To keep our ducks lined up in a nice, orderly row, we’re going to start the logo design process with a little logo dissection. It takes an understanding of the parts to gain the most benefit from the whole.
Don’t worry if you’re squeamish… logo design isn’t exactly a “guts and gore” industry, unless you have the “guts” to create a uniquely “gore”geous logo. (Groan if you must. I never claimed to be a comedian.)
Logo Anatomy
There are three main parts to your typical logo – the symbol (or icon), the wordmark (or company name) and the tagline (or slogan). These are illustrated in the design I created, below, for Cyan Technology, Inc.:
A great logo design can be broken down into its separate components, and still remain recognizable.
Logo Flexibility
In addition, your logo should be flexible enough to fit a variety of settings and venues – everything from a website banner, to a store sign, to a business card, to letterhead, to embroidery. And it needs to work just as well in black and white as it does in full color.
The level of flexibility will vary from company to company, but understand that each of these requires a different format. A vertical logo may not fit so well into a horizontal website header. And a complex logo may get muddled when converted for a fax cover sheet. Moral of this topic: plan ahead.
Using the same Cyan Technology logo, let’s have a look at just a few of the variations I created to allow the company the level of flexibility they required:
DMT Challenge of the Week
Have a logo already? Break it down into its components. First check to see whether they correlate. Does each element give a consistent impression of your company when looked at individually, or are they sending mixed messages about your business? Now determine whether they are unique enough on their own to create a strong brand for your company. Go ahead – try it!
Bonus Resource: Check out this fantastic online file from Cornell University about “Creating a Logo”.
Don’t have a logo yet? I happen to know a really great design firm that could help…
Next Week: Time for DMT Artistry to make a final decision on business colors!
Dawn M. Tomczyk-Bhajan | DMT Artistry, LLC | www.DMTArtistry.com
All content Copyright © 2012 DMT Artistry, LLC, unless otherwise noted. All Rights Reserved.
Love the flexibility with all the different designs. Also I love the unique design. On a private note was wondering if you had any ideas for Adams well Drilling and Water Treatment and what that may cost. That had come up in Brody and I conversations but I did not want to broach the subject without him. Great blog
Thanks for the compliments, Brian! I’d be happy to connect with you about your logo, and will be in touch shortly. Once again, thanks for being such a loyal reader. Clients like you are an absolute treasure!
Cyan must love this logo. Not only flexible, but way cool.
Amazing to me how many companies leave the development of their company’s logo to something they work up in MS Word, or something one of kids drew. You see it in ads, and especially on vehicles on the street.
If there is one thing I’d recommend to all the small businesses in the community is, get someone like Dawn to thoughtfully design your logo. Let her design a logo that reflects your company, is memorable and flexible, and can grow with your company. Hopefully it is something you will be living with for a long time, so someone like Dawn takes into consideration not just current trends, but long term sustainability.
I’ve been in Marketing Communications for over 25 years and I love reading this blog because I keep learning something new. Great job!
They do, indeed! Thanks for your compliment!
You’re absolutely right – I see inexperienced, inflexible, faddish and clip art designs on a regular basis, and I also see the trouble they cause when they’ve got no real branding to give them a leg to stand on. These companies become “trapped” by their logo limitations, and wind up spending more to fix it, than to have simply started off right in the first place!
It delights me that, even with your years of experience, you still glean value from my posts. Thanks for being such a devoted and involved reader.