When should you redesign your logo? First, logos are like any other form of advertising; a professional logo design communicates your online brand. Furthermore, symbols also have a shelf life, and all major companies, such as Star Bucks, Walmart, Google, Yahoo, Ford, Coke, McDonald’s, and many others, have changed their logos to some degree over the years.
EARLY LOGO BEGINNINGS
The Ancient Egyptians were among the first to use symbols when they developed hieroglyphics around 3200 BC. A “logo” is a name, symbol, or trademark for easy recognition. Moreover, logos as brands have existed as long as traders and merchants have existed.
Logos can also be traced back to the thirteenth century. For example, they include Mason’s marks, Goldsmith’s marks, papermakers’ and watermarks for the nobility, and printers’ marks.
WHY DO LOGOS CHANGE?
Many factors drive advertising or logo trends. For example, one of the most potent forces shaping and driving design is “human culture.” You might say advertising; even logo design reflects the signs of our times.
From the early 1800s to the 1940s, most logos were elegant hand illustrations and lettering.
During this period, an electric company’s logo was little more than the company name with a lightning bolt. Some companies have retained part of their original design in their present-day logos.
In 1920, the Victor Talking Machine Company’s logo featured a dog named “Nipper” sitting in front of a phonograph and listening intently. Today, RCA still uses Nipper in some of its advertising campaigns.
ENTER AVANT-GARDE DESIGN
In the early ’60s, Andy Warhol’s creative works presented a unique look at the world. His works came to be known as Pop Art. This movement permeated commercial television, movies, and mainstream advertising. Logo shapes and designs became more “iconic” in nature.
McDonald’s dropped the little burger guy, popping out of the golden arches in favor of stand-alone golden arches. In the late 1990s, the Silicon Valley revolution led to a flurry of techie-type logo designs incorporating the Nike swoosh, which is ever-present in current logo designs.
LOGO FORMULATION
A logo communicates your identity. A good logo is distinguished by legibility and strong brand recognition. How do you create a powerful symbol for your business? That’s a good question. Let’s get started.
Let’s say you are an attorney who specializes in immigration. A great creative place to start is with a paper clip. That’s right, a paper clip. The idea here is to free your mind of typical symbolism, like a gavel or court building, which one would associate with an attorney or a lawyer.
Try to think out the obvious iconography. Throw out all your preconceived creative notions. Thinking about how a non-associative object might be applied to your logo design takes your concept in a unique direction.
Think of any odd item like a clothing iron, clothespin, paintbrush, or kitchen utensil, then list ten concepts of how this item or shape would apply to your new logo.
RESEARCH YOUR LOGO
It would be best if you marketed research your logo. If you are designing a logo for a turbine motor company, get on the Web and collect every symbol from every company that builds or sells turbine motors. Ask yourself which of the logos does an excellent job of communicating. Compare color palettes and the fonts used. Learn from successes and mistakes by analyzing what works and what doesn’t.
SKETCH YOUR IDEAS
Before opening Illustrator or Photoshop, grab some paper and doodle a few designs. This is how many professional designers develop their concepts. When creating the icon or Nike swoosh portion of your logo, don’t worry about typography at this point. Concentrate on the icon. Try looking at finished logo samples. Also, see: HOW DO YOU CREATE A PERFECT LOGO?
INCORPORATING THE COMPANY MISSION OR MOTTO
Your client may have a company phrase or tagline and may want to incorporate this into the logo. Logos take time to develop so that you won’t hit the mark on the first or even the hundredth try. However, that’s the logo design process.
Logos are a very personal thing. Therefore, be patient and don’t get frustrated. After some trial and error, that unique design will appear right before you. See: PROFESSIONAL LOGO DESIGN
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