Corporate style has become very popular in business communication: more and more commercial and public companies finally realize that the correct approach to corporate identity can bring lots of benefits to them. With the help of corporate style brands become noticeable among the others, they are quickly recognized and well-remembered. They also help you to save money on advertising (if they are recognizable, of course).
So what exactly does logo mean? Basically it’s a graphic sign or a combination of both graphic and font. The logo has to be memorable and to affect people’s emotions. It also unites company’s workers, because it is used in internal communication.
Logo Functions
Factors to Consider when Creating a Logo
One sign can be associated with different things and cause various emotions: it happens because people have different experience, education, environment, etc. So it is always important to take social, geographical, religious and political factors into consideration while designing a logo.
1. Social status of target audience. If you make a logo for one of the essential goods and use attributes that are associate with luxury, you will likely lose a significant number of customers. That’ll happen because socially vulnerable audience tends to dislike this kind of attributes.
2. Geographical factor. People from different cultural circles usually have different mentality and background knowledge. That’s why they can associate one logo with completely different things and so it’s important to know the specifics of a concrete region while designing a logo for it.
Logos can be international, national, regional and local. International logos are known all over the world: Apple, Nike, Microsoft, etc. They all remain under the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property. Leading logos are properties of large monopolies that protect their position in the market in all possible ways.
3. Religious factor. Each religion has its symbolism. If the company's products are related to a certain religion, be sure to use appropriate symbols in the logo. For example, small letter T can remind a cross in some typefaces and its misusage can bother people, who don’t consider themselves Christians.
4. Political factor. Just like religious, the political factor also affects people’s interpretation of a logos.
The Main Challenges of a Logo
Logo can be adapted and used for a long time (with only small changes made when it’s necessary). Mercedes-Benz and BMW logos are a great example of that.
Logo has the following main challenges:
As you see, the main purpose of a logo is to demonstrate the high quality of the goods and to raise the customer’s trust to a certain brand.
The Meaning of Color Gamut
Since it’s proven that color affects a person emotionally, you have to choose colors for the logo wisely. Usually designers use three contrast colors for the logo itself and one for the background.
The color of the logo has two main functions: decorative and associative. Some associative rules of the color are:
When you work with colors, it is important to keep possible printing problems in mind. The print quality also depends a lot on the software that is used. There are two computer programs that are usually used for working with vector graphics: Adobe Illustrator and Corel Draw.
It is not recommended to make raster images: you might have problems with their replication and reproduction later. When you increase the bitmap of such image, it’s displayed as a plurality of pixels. Of course, the logo should maintain its visual quality at all sizes.
The form of the lines also has a certain impact on the perception of the information. Vertical or straight horizontal lines are usually associated with calmness, clarity and even solidarity, while the curved ones are associated with grace and ease.
About the Author
Brian Jens is a DesignContests’s guru of design. Besides, he enjoys researching and blogging. Feel free to send your brightest ideas to Brian and soon you’ll the valuable research work done.
 |
Logo Functions
- Distinctive/associative: logo helps the product to stand out among many others.
- Protective: a registered trademark protects the company’s rights.
- Assurance: the customers associate good logos with high-quality products.
- Advertising: logo helps to make the product recognizable and associated with a certain quality among target audience.
- Informational and psychological: logo informs the potential buyer about the company and helps to create a positive image of it.
 |
One sign can be associated with different things and cause various emotions: it happens because people have different experience, education, environment, etc. So it is always important to take social, geographical, religious and political factors into consideration while designing a logo.
1. Social status of target audience. If you make a logo for one of the essential goods and use attributes that are associate with luxury, you will likely lose a significant number of customers. That’ll happen because socially vulnerable audience tends to dislike this kind of attributes.
2. Geographical factor. People from different cultural circles usually have different mentality and background knowledge. That’s why they can associate one logo with completely different things and so it’s important to know the specifics of a concrete region while designing a logo for it.
Logos can be international, national, regional and local. International logos are known all over the world: Apple, Nike, Microsoft, etc. They all remain under the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property. Leading logos are properties of large monopolies that protect their position in the market in all possible ways.
3. Religious factor. Each religion has its symbolism. If the company's products are related to a certain religion, be sure to use appropriate symbols in the logo. For example, small letter T can remind a cross in some typefaces and its misusage can bother people, who don’t consider themselves Christians.
4. Political factor. Just like religious, the political factor also affects people’s interpretation of a logos.
The Main Challenges of a Logo
Logo can be adapted and used for a long time (with only small changes made when it’s necessary). Mercedes-Benz and BMW logos are a great example of that.
 |
- To form the identity and awareness, to simplify the identification of company’s products. If the image is famous, it is recognizable. Of course, it is easier to remember simple signs, but original and complex images can be remembered without any effort too (for example, if you make an unusual and memorable image of a familiar object). At the same time even the simplest images of an unknown object can be hard to remember. See some logo designs at www.DesignContest.uk to find out how simple and at the same time profitable logos look.
- To specify the origin of the goods. These symbols are always linked to a specific cultural environment. Signs associated with country’s culture are the best for emphasizing the goods’ historical background.
- To provide information about the product. To do this, you have to create an image or to find a word that will form the desired perception of the product.
- To stimulate the desire to buy. A relevant logo demonstrates the benefits of the brand and its main advantages to the buyer, encourages him to purchase the brand’s goods or use its services.
- To guarantee the quality. It is easier for customer to associate various products with one quality and price level when they are united by one logo.
As you see, the main purpose of a logo is to demonstrate the high quality of the goods and to raise the customer’s trust to a certain brand.
The Meaning of Color Gamut
Since it’s proven that color affects a person emotionally, you have to choose colors for the logo wisely. Usually designers use three contrast colors for the logo itself and one for the background.
The color of the logo has two main functions: decorative and associative. Some associative rules of the color are:
- Blue-black colors are good for metal and engineering industry, as well as for anything related to metal.
- Red color warns of danger and catches customer’s attention.
- Purple color is associated with anxiety, uncertainty, and melancholy and actually is not the best solution for the logo. The combination of red and purple colors without third separating one always causes irritation.
- White and black colors are neutral. They do not conflict with any other colors and instead complement them. All shades of gray are also neutral.
 |
It is not recommended to make raster images: you might have problems with their replication and reproduction later. When you increase the bitmap of such image, it’s displayed as a plurality of pixels. Of course, the logo should maintain its visual quality at all sizes.
The form of the lines also has a certain impact on the perception of the information. Vertical or straight horizontal lines are usually associated with calmness, clarity and even solidarity, while the curved ones are associated with grace and ease.
About the Author
Brian Jens is a DesignContests’s guru of design. Besides, he enjoys researching and blogging. Feel free to send your brightest ideas to Brian and soon you’ll the valuable research work done.
