1: A deeper contextual and theoretical understanding of logo design.
2: A greater appreciation of Adobe photoshop and illustrator so I can create my own logo professionally OR someone to do it with me if i can do the groundwork.
I started by doing some research into the do's and don'ts of logo design. There is a lot of thinking and advice and theories around graphic design and logos in particular. I looked at the thoughts and ideas of lots of professionals in the field to really explore how important the colour, style design and psychology of creating good logos is. From this I gleaned the following points that will all act as guidance whilst developing my own logo idea. I will use these as a check-list for checking against my logo designs.
DON'T
Add too much detail
Strong logos aren't complicated; they focus on one key feature. The more you add onto the design of your logo, the higher the chance is that it will be confusing for your audience.
Follow trends
If you want to create a logo that blends in with everyone else's and will become outdated in a year or so, follow the trends.
Switch it up every other year
Weak brands aren't consistent in their logos. They flip flop from one logo design to the next and don't allow time to create recognition with their audience. However if they do change and update they do so using similar themes, colours nd style..
Imitate
This plagiarism and can be detrimental to a brand and my logo must be unique. the whole point of branding is the ability to set myself and my business, or blog apart from everything else that's already out there. By imitating someone else's logo, I would be stealing their creativity and robbing myself of mine.
Be too literal
An original, creative logo isn't necessarily the one that's the most expected. For example, it isn't necessary to use imagery of a place setting if you're a restaurant or a football if you're a football team.
Go crazy with the number of fonts
A good rule of thumb is to keep the fonts to two. The use of several fonts has the potential to result in a logo that isn't cohesive.
DO
Define and research your audience
The purpose of a logo (and therefore a brand) is to attract my ideal audience; the logo should be appealing to them. I might love certain colors and fonts, but if they don't catch the attention of my potential customers, clients, or readers, I've missed the boat. I will need to spend some time defining my audience and do some research into their interests and tastes to create a logo that will appeal to them. I need to strive for something different as I have a great opportunity to set my business and brand apart by creating a one-of-a-kind logo. It would be easy to be inspired by what's already been done before, but I need to strive for a logo that's different and distinct.
Sketch
The exploration phase is an important part of any creative process. Remove any hesitations and don't worry about finding the perfect solution right out of the gate; just sketch. I need to experiment with different ideas and have fun with it. I will develop plenty of ideas however off the wall and just be creative combining themes, images and versions. You never know what will work of what may inspire a different direction or what I may end up coming back to.
KISS (Keep it simple stupid!)
Efforts to create something original and creative can often result in making things more complicated than they need to be. The best logos are simple. This doesn't mean that the designers behind them sacrificed creativity, but they didn't go over the top either. Less is more and a strong central theme and image is the way to go. A good design rule of thumb seems to be to highlight one feature in a logo. Just one. My logo should be timeless. Remember KISS!
Pay attention to spacing, composition, and negative space
Most of the best logos out there just seem to "fit" because the designer has paid attention to the entire space, not just the images and text. Consider ways to use spacing, composition, and negative space to your advantage. Using a grid helps to make sure that the spacing is consistent and subject matter is proportional.
Be mindful of size and legibility
Logo's should be legible and decipherable at all sizes wherever it may be used. It should maintain detail whether it's large or small. If my logo isn't easily recognized or legible at small sizes, you may need to come up with a different solution.
Choose and use fonts wisely
Each font has a distinct character and almost a mood, feeling or emotion that it conjures up. Some are strong, bold, and solid while others are whimsical and imperfect. The fonts I choose for my logo can play a large part in how my brand is received by my audience as first impressions are crucial.
Adapt a typeface
There's a difference in a font and a logo. Instead of using a generic font for my logo that anyone could recreate, I may alter and adapt the typeface in some way as it will give it some character.
Study colour psychology
Just like each font has a distinct character, different colours evoke different emotions, feelings, and memories in people. I need to tap into that when I am choosing colours for my logo project and colour psychology is something that interests me so this should be fun. I will need to spend some time studying colour associations as I consider which colours I will use in my logo.
Create variations and alternate logos
I will need to consider variety and versatility when creating a logo for my business. The logo will most likely be used in a number of different places, whether it's in the header of a website or the back of a business card. I aim to create a couple of compositional variations of your logo and will need to consider what my logo will look like on coloured backgrounds, or on top of photos, and account for that by creating different colour variations. within this though I must make sure I maintain the same consistency and proportions throughout all my variations.
Get feedback from others
It can be easy to get tunnel vision when pouring time and effort into a logo concept. I must make sure I take a step back and ask for feedback from friends, family and hopefully the graphic designers (Nigel and Sara) on my MA for their opinions. They may see something in the logos font, negative space or colours that I hadn't picked up on before, or they may see a word within my logo that I hadn't noticed.
SOURCES USED
http://www.webdesignerdepot.com/2009/06/12-essential-rules-to-follow-when-designing-a-logo/
http://www.webdesignerdepot.com/2012/08/the-psychology-of-logo-design/
https://www.smashingmagazine.com/2015/06/effective-logo-design-symbols-metaphors-intuition/
http://www.thelogofactory.com/7-golden-rules-of-logos/
http://inkbotdesign.com/logo-design-psychology/
https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/247783
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