by Lindsay Sleightholm | Jan 26, 2012 | Branding, Business Success, Creative, Design
Logos house a great deal of information about a brand and what it stands for, all neatly tied up into one succinct visual. In this era of social media, it is likely the first point of contact between a market and the company it represents; for that reason, it needs to make a great impression.
A lot goes into logo creation. To the casual observer, it seems simple enough. But, there is more to a successful logo design than appears at first glance. A brand logo or company logo carries more than just aesthetic appeal. In essence, a logo is the visual representation of a brand. In other words, it is a symbol that identifies the brand to an audience. As an experienced graphic designer, I can say that every single detail matters when designing a logo, right down to the logo font. I may sound a little biased; however, I’m simply stating the facts.
For a lot of new business owners, a logo is perhaps low on the list of priorities. It is sometimes viewed only as being necessary for presenting their name on a business card. But, make no mistake, a company logo as part of a brand, is actually a living organism and speaks for the business to new clients, representing the business before any live person will.
In a world of media, video, visuals and text rather than face to face communication, a logo actually ranks above personal contact as a first impression. With that said, here is my short list of ‘must haves’ for any successful first impression.
A brand or company logo must be:
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Unique: It must differentiate itself amongst the competition: Just like your USP (unique selling proposition), your logo has to embody the brand persona.
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Simple: It has to send a clear message about the brand: Just like your marketing plan it needs to speak to its potential consumer/client base.
- Versatile: It needs to suit a variety of uses: Just like business, it needs to ‘live’ well in all kinds of applications: social media, web design, print, signage, one colour, 4 colour.
- Timeless: It has to age better than people: Just like any product life cycle, the logo has to live a brand life and have the potential to change slightly to reach new markets without losing its existing brand franchise and recognition.
But, don’t take my word for it, see for yourself. Let me introduce you to some of what I feel are the best logos you have already met… what are your faves!
Target
Major League Baseball
Nike
by Miriam Hara | Jul 27, 2011 | Business Success, Design
Good designers are adaptable. They can adapt to their audience with their knowledge of edgy, corporate, fun, serious, funky design. Variety and choice is key when you are pitching to your clients. If they don’t have choice, they won’t feel in control of their creative vision.
Providing the client choice is a great way for them to really identify with one path, and not just accept or reject one.
Listen to your clients as well – you are the marketing expert, but they are often a good way of gauging the tone that your creative will evoke may differ from the brain waves flowing within your agency.
Colour doesn’t make it another creative concept.
It’s obvious that you need a well-rounded staff, able to adapt to whatever needs your clients may have, but designers need to have an arsenal of style. They need to be the edge of the leading edge, because the visual is the thing that either creates the trend or dies before it. Copy, although intonation has changed a little, has a very small spectrum of ultimate change in mood and verbiage, but visuals are constantly in flux. Get a team of designers that are not only visionary, but on top of the game – or visionary because they create the game – is the best investment your company will make in its brain trust. Your designers need to think conceptually, be adaptable, and they need to be perfectionists. Tall order? Yes. But when the right designer comes along, design magic happens.
by Lindsay Sleightholm | Jul 26, 2011 | Design
A friend of mine asked me once… ‘I know you’re a graphic designer, but what is that? What do you do exactly?’ I was taken off-guard and had assumed that everyone knew what Graphic Design was. I should say that this friend is a well educated professional woman. I guess it was my turn to educate her.
Graphic Design is not Photoshop. Graphic Design is not Art. Graphic Design is not always a ‘pretty picture‘. So, what is it? Simply put, it means ‘visual communication’. Think of it as a language… a visual language. A Graphic Designer is trained to speak this language. We embrace an idea. We translate that idea into a language that is understood by an intended audience – a target market if you will. Our medium involves both words and images. Together these pieces are combined to make up something that is greater than their sums individually – a visual message. When it is successful, the message is heard/understood by the intended audience. The intent of this message is derived from the client. It’s execution and success of communication requires a Graphic Designer. What has your ‘desktop publisher’ done for you lately?
by Miriam Hara | Mar 2, 2011 | Creative, Design
Typography, although not known to many outside of the design field, is a huge factor when it comes to print and interactive media. A lot of the toil and sweat goes unnoticed in those 2-10 key words that usually make up headlines. It is a subtle art, and is not as simple as some have surmised – the ability to convey a message that marries the design perfectly. It is an integral process of the design strategy. It can’t be obvious, has to be understated – yet it has to be bold enough to marshal attention. A good headline could even be the entire base of a creative.
Think of the creative dynamic as a sturdy table, and the headline is the top of the table, where all the ideas sit, and the design, copy, creative are the legs.
A good headline not only conveys an instant message, but also embodies the concept of the ad total. It can’t compete with the visual, it has to make the visual snap into a conscious place in the ad viewer’s conscious – and it has to aim to stay there.
The message has to be clear, but the typography should somehow embody it.
Typography is no accident – just look at your ads and decide – what really catches your eye? What do you remember? If typography wasn’t essential, do you think most corporations would bother regulating their font types? (ie. Apple’s most notable success found with the now iconic Adobe Myriad, and the market’s constant notice of its change.)
3 things to remember:
Positioning : placement tells a story
Size and font type: sets the tone and feel
Content: Consider what will make the design memorable
by Miriam Hara | Jun 21, 2010 | Design
Variety is the life source of all who consider themselves creative. It goes without saying, that in-house design studios provide cost savings. The real question is: what really are the savings? Give a creative person the same product within the same industry, day-in and day-out and the result is déjà vu design and concepts with very ordinary branding. So ordinary in fact, that at one point, it isn’t a brand anymore. Despite the savings, the reduced investment is very costly. As with most other professions, doing the ‘same-old, same-old’ everyday takes its toll.
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