Logo design - a journey through LogoLand

Logo design - introduction to concepts, examples, history, case studies. Presented at Brisbane Web design Meetup April 15 2010. Summary of key points (with link to interactive presentation) available from http://www.cazazz.com/resources/Articles/Logodesigntips.aspx or go to prezi.com and search for logo design.

3. visual identity

typography

sub-brands log oO
en layout

imagery

use of space
signage &
packaging

C olour stationery

presentations

websites

4. branding

advertising

marketing
tone of voice

communication

values

(NPROZ Icom

social media

visual identity

typography imagery
sub-brands
og JE, layout
se of space
colour

5. LOGO ELEMENTS

logotype or

sum bol wordmark

or ‘eleograrn

Ie sa brand thing.

om (past) AA
tagline (sometimes)

6. Wordmark + symbol
ef bp

©

ans ©
woolworths ANZ [4

ù Jet 222%

BANDICOOT CONTRAIL

TRAILERS solutions

7. Wordmark logotypes

8. Symbol-only logos

9. Logo evolution - getting simpler

(1976 - 1998) (1998) Current Logo

Ea Ed EA EA

(971) (1978) (1985) Current Logo

10. Logo evolution - creating a niche

11. Logo evolution - knowing when to stop

me
cs

VE Lan Canon Cano Canon

(1934) (1934) (1953) (1935) Current Logo.
ER & ORE
(1888) (1891) (1911)

(1947) (1956) (1972) Current Logo

PREZ Icom

12. Australia

13. Starting a project azazzÀ

Branding & logo design | Briefing checklist

‘Objectives and background

+ Whatisthe name of yourbusiness? (exact as you want it to appear)

‘© How would you describe what the business does, in just one sentence?

‘+ What ae yourbusiness/communcation objectives? (e launch new venture, estabishvbuld re
‘you customer base, change perceptions, overtake competitors, improve ficiency be no

Who ar your competitors? Please provide website addresses or examples of theirlogos.

‘© What mates yourbusinessdferet from others? (strengths or unique saling poems)

‘© How do youwant your business tobe perceived? Mint. of wordsto describe your desires brand
‘personaly gg innovative, table, end, sold, warn, authoratve, res, USD, et).

+ Can ycuttink of any bene tat you ase as banchmarks withthe sor ofimaguatbutes you"
{these don'thave to bein asim area of business as you's)

business/brand name
marketing objectives

competitors

brand personality/valué

Targetmarkevaudiences

= Whoare yourtargetaudiences (ype of people industry rol, locations)?

‘+ What do your audiences need or expect from a business Ike yours? se they Wkly tohave any
Particular preconceptions, concams or issues tha need tobe addressed?

‘© Through which main channels do your audiences com in contact with your Business? (eg webs
etephone, emai. SMS, personal contact events, arene. productrice delivery, et) Whic
ave the most impact on what people tha about your business?

target audience

communication channel

Practical considerations

+ Isyourbusiness name registered? Do you want yourlogoto be trademarked?

+ Doyouhave an exstingpceviouslogo? If so, what do youwant to change about 17

+ Dayou have any preferences regarding colors typo raphy, viscal syle orimagery? Plast
detal forany specific elements you want to use (sg color pates. image samples, ic]

‘© Doyounave a tagine/siogan you want o use with he logo?

+ Dossthebrand fortis business need to relate dicey to anyother brand or business entity?

+ Does yourlogoneedtowork in black & we (or 2 colours) as wil as ful colour at very
ey tral sizes?

‘+ Which communication matañals are essential. and which ao rics tohave? fyouknow you need
pacific materials (uch as a brochure, website, business card, el) laase estimate quantty and,
requirements lor each (eg number of pages, Toma production process. content dea)

"Timescales and project management
= What ae yourdeadines or overall imeseales?

+ What evel of budget have youstlowes (F know)?
How would you prefer o communicate dung he project? (face to face, emad. telephone, MSN, et)

trademarking

personal preferences

tagline/slogan

practical considerations

scope of project

budget & timing

À P ROZ Icom

14. What’s in a name?

15. ¢ will the logotype use the registered
business name, or a shortened version
or acronym?

¢ does it match the domain name?

¢ should particular word/s be
emphasised?

¢ what do people actually call it
colloquially?

» preference for capitals or lower case?

16. An example...

F3 Financial Services
www.f3fs.com.au

F3FS
F3 Financial Services

F3 financial

17. 2

F3 Financial Services

F3 Financial Services

F3 Financial Services F3 Financial Services

à

18. 3

CO0 Financial Services
LO
F3 FINANCIAL SERVICES GO

o
Financial æ

Services Financial
Services

B

19. N 8
Financial Financial
Services Services
O ©

o O cea

EP R © Z Icom

20. factsheets

21. Where will most customers see the logo?

signs

product badges

BANDICOO

AILERS.

uniforms

Jens
BUILDING SERVICES

website product labels

22. What’s the brand personality?

23. Colour and emotion

Blue = safe, reliable, Red or Orange =t

EN RACQ aft
Financial
CANTRAIL B Services
N solutions DE BANDICOOT

AILERS

friendly

©.

Pink and purple = ae female Green or Turquoise = hi
y Pa A
ii de 4
WWE DAVID JONES A ue um Ne
no massage
MYER nab | for equines

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24. Suggestive typography...
classic modern
strong elegant
open funky
grungy simple
free casual

25. Customising fonts

Ay Clothes RB a
Bs» Financial
Rett. $3: anis

Unee AA AL LA TL 1

26. A quick case study...

27. Case study: Capital Advisory Services >The brief

28. Case study: Capital Advisory Services > Research

Company values Competitors

Independence

Deloitte. LAZARD

oy
sd Mana
©. Ÿ Investec
tal 4

Professionalism

RBC Capital Markets”

ia an PRICEWATERHOUSEGOPERS.

29. Case study: Capital Advisory Services > Trying out logotype fonts

CAPITAL CAPITAL CAPITAL
ADVISORY ADVISORY = ADVISORY
SERVICES SERVICES SERVICES

CAPITAL CAPITAL

ADVISORY SERVICES ADVISORY SERVICES
ADVISORY SERVICES ADVISORY SERVICES

CAPITAL CAPITAL

ADVISORY SERVICES ADVISORY SERVICES

30. Case study: Capital Advisory Services > Design concepts

&

GAA.
CAPITAL SARITAL
CAPITAL CAPITAL
el ADVISORY SERVICES
SERVICES CARRE SERVICES

GAPITAL carnal

ADVISORY Q SERVICES

CAPITAL CAPITAL

ADVISORY SERVICES

ADVISORY SERVICES

31. Case study: Capital Advisory Services > Design development

¿APITAL CAPITAL

ADVISORY@ SERVICES ADE EORY ARIES

Thank you for the draft designs, they look great. We have selected a design from each sheet
‘and applied a consistent font and colour scheme across allin order to narrow the choice. Would

you please be kind enough to consolidate the following four options on one page a

Option One: Refine Option “Sheet 3 by applying the font and colours from Sheet 38. Use E SAN

the darker blue for the outer line on the hexagon and orange for the inner Ine ofthe hexagon. CAPITAL CAPITAL
ADVISORY SERVICES ADVISORY SERVICES

Option Two: Refine Option “Sheet 2 C” by applying the font and colours described above in
‘Option One, but the words “Advisory Services” to be on one line instead of two lines. Make
‘the 4 tall stack of blocks dark blue and the 2 tal stack of blocks light blue.

‘Option Thre
‘Option One.

efine Option “sheet 18" by applying the font and colours described above in

CAPITAL CAPITAL
Option Four: Refine Option “Sheet 19" as deserbed in Option Three but apply an orange spial ADVISORY @ SERVICES DUISORYO
witha white doton the letter".

a @
CAPITAL CAPITAL

ADVISORY SERVICES

{Qi P R OZ Icom

32. Case study: Capital Advisory Services > Design development

We have played around to scale with the two preferred options which were Options 4A and 4.

We now Joly agree that option AA is too understated but we can't reach consensus on AE so “ CAPITAL

have looked to find a compromise from the other options. pincers

We both lke the hexagon style and feel that 1 may ‘ft’ better with our values theme, So we
revisited option 30 and think that if you use the same colour scheme and fonts as the Option à
series and apply it to 2D, this wll provide Peter and me with a basis to reach a consensus on the
final version . Could you please shaw three options:

ESA

# Option Sa with the interinking hexagons being the dark blue used for “Capital” and
orange;

+ Option 58 with the intarlinking hexagons being the lighter blue used for “Advisory
Services” and orange: and

+ Option 5€ with the dark and ight blue Interlinking hexagons.

CAPITAL

Thanks for your patience. You no doubt appreciate why we are being abt pedantic but think me SORRY SERIEES
we are now at the end point

CAPITAL Ó

(NP R © Z Icom

33. Case study: Capital Advisory Services > Design development

You've seen this behaviour before...
Ta
Rod

From: Carolyn King [mait:[email protected]]
‘Sent: Wednesday, 19 June 2009 5:15 PM

To: [email protected] au

Gc: ‘Obsidian Finance’

Subject: RE: Final Logo Designs

Please see attached; I've even shown one with the symbol centred above the text (justin
case!)
Carolyn

From: Rod Cameron [malo :cameronr bigpond.net au]
Sent: Wednesday, 10 June 2009 4:17 PM

To: [email protected]

Ce: ‘Obsidiar

carolyn
Eureka! but one last tweak!

‘We both like 58 but being the inquisitive types, we'd lke to see a versior
hexagons on the right side of the words.

the interlinking

(@P R Z loom

CAPITAL

ADUISORY SERVICES

CAPITAL
©

CAPITAL ¿O CAPITAL

ABMISORY SERV

©
CAPITAL

CAPITAL

34. Case study: Capital Advisory Services > Final logo

ORALE

Carolyn

After a bitof further debate we now agree that option SA is our preferred option so you can
progress the design work on this basi.

Thanks for your patience, It looks very good and the dark background version is equally
impressive. We appreciate that i difficult to tar’ up a fairly Boring name for avery
conservative type of business, but the logo projects a fresh but professional image whichis
what we are after. Sometimes one (us not necessary you) can get a tle too carried away with

a deep and meaningful explanation for why the logo was developed, but a lot depends on one À

‘esthetic appeal. We think you have achieved a good balance for what we know is a fairy
‘uninspiring subject matter.

Great work!

>:

NPROZI.om

35. A few learning points...

36. Tips for designing a logo

use a legible typeface

standardise the logo across media

avoid stock images (not unique)

don’t use bitmap images (vectors scale better)
research says red & blue are most successful colours
don’t make a tagline integral to the design

if using a symbol, try it as a standalone element well
design positive and negative versions

ensure the logo is different from competitors

avoid logo design trends

37. Tips for commissioning a logo

write a clear brief: brand messages,
audiences, competitors, uses of logo

set a realistic budget

when choosing between options, be
objective and allow "brewing" time

give clear feedback to the designer
check options against competitors’ logos
commission a logo as part of a broader visual
identity or web design project

get original artwork files from the designer
if you want to trademark your logo, check
eligibility before getting your logo designed

» don't keep changing it (unless you're google)

38. A successful logo ...

reflects the brand promise

appeals to the target audience

is clear and legible

is suitable for practical applications
is versatile and adaptable

is distinctive and unique

39. The moment your logo
stops being unique, its
value drops to nothing.

40. Thank you for visiting LogoLand

Carolyn King
@cazazz
[email protected]
WWW.Cazazz.com

(presentation created using prezicom)