Chances are good that if you recognize a logo immediately, many hours went into bringing it into fruition. A logo is not just a symbol; it is a commodity no company should be without.
So, what really differentiates an effective logo from an ineffective one? In a word: simplicity. The more components in a logo, the more colors, the more elements, the more difficult it will be to recognize and ultimately, to reproduce.
When considering a logo design, you'll need to take into consideration that you'll want to put it on everything, from business cards to banners, from ink pens to t-shirts. That's exactly why a logo must be easy to recognize at any size in a variety of surfaces. What works on an ink pen also needs to work on a billboard. What works on a t-shirt needs to work on a poster, brochure or newspaper ad.
Another important aspect of a good logo is its ability to translate to both black and white or color. In some cases, you may want to use a line-art version, so it's not a bad idea to consider that when mulling over a logo design.
A logo should not only be immediately recognizable, it should represent at a glance exactly what your company is about. On a billboard you have approximately 3-4 seconds to convey a message or display your logo. It should make its point within those 3-4 seconds, otherwise, you've lost thousands of potential dollars because nobody could figure it out.
The best logos work well in 5, 10, 15 or 20 years from the time they are created. This is another essential element of a good logo. Timeless design that works forever.
Less is more! Take out all the unnecessary elements, and reduce the logo idea to its most basic design that would still get the message across, and you have a successful, effective logo. Stay away from special effect such as 3D, flares, shadows, clip art, swooshes and the like. Keeping it simple will always be the best choice in logo design. Also, don't use too many colors as they tend to fight with each other when the logo is used in a small scale. One to two colors work best, and remember, nothing beats black and white.
It's also not a bad idea to have a couple versions of the same logo, essentially the same but slightly different in their aspect ratio, which is the distance between its height and its width. An example would be if you had a symbol connected to your logo in addition to text, you may want to use just the text in some instances and the symbol in others. Some of the best logos are text with a small symbol incorporated into it. It not only looks good, is highly effective and easy to reproduce, it is easily transferred to any form of advertising you choose.
Bottom line: It's always better to hire a professional when it comes to logo design. After all, if you take your company seriously, you need to take your logo seriously as well as it's going to be a reflection of your company for years to come.
Try Creative Services at Studio 1C. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michelle_Crossley
