This is not a how-to design a logo. This is a guide to educate you on how an

experienced designer can help you through a project whose outcome you will need

to live with for years. Learn how greatly the symbolic significance of your corporate

identity can impact your business. To say anyone can design a logo is to say

anyone can design a 53 story high rise. Here are some key lessons that will tell you

if you're choosing the right architect for your corporate identity!Simple Definition- On The SurfaceA logo design is composed of one or more elements of shape, type, and

thematically chosen colors. In a glance, it conveys a substantial amount of

information to the viewer, much in the form of short gut feelings that aren't

vocalized? ood, hesitant, authoritative, dignified, classy, upscale, expertise,

cheap?he list is endless. Your logo is a symbol that will stand on every piece of printed or electronic

collateral for at least the next 10 years. Remember that thought. Changing your

logo in a year because you don't like it breeds confusion and mistrust that spreads

like weeds within your audience. Many people over look that fact when they have a

logo designed from the Internet for $25. Your identity is an extension of your business that communicates visually, through

appearance, and emotionally, through symbolism. Curtailing or ignoring thought,

revision, and growth in the design process will hurt your finished product and

corporate image. A good graphic artist will lead you through the design process.

He or she will help visualize your company as the world sees you. "I'm not creative," "I can't draw," "Make it green cause green is my favorite color and

I'm the boss and it's my logo!" If you find yourself thinking along these lines, you're

pretty normal so don't worry! If your passion and talent lie in matching the perfect

violin to a young blossoming talent that walks into your music store, you're

probably not going to do your own corporate tax returns. Tax returns are done every year. Your logo, the heart and soul of your business is

created once. It's part of you, and is the face of your business the world will see.

Let a graphic artist, whose own passion is design, help you with what they do best.

It's well worth the investment. Let's look at why?n the following we'll discuss some obvious and not so obvious things a logo

communicates and illustrate by examples you'll recognize. You will have a greater

understanding of how much power your little icon can potentially have. Logos: The Obvious CharacteristicsFrom a usability and visibility standpoint there a several key factors that must be

built into the design. Your logo must be clear and simple enough that it does not

lose meaning when reproduced at different sizes, specifically smaller. If it is too

cluttered and muddy on your business card your first impression will be a

disappointment to a potential client. It must not lose meaning when reproduced in one color. The Internet and online

marketing let you produce things in blazing colorful glory without extra cost.

However, don't forget those equally important other places your logo will be seen

like packaging, shopping bags, faxes, Xeroxes, newspapers, business cards,

brochures and letterhead. Those are important items in building brand loyalty and

recognition to your product. If they don't look sharp, neither will your image, and

neither will your sales. Logos: The Quiet, Harmonic Subtle Qualities Often OverlookedYour logo is a symbol of your company's ideals, practices and missions. A well-

developed, carefully sculpted logo can inspire vision, stability and comfort. Your

image can make a viewer feel he or she is in the best, most experienced hands.

With this visual interaction you are building a trust with your audience. Instill trust and a solid foundationA logo can build trust and credibility. When you see a company's logo, even briefly,

you feel something. That something can make you uneasy and worried about what

you'll get for your money, or it can make you feel safe. How about McDonald's? (Fat

grams and calories aside for a moment), when you see the Golden Arches, most

people think good, fun, always-know-what-to-expect-even-in-a-strange-land

hamburger. If you are lost in a foreign country, sighting the McDonald's Logo

creates a sense of familiarity and relief. How about a black circle with two little circles on either side, toward the top.

Mickey. (Yes, that might make some mom and dad's feel faint at the ticket prices),

but beyond that, there's an unparalleled, magical feeling of childhood, laughter and

joy. What powerful emotion from three, joined, black circles that transcends

language and culture. If we say your logo is a symbol, by definition it represents the heart and root system

of your company. The ultimate goal is for your audience to feel and understand

your business on an emotional level and remember it. Sometimes logos can have an

abstract relationship, sometimes right in your face. Either way, they must make

sense and uniquely tie into your business. If you buy a pair of sneakers with a

swoosh on them, do you have any doubt that they will wear out too soon, be

uncomfortable, or a waste of money?Show you are proactive and visionarySay you're in the market for a luxury car. You are probably less worried about the

obnoxious sales people and more attune to advertising you've seen. Which

companies immediately come to mind when you think of precision, perfection and

technological achievement?Logos like Jaguar, Mercedes, or BMW convey enough inherent sense of forward

thinking that they can appear as the only element on a billboard. There is a

confidence you're in a class of superior engineering, advanced technology, and

luxurious style compared to low and mid range automobiles. And even more

intriguing, if you're an owner or in the market for one, doesn't seeing that particular

logo reinforce those ideals to you? How can a little silver kitty on the front of a

hood evoke such deep emotional reactions?Portray confidence and expertiseCalvin Klein, Ralph Loren, and Coca-Cola are recognizable from across a room.

With each, you know purchased products are consistent in quality. I'd suggest the

most obviously confident is Calvin Klein. But it works, doesn't it? The smell of CK

cologne might trigger a good (maybe bad!) memory for you. Who in real life is more

confident than the perfect underwear models that seem to be in endless production?

If they don't radiate self-confidence to that corporation, I'm at a loss for what does!People will argue Coke is better than Pepsi or vice versa. It really doesn't matter

because both are regarded as the best cola drinks made. Either one far surpasses

any of the knock off brands. They are experts in their field. So how does a designer

create an image like these for your company?How does a designer begin? Every creative professional has his or her own methods,

but the initial premise and ultimate journey is the same. Design Is A ProcessResearchIt is impossible to find parallels of symbolism and create a logo identity without

learning about the company, interacting with its employees, understanding the

products and services, and examining the competition. Here a designer starts to understand what ideals the corporate image must convey

and what makes the company unique. Now, how to communicate those thoughts,

feelings, and ideals onto paper. Brainstorming/DraftI usually carry a small tablet around with me when I'm working on a logo design. I

sit at lunch, at red lights, and through the day sketching, scribbling, jotting down

thoughts that pop into my head. These aren't anything for show, but quick ideas

that usually springboard to new ones. Eventually one common thread stands out

and I'll extrapolate some tighter focused ideas around that theme. RevisionThis is the most important process of design. This is where shapes and words

combine into life. Here is where ideas evolve into concrete concepts. These

concepts are further reworked, poked and prodded, transformed into more detailed,

individual entities. A new idea may still enter into the mix, but results become

much more refined and defined. At a point when gut instinct and some outside opinions say, "That's a keeper!" I'll

present the top three concepts to the client. I may offer some thoughts about color

or other added aesthetic enhancements, but I'm more interested in conveying the

underlying meaning of the symbol, and how I think it would speak to an audience

and drive the company forward. ConclusionI strongly suggest you let an experienced designer help you with your logo

development. It's not unreasonable to pay several thousand dollars for a design.

That design should, however, take more than two days to develop and a lot of

interaction and explanation! But you have to live with the results and they should

be nothing less than great. When interviewing several graphic artists, ask them how they develop a logo. What

steps do they take? Their way might be a bit different than this article, but the

general thought should be the same. You're business is probably your most valued

investment. Help the world believe that too by having a logo that conveys it. Name recognition, building trust, and brand loyalty take time. All of the companies

talked about were new once too. And, all are innovators with their own unique,

wonderfully expressive faces to the world. John Krycek is the owner and creative director of http://www. themouseworks. ca theMouseworks. ca. Read additional articles on logo design

and identity creation and graphic and web design in easy, non-technical, up front

English!

Author:
John Krycek