Brands- Logo Design Brands- Logo Design
Brands are one of the most important features for a successful business. By creating an identifiable brand that can be recognized to differentiate it from other competitors in its industry, brands not only make their products more attractive to potential customers but also make them easier to find. A great logo design becomes a part of your brand, showcasing what you do and reinforcing your reputation through an effective visual representation. What's more, well-designed logos are engaging and aesthetically pleasing enough so that they work across different mediums from print media to the internet to TV screens.
We were asked how to come up with a great logo design. First, let's take a look at what makes a good logo design and some of the most popular logos available today. http://logos.ndtv.com/the-50-most-powerful-logos-of-all-time/5
1. Nike Swoosh Logo: The Swoosh was designed by Carolyn Davidson upon request by Phil Knight, cofounder of Nike, in 1971 and has been one of the most popular logos ever since. With the Swoosh, Nike created a symbol that not only got their products noticed but became an icon of sports apparel and accessories that people would be willing to pay more for. The logo is also instantly unique. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nike_swoosh
2. Apple Computer: The Apple logo was created in 1984 by Jonathan Ive, Steve Jobs's design director, after he was asked to work on a new logo for the computer company by its CEO Steve Wozniak. The icon used in the logo is an apple with the beginning of an ellipse at its base and a bite taken out of it, which forms an "a". The logo is instantly recognizable, which helps it stand out from other computer brands. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_logo
3. Star Wars Logo: The Star Wars logo was designed by George Lucas and was first used on the film's title poster in 1977 and continued to be used in a wide range of mediums after the film's release that showcased it as a source of entertainment. The logo became so popular that Lucas received a registered trademark for it when he sold his company to Disney in October 2012. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Wars_logo
4. Post-it Brand: The Post-it brand was created by 3M in 1971. A person named Spencer Silver discovered that he could stick small pieces of paper on other objects and spread them with the help of a little glue. The company's logo uses the trademark that he created for himself and his name, which is currently used to represent all 3M products outside of their original product line. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Post-it_brand
5. Google: The Google logo debuted in September 2015, replacing the old logo that was used since 1999 based on a serif typeface. The new logo got fans worked up into a frenzy of mixed reactions and created an ongoing thread of debate about whether it had been drastically changed or not. But no matter what the feeling is about the new logo, it still has the same colors and playfulness that users have come to identify with Google's products. http://www.businessinsider.com/everything-you-need-to-know-about-googles-new-logo–2015–9
6. Gap: The Gap logo was created by Gap founder Jim Styer in 1965. While at a company retreat, he was inspired to create something that would make people remember his company. He came up with the idea to have an eye-catching contrast between light and dark colors, which is commonly used to create a three-dimensional look of an open colorful box. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gap
7. McDonald's: The McDonald's logo was designed by brothers Dick and Mac McDonald in 1957 as part of their college graphics design class project that they were learning from their father Ray Kroc, who founded the burger chain before them. It was first used in the toy line for children called Happy Meals in 1962 and later on also on a stand-alone menu. Its classic red, yellow and blue colors are still popular today due to their associations with the Golden Arches that have evolved vastly since its creation. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McDonald's_logo
8. Google Doodle: The Google logo was created by Larry Page and Sergey Brin as part of their college project that got heavily influenced by the mathematical symbol Pi, which they believed to be a perfect circle and is commonly used as a representation of its value. The logo today has a slight evolution from its original to reflect the company's changing products but still holds true to its three-dimensional box shape. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_Doodle
9. Apple: The Apple logo got its current design in 1998 and was designed by Rob Janoff on a piece of paper in 20 minutes, based on the idea that the bite taken out of an apple could be read as a letter "a". The shape of the apple is meant to be symbolic for the company's core values and represents the word "Apple" with some of its letters being removed, which is affectionately known as "the bitten apple". http://www.idea-box.com/blog/design-history-behind-the-apple-logo.html
10. South Park: The South Park logo was created in 1992 by Jeff Myers and the company's founders Trey Parker and Matt Stone to replace the previous logo that featured a blue cartoon superhero saying "Go, Speed Racer, Go!" which they believed to be too boring. Their new logo is of a cartoony four boys running and shouting "Go, go, go!" around their hometown with the letters SP at the bottom. It has become one of their most popular trademarks that they use on everything from T-shirts to games and also on their website. http://southparklogos.tumblr.com/
11. Google: The Google logo was created in 1998 by Ruth Kedar and is a spoof based on Louis Sullivan's 1908 electric logotype for the Geib Company. The idea for the font came from the founders' admiration for the original logo, which they found to be simple and memorable. The letters G and O are small circles, while lle are small bars that as a whole look like an eye. It has been used on all of Google's products since its launch in 1998. http://www.idea-box.com/blog/design-history-behind-the-google-logo–2122
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Conclusion: The world of logo design is incredibly vast and there's much to learn from the numerous logos that exist. Looking into the origins of these logos gives us some great insights into how designers work and what type of ideas they come up with when designing a logo. These are just some of the most popular examples that have withstood the test of time for more than 50 years. With their beautiful simplicity, we can learn how to create a memorable mark that will stand the test of time as well.
By: Maria Fotini
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Brands- Logo Design