Does Your Company’s Logo Capture Its Essence?
A good logo captures a brand’s DNA. It is the basis on which people form their first impression of a brand. In the most basic sense, a professional company logo comprises three things – colour, shape, and type. Each of these aspects come together to create an image through which people will perceive your brand.
The Five Popular Types of Logo Style
Wordmark
Also known as logotypes, this type of logo style uses a stylized version of a company’s name or acronym. CNN and eBay are examples of brands that use this logotype.
Letterform
Here, a brand uses a single letter to represent it (M for McDonald’s and H for Honda). It helps to keep the letter legible.
Pictorial
This logotype uses symbols to represent a company. Think, a light blue bird for Twitter or Apple’s logo.
Emblem
In an emblem type of logo design, a brand’s name uses pictorial elements (Harley Davidson’s logo, for example).
Abstract
Abstract logos use symbols to represent a brand. Nike and Pepsi are examples of brands with this type of logo.
Elements to Incorporate When Designing Your Brand’s Logo
Colour Theory Is Important
Different colours denote different feelings. In the world of design, orange indicates boldness and fun, black means sophistication and security, and red stands for strength and passion. Understand the message you want your brand to send when picking colours for the logo.
Shades and Tints Make a Difference
Worried about using red in its basic form for fear of coming on too forceful? Tone it down by opting for a softer tint of red. A small step like this has a significant impact on the result. Don’t be afraid to play around with shades of different colours to create a unique hue.
The Role of Colour Schemes
You can choose to represent your brand with a single colour, or you can make it a mixed bag of multiple colours. The goal is to create a logo that captures your brand’s emotion. Under colour schemes, we have five primary types:
- Monochromatic – made up of one colour but uses different tints of that colour.
- Analogous – uses colours that are close to each other (yellow and orange, for instance).
- Triadic – uses every fourth colour on the colour wheel.
- Complementary – uses colours that are placed opposite to each other on the colour wheel.
- Split complementary – uses one colour and two others that are on the sides of its complementary colour.
The Shape of Your Logo Matters
Much like colours, you can focus on using shapes for your logo. Similar to colours, different shapes symbolize various emotions. For instance, a triangle denotes power and intellect, curves denote femininity and rhythm, and circles denote community and wholeness.
A Good Logo Is All About the Details
When working on your brand’s logo, consider three questions:
- Does a certain colour capture your brand’s emotion?
- How will your choice of a particular shape affect your customer’s perception of your brand?
- Is the logo easily recognizable and unique?
