a mark – it reflects a business’s commercial brand through the use of shape, fonts, colour, and / or images.
A logo is for inspiring trust, recognition and admiration for a company or product and it is our job as designers to create an identity that will do its job.
One must first know what a logo is before continuing.
For further Reading on what a logo is, check out Wikipedia’s definition or CreativeBits’s discussion on what is a logo?
2. Know the rules and principles of logo design
Now that you know what a logo is supposed to do, and what it should represent, you now must learn what makes a great logo aka; the basic rules and principles of logo design.
As David quotes…
- A logo must be describable
- A logo must be memorable
- A logo must be effective without colour
- A logo must be scalable i.e. effective when just an inch in size
For Further reading on the rules and principles of great logo design I highly recommend reading these logo design tips from Logo Factory before continuing.
3. Learn off other’s successes and mistakes
Successful Logos
Now you know what the rules of logo design are, you can distinguish the difference between a good and a bad log. By knowing which logos have succeeded, and why, gives a great insight into what makes a good logo.
For example, let’s look at the classic Nike Swoosh (shown above). This logo was created by Caroline Davidson in 1971 for only $35, yet it’s still a strong, memorable logo, effective without colour and easily scalable. It is simple, fluid and fast, and represents the wing in the famous statue of the Greek Goddess of victory, Nike (something perfect for a sporting apparel business). The Nike logo is just one of many great designs, think about other famous brands that you know about and check out their logos. What makes them successful?
Great post, Steve…
If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were actively developing a geodomain yourself?
I’ve been thinking about a logo, and whether to spend big, or simply pay a student for a $100 logo (a gamble - could be awesome)…
I think with a bit of research and a high quality brief… the result could well be a decent logo that pays dividends.
The key lesson here - is understanding the details first…
…the following is possibly one of the best wikipedia articles I’ve read: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Logo
Thanks for exploring the topic…
- rich
***SMO***
Rich,
Thanks, glad you enjoyed it. I am in the process of mapping out my development of SouthCongress.com (Hottest Spot In Austin, Tx). So, yes I am in a development phase.(Also writing articles on the backburner to post later on this) I am not the type of guy who likes to do a 50% job on anything I do. I think it is very important to produce a well thought out game plan before development occurs physically on any site that will produce revenue and represent a region. Additionally, I am conducting alot of research to ensure I do it right, so there is minimal things to “tweak” once the site is live. Anyone can put a site up with adsense, third party bookings, and pictures, but in the end, these developers are the ones consistently scrambling to add value to the site for consumers.(No real game plan)
I love sharing the information I learn, so others can benefit from the research I have discovered. I believe in teamwork 100%, no sense in recreating the wheel and having others struggle to find what they need to know. What I have learned in my career is if you develop a game plan thouroughly, you stay focused on the project and keep from being deviated by the many ideas that will come into your head. There will be many articles to come on this subject.
The price you pay for a logo makes no difference on the quality or effectiveness it will transmit to your consumers. There are thousands of companies that pay millions of dollars for a logo, that suck. Federal Express paid $2 million dollars for an arrow to be inserted into their logo. You can’t see it unless it is pointed out to you. Dumb money spent(Video is on the blog under branding). The answer lies in the data I have provided in the branding posts whether the logo will be effective or not. It is not about the price you pay for logo that will determine if it is great, but the messge it delivers to consumers. Nike paid $35.00 for their logo that is just as effective now as it was in the 70’s.
Great blog!
I see a lot of stuff I would like to read. Do you have any domains listed for sale right now?
Gig ‘em Ags!
Steve
***SMO***
Steve,
Thanks for visiting the blog. Currently there are no names listed for sale. I will eventually get to listing a few names in the near future. There is still alot of work to be done to the blog to get it to standard. If you are interested in something, let me know and I will post it, and let owners present their inventory.
I look forward to your interaction.
What kind of domains are you looking at listing for sale? Something like PhoenixMechanics.com or are you looking for something like Louisville.com? I own a few GeoTrade names I would be willing to list and I may be interested in purchasing a few Geo names. I also have a friend that would be interested in JobsGeo.com or GeoJobs.com names.
Thanks for your work on the blog!
***SMO***
Steve, I would like for visitors to list quality Geo domains for sale that make sense to develop. Geopreneurs are skeptical at this stage and have not submitted any names. As the blog continues to grow, quality names for development will be listed. Your friend can list a wanted ad in the Geopreneur Networking section to have sellers contact him with their properties available if he wishes.