Design magnate Steven Gilliatt said “[A logo] should look just as good in 15-foot letters on top of company headquarters as it does one sixteenth of an inch tall on company stationery.”
A logo or logotype as it is often called is defined as a graphic representation or symbol of a company name, trademark, abbreviation, etc., often uniquely designed for ready recognition. In other words it is the color, font, the gives an instant impact and an overall feeling of who you are as a photography business. But before you put pencil to paper, or hire a designer to do the same, there are a few requirements you should have for your logo.
1) Do your research: Know who you are and how you would like your business to be represented before you get started. The more your designer knows about you the better chance they have of nailing you design. The better you know your company and the image you would like it to have, the easier it will be for you to see it when it is presented to you.
2) Design in black and white first. A logo should be simple enough to work in black and white first. Color is a very strong influence. It is much better to pick a logo when the playing field is even, you can see the fonts and shapes clearly in black and white.
3) Make it memorable.
4) Make it scalable (see opening quote)
5) Make sure it has “legs”. In other words, will this logo work on every application you need it to? On your business cards as well as your website? Can you see it as part of your entire brand? Will it expand to an eventual product line, if need be?
Finally, here’s some eye candy ie: well designed logos: http://www.identityworks.com/also_noted/index.htm
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4 Comments at "Brand Camp: What To Know Before Designing Your Logo"
Kinda shocking that one of two of the most important aspects weren’t brought up under doing your research.
1a. If you’re just starting out, pick a good/smart business name.
1b. Know the market you’re targeting. Does your self-projected image resonate with that type of client?
2a) Hash out thumbnails in pencil before you even get to the computer.
3a) Simplicity rules.
6) Don’t be afraid to change your logo and your entire visual brand as you and your business progress. What’s relevant today won’t necessarily be relevant 2-3 years from now.
All good points, thank you Craig. I was talking about the actual logo, and things to know when working with a designer or when trying it out on your own. When talking about your positioning or actual marketing strategy like in 1a and 1b these are good things to take into consideration. Also, know your competition, have a pricing strategy and the most important of all know how you can differentiate yourself within your market share. I love your last three points, especially #6
If you ever intend to extend your logo to 15-foot height or even to the size that will look good on a poster at a trade show, make sure your design it in vector graphics.
Good points. Bonus points to anyone who can see the arrow in the FedEx logo…
And ideally, a well designed logo should be able to stand the test of time. IBM still looks high-tech more than 40 years after Paul Rand designed it in the 1950′s.
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