The Value Of A Good Logo Design

In June 2007 something extraordinary happened. The nation focused its attention, possibly for the first time, on a single piece of graphic design. Debate raged across the media – was it any good, did it do the job and, most importantly, how on earth could it cost £400,000. I refer of course to the London 2012 Olympic Logo.

The furore did the design industry few favours - the cost, the controversial style, not to mention the photo-sensitive epilepsy problem. But one thing the circumstances of its creation did illustrate quite clearly was just how important the Olympic Committee believed the logo was to the overall successful promotion of the games. So why are logos so important to businesses, both large and small, and what makes a good one?

Chances are, potential clients will see your company logo (through advertising or mail-shots) long before they ever see you. Therefore your logo has to represent your company accurately and convey to the client where you stand in the marketplace. Nowadays that marketplace is more visually crowded than ever before. People are bombarded with messages from posters, television, shops, newspapers, magazines and the Internet. Your logo only has seconds to catch the eye, make an impact and convey its message. If your logo is not a strong visual representation of the product or service you are selling then you have wasted your time, your money and an opportunity.

Ideally your logo should be unique, have impact and be memorable. However, it does not need to be complicated to be effective – some of our most iconic logos are very simple, Apple, Nike, Mercedes, Orange. But your logo must SAY something about your company. To illustrate the point lets look at Apple and Nike. The bite missing from the apple in the Apple logo represents the fruit from Adam and Eve’s Tree of Knowledge … and Macintosh is a type of apple. Nike is the Greek Goddess of Victory and their tick is a sign of absolute positivity. Clever stuff. The more you know about these logos the more you see how they work. Standard ‘clip-art’ available through desktop publishing, which is often used to enhance non-professional logos, is just meaningless decoration without this type of purpose.

In addition to all this, your logo needs to copy well, at all sizes and across all mediums from business card to poster, through t-shirts to the Internet. Be aware that elements of a complex design can easily get lost when reduced down.

Finally, your logo design should be timeless because once you have a good logo you stick with it. The Coca Cola logo was designed in 1886, BMW in 1917 and the famous McDonald’s golden arches in 1962. The IBM logo, designed by Paul Rand in 1972, looks as strong today as it did then, is the cornerstone of the company’s image and is now an asset of incalculable value because it has been used consistently. Every time you use your logo you remind clients and potential clients who you are and what you offer.

A senior designer from Wolff Olins, the company who designed the London 2012 logo, once wrote: “Logos are to brands as haircuts are to people … the first visible thing you latch onto.” Well, some may say Wolff Olins were having a bit of a bad hair day when they designed the 2012 logo but it certainly is memorable, which is the whole point … and we still have 4 years to get used to it.


About the Author:
Brian Liu is the Creative Director of Imagine Design Associates, a Graphic Design Consultancy specialising in all marketing communications material for print and web.
T: +44 (0)1225 426987
E: brian@imaginedesignassociates.co.uk
W: www.imaginedesignassociates.co.uk

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