Image source:\u00a0Deviant Art<\/a><\/p>\n Just as your own face has thousands of muscles, fibers, nerve endings, lines, wrinkles, and edges (not to mention a few vitally important sensory organs), the inner workings of logo creation can be equally intricate. Construction, in either case, requires a deft hand and clinical precision. Grab your scalpels, my fellow brand physicians. Today, we\u2019re going to do some exploratory surgery into the anatomy of an unstoppable corporate logo.<\/p>\n Just as your own face has thousands of muscles, fibers, nerve endings, lines, wrinkles, and edges (not to mention a few vitally important sensory organs), the inner workings of logo creation can be equally intricate. Construction, in either case, requires a deft hand and clinical precision. Grab your scalpels, my fellow brand physicians. Today, we\u2019re going to do some exploratory surgery into the anatomy of an unstoppable corporate logo.<\/p>\n There are two major ideas to consider when approaching logo design.\u00a0 The first is from an aesthetic perspective, essentially treating the design as an art project. That means you\u2019re focused solely on the subjective appreciation of your logo as a piece of corporate art. Something sleek, minimalist, and perhaps with a vague metaphorical connection to your USP. You don\u2019t want to be too literal in your representations, as that can make things overly complex, and then you\u2019re ranging far from the minimalist ideal. The second idea is to approach your logo as an almost secondary element within the overall structure of your corporate branding strategy. According to Seth Godin<\/a>, the best way to handle any logo design is to: \u201ccreate an abstract image that is clean, simple and carries very little meaning until the brand of the organization adds that meaning.\u201d Godin is pointing out that logos are only a representation of the brand, and the brand needs to build a reputation before it can take advantage of abstract representations. Logos live and die by brand perception. Let\u2019s consider a famous example. People see the Nike Swoosh and think about:<\/p>\n The actions a company takes are what define the perceptions of the public at large, and those ideas are compressed and reflected within the corporate logo. Therefore, as Mr. Godin pointed out, the most important part of creating a corporate logo is to make it open-ended, and easy for people to project their own emotions toward your company upon.<\/p>\n We\u2019ve covered the ethics, now it\u2019s time to get to the artistry. A few guidelines to get you started:<\/p>\n Beyond these basics, you want your logo to be \u201cevergreen.\u201d That is, you don\u2019t want to be dated by the trendy design principles that are currently popular. Redesigns can cost a lot, so don\u2019t get caught up in a herd mentality. Along similar lines, your logo needs to be memorable. It has to make an impact, which is yet another reason to keep its design simple, as complex details tend to escape the grasp of long term memory. Finally, you want your logo to fit with your niche. Combine the factors we\u2019ve described in the list above. Specifically, color psychology, research, and uniformity. If you know your niche, you can more than likely spot an inappropriate visual. It\u2019ll be a horse of a different color, so to speak. And it\u2019s a fine line between being \u201cfitting\u201d versus \u201cinterchangeable.\u201d Make sure your design errs towards the former.<\/p>\n If at all possible, hire a professional designer to produce your logo. It\u2019s worth the spend as it will be unique, original, and assuming the designer knows his business: functional. Click here<\/a> for more information about procuring a proper professional for your design needs.<\/p>\n What are your favorite corporate logos and why? List your picks in the comments.<\/p>\nAesthetics and Branding<\/h2>\n
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Building the Perfect Corporate Logo<\/h2>\n
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