3. Introduction
If you are reading this report, I am going to assume that
you are a company interested in thinking of and then
creating a custom logo.
The big companies make it look so easy.
Take a look at some of the top logos of all time.
Apple
Coca Cola
Nike
4. Fed Ex
Recycling Logo
These logos are instantly recognizable…along with hundreds
of others.
Much time, thought and effort went into coming up with
these logos. But how did these companies do it?
Well, in this report, I’m going to share with you the simple
secrets that allow companies to come up with logos that will
probably be recognized for generations to come.
Just look at Coca Cola.
After you are done reading this report, you should have no
trouble coming up with a great logo design for YOUR
company.
So let’s get right down to it.
5. Coming Up With An Idea
Okay, so just how DO you come up with an idea for a logo?
Well, there are essentially two types of logos you can have.
1. Text Based
2. Graphic Based
Text Based
Text based logos are logos that incorporate text into the
graphic. There are really very few logos that are purely text
based as these would be rather bland.
Graphic Based
A true graphic based logo is one that is pure graphic with no
text whatsoever.
Aside from the Apple, Nike and Recycling logos posted
above, here are a few more examples of pure graphic logos.
Yin Yang
Firefox
6. Olympics
Yellow Pages
Again, all these logos are instantly recognized by just about
anybody.
The question is, which kind of logo do YOU want to design?
There are pros and cons for each.
Text Based
Pros
Name of company is instantly known.
Easier to come up with a design.
Cons
Not as visual as a graphic design and maybe not as
memorable unless truly unique
Graphic Based
Pros
A good graphic will stand out above any other type of
design.
7. Cons
Much harder to come up with a pure graphic that will
capture the imaginations of the buying public.
This is why many companies come out with a combined
text/graphic logo as it combines the best of both worlds.
After deciding on whether to use a text based, graphic or
combined logo, the next step is to decide exactly what the
logo will look like.
This is why they pay the guys who come up with these ideas
the big bucks.
Let’s take the recycling logo.
Notice the arrows going around in sort of a circle. This
brilliantly diagrams exactly what the recycling process is
about.
To design a logo like that, what you might want to do is look
at the product or service that your company provides and
see how you can represent that in graphic form.
For example, let’s say your company sold pianos. You might
want to either come up with a piano design or maybe even a
design of a bust of some famous composer, like Mozart.
Getting back to Mozart, let’s say your company name was
one of a famous person, even if that person wasn’t in the
field that you’re in. You might use the likeness of that
person to represent your company.
The downside to using a famous person’s likeness for your
business if they’re not in the same field, is that people might
associate YOUR company with THAT field…even though there
8. is no connection. Ideally, you want to use a likeness of
somebody who is directly related to what you do.
Whatever you do, do NOT use some stock clipart image.
These images are not unique and the chances of you coming
up with something that nobody else has used are slim to
none.
You want YOUR logo to be unique.
I can’t stress this enough. If you don’t stand out from the
crowd, you’ve essentially wasted your time, money or both.
Sometimes Simple Is Better
A great logo doesn’t have to be complicated. Again, look at
the Nike logo. It really doesn’t get simpler than that. And
yet, it is one of the most recognized logos in the world.
Logo Doesn’t Have To Convey What Your Company
Does
Take a look at McDonalds’ logo. The golden arches have
nothing to do with selling hamburgers, and yet it’s one of
the most recognized logos in the world.
Come up with something different and people will associate
it with your company.
Be Aware Of Size
Size is important. Your logo must be able to be rendered in
both large and small sizes. A complex logo, when rendered
in a small size, can become muddy and indistinguishable.
You won’t have this problem with the Nike type logo.
9. Aspect Ratio Is Important
Take a look at the top logos. You will notice that they are
very well proportioned, where height and width is very close.
You won’t see very tall logos or very wide ones. Most will be
very close to a box shape.
Using Text And Graphic
If you are going to use a text and graphic, it is best to have
them separate so that you can use either one independent
of the other in certain situations. Overlapping text and
graphic can lead to problems.
Know Your Audience
You want to look at who your target market is. Is it kids,
adults, men, women, who? You want your logo to appeal to
that market segment.
For example, if you’re targeting women, most likely logos
that have weapons or other male related items probably
won’t go over well with the ladies.
Know Your Company Essence
What kind of company are you? Are you a serious one,
dealing with environment issues, or are you one that deals
with children’s toys? You want your logo to portray the
seriousness or the whimsicalness of your company.
Logo Must Have Instant Impact
Most likely, your logo isn’t going to be seen by people for
more than a few seconds. So it has to make an instant
impression on them. Usually, simple logos that are really
unique will accomplish this.
10. But here is probably the most important tip of all.
Don’t Ever Change Your Logo
Once you come up with your logo, that’s it. You MUST keep
it and do everything you can to get it ingrained in the minds
of your target market.
Do you know why the Nike logo is so successful? It’s not
because it’s the greatest design in the world. It’s because
it’s been seen more than just about any other sports logo.
In other words…get your logo out there as much and as
often as you can.
There are other things to consider when designing a logo,
such as color, but honestly, color is secondary to the actual
design of the logo itself.
Be aware, however, that when choosing colors, you choose
ones that are web compatible. The reason is because your
logo isn’t only going to be seen on the streets but will also
be seen online as well.
Okay, so what’s next? Well, once you have an idea, if you’re
not going to design and create the logo yourself, you’re
going to need to find a reliable company to do it for you.
Question is…what do you look for in a logo design company?
The next section goes into that.
11. What To Look For In A Logo Design
Company
Okay, so you’ve decided that you’re not going to design and
create your own logo. You have some ideas, but you want a
professional to do it for you.
What do you look for in a logo design company?
Here are a few things.
• Expert Designers
• Company That Understand Business
• Company That Works Quickly
• Service That Is Reasonably Priced
• Company With A Track Record
In my searching, I have found what I believe is the best
company for the job.
LOGO MONSTERS
I think you will find them to be an excellent choice for
designing just the RIGHT logo for YOUR business.
Your logo is going to represent your company for the life of
that company. So you don’t want to trust this process to just
anybody. Logo Monsters have been doing this a long time
and their work is top notch.
I have no doubt that you will be completely satisfied with
them.
To YOUR Success,
Melinda Tucker
