You might be familiar with the word ‘logo’ as it’s literally everywhere. But what is a logo? How do you make a logo? Some of us may think we know about logos; however, there are many misconceptions and confusions.

Nowadays, since Motion Graphics is booming and people’s fascination for new technology and trends are changing fast, logo design is taking to a new level. But understanding the logo design basics are as important.

In this blog, I will therefore explain the basics of logo design, its anatomy and principles. 

What is a logo?

A logo can be said to be the face of any business or brand. Let’s understand with a simple daily life example. 

When you wake up in the morning for about 30 to 60 minutes, you see a lot of logo designs. I usually wake up and check my phone, where I see the logo of the smartphone brand I use. The next thing I do is skincare routine, and I will see the logos of the brands of my skincare products.  

These logos are so much a part of our lives that we barely notice it. However, it is seen that people recognize brands with respect to their logos. When we think of Starbucks, then we think of the Starbucks logo. This identification is known as a logo. 

A logo is not a new thing; it is even used in ancient times. For example, in the times when people were not even literate, symbols of animals like horses, cows, etc., were made into hot seals to show ownership of property or even cattle. With that being said, you may say that evolution of logo design started with these symbols.

This brings me to the conclusion that everyone may not be able to read a written word, but everyone can recognize symbols. Design is a universal language. 

Are logos and icons the same?

Let me give you a relatable example—consider the icons of males and females in washrooms. They are recognized globally. But they are not logos. 

Sometimes, icons do act like logos by being an identity. Even though logos and icons are different, The idea that I am trying to convey here is that sometimes your design becomes your identity, just like your signature or initials. 

Anatomy of logo design

Many forms and styles of design are used in logo creations, but all logos have a general form and basic anatomy.

So let’s start…

A logotype is a written type of character that makes up a company or logo name. For example, take a look at the webdew logo. 

A logomark is an image or symbol used to symbolize a company, and it is used to strengthen brand identity. Logomarks, which don’t normally include a company name, allow designers to develop a powerful brand identity.

What makes a great logo design?

A great logo design will involve creating a local mark that may live outside of the local type and still be recognized by its audience. 

One of the best examples of great logo design will be that of Apple. A logo type or word need not be placed adjacent to the logo mark for it to be recognizable. A consumer by seeing the logo design alone is able to identify Apple products. 

The logo is effective even without the use of typography, as can be seen on their website by the absence of the words “our company” or “name” in the header of the page, which is usually located adjacent to the logo. This is due to the fact that the brand is one of the most recognized brands in the entire world.

In light of this, a logo that merely consists of the company’s name or a logo mark may not be sufficient to establish the company’s name or reputation.

Apart from logo mark and type, there are more things to understand. There are symbol logos, emblem logos or seal logos, or a badge which is a combination of a logo type and a logo mark inside one concise shape. An example for this will be Starbucks. 

Check out the logo animation compilation by webdew:

Principles of logo design

Some of these may be familiar to you, but keep reading to be reminded of their significance and check your own work to be sure you’re designing correctly. Consider these four principles to check if you’re doing things right in your design phase.

The creation of a logo should be as simple and clear as possible, according to the first principle of simplicity. This is due to the fact that it will leave a stronger lasting impression on the consumers and end users and customers.

There are numerous significant reasons why a logo’s simplicity is essential. The logo’s effectiveness and success could be diminished if it’s too cluttered and complicated to express the brand’s message. To that end, it’s recommended that you pare down your logo as much as possible.

A big plus for any company or brand is that logos are simple to recall. Because every color we use in logos is chosen based on our emotions and how it makes us feel, it is essential to have a solid understanding of color theory.

Consider a logo that looks fantastic on your computer but is blurry in other places such as applications, cards, and so on. Since a brand’s logo must remain consistent wherever it appears, this can be a serious problem.

Because of this, scalability is a very significant consideration in the design of logos. The logo will likely be used by a firm or brand on business cards, apps, brochures, websites, apps, and sometimes even as a favicon.

If you want your logo to grow with your business, it’s important to work with a designer that understands the need of keeping the logo’s overall design scalable at every stage.

Legibility is one of the most important principles to consider while designing a logo. This is related to scalability, but it goes much beyond that.

Sometimes designers will try to be clever or unique by including design elements that are highly abstract. Especially when typography is used, this can leave the logo’s intended audience confused. The logo should be instantly identifiable and legible, as customers will not return if they have to think too much to understand the logo.

Relatability is the fourth principle to take into account. This refers to how the brand message and the people who use the product relate to the logo. Because the voice of the brand is basically represented by your choice of logo type and the logo mark itself, it is necessary for you to comprehend the voice of the brand and to portray it in the logo.

You need to give some consideration to what the voice of the brand is and how you can best convey that through a single unique design. This constitutes a significant portion of the overall process of designing a logo.

Wrapping up

Well, that’s all the basics of logo design to get you started on it. Logos are a big part of branding and it has become an essential component. 

Check out the blog on using the Golden Ratio technique in logo design. 

If you are looking to understand more on video marketing or have questions on logos, animations, design or digital marketing, head over to www.webdew.com. Even better, contact us straightaway!

                                                                                                                           Editor: Amrutha