|
Alphatech5
Newsletter *
April 16, 2008 *
ISSUE #145
|
|
Find the Right
Balance in Logo Creation
In a business, logo creation is as crucial as
setting up a business plan. It is not as easy as going to
a designer and having him create a cool, modern symbol
with a ripped off tagline. Unfortunately, it goes beyond
"cool". It goes beyond what you think is the
hype. Instead, it requires a deeper understanding of your
business, how it can be best represented, the overall
impression it leaves on its viewers and if it is sticky
enough to be retained in the minds of your market.
Your logo's every curve and color must exist for
a reason. All elements should come together to contribute
to an overall powerful and clear message easily conveyed
to anyone who sees it.
 |
Color Selection
Let us start with color. Colors mean something. Some
colors make you mad, some make you calm and some make you
agitated and so on. Every color has a psychological impact
on people and a good mastery of such knowledge will prove
to be very useful in creating your logo.
Composition of Elements
Selecting the right images shapes for your logo and
arranging them also requires a good amount of thought.
Overdone logos with a lot of curves and circles might
leave you confused and overwhelmed. At the same time, some
are too simple that it leaves you unimpressed with no
clear idea what the business behind that logo wants to
say. Investing time and effort on trial-and-error tests on
your logo might seem a tedious task, but once overcome,
you will reap the rewards with more response and more
results from your viewers.
Getting It All Together
Before we think of what color or shape, at the base of
our minds is what your logo should symbolize. The
"what" comes first before the "how".
From the base sketch, to the colors, to the shapes, always
check if every addition gives more value to your logo in
association with your brand. In addition to the value of
the parts of your logo, another thing you should keep a
keen eye out for is the overall balance of your design.
You must think about how to balance your logo design well
enough that each stroke is where it should be and
everything taken in its totality equates to a clear
message so that people can understand:
- What your business does and what it believes in
- The products and services you provide
- The advantage of choosing your products and services
over others
Going over some popular logos very familiar to
us, we notice the use of small fonts, use of the color red
and arches. Let us dissect these elements for a minute.
Big companies use small fonts to convey that
despite the enormous size and spread of their
organization, people from all walks of life, even the less
prestigious, can still make business with them. A small
type makes people less daunted and rather more at ease in
approaching the company.
|
The color red, not only grabs our attention, but
it also communicates a sense of professionalism, passion
and stability. That's why it's no surprise that several
financial or banking companies make use of this shade like
Mastercard, WellsFargo, and HSBC.
Now let us go to the use of arches. Arches can
be used in a variety of ways and in conjunction other
elements or letters in your logo. When used overhead, the
arch can represent an umbrella to convey protection.
Alternatively, in the same sense, when used under the
text, an arch can convey reliability like a net catches
circus acrobats when they fall. With lines arched in
different directions, it is very possible that you can
communicate a sense of protection, confidence and trust.
It goes to show that there is no need for too much
incorporation of lines and shapes to convey a message to
the people. Going overboard with symbols and colors in a
logo can create too many elements that people will only
add fuss instead of value.
Double check your designs and before you have
your professional color printing company work on your
logo, make sure that you have created it properly and have
thought it out well. You must achieved the proper balance
of using symbols that mean something akin to your company
and keep them as simple and neat enough as possible.
Balanced and uncluttered, remember that.
About the Author:
Kaye Z. Marks is an avid writer and follower of
developments in commercial
color printing industry and how these improvements can
benefit small to medium-scale business.
|