How to Design a Logo

How to Design

We have read it before. It’s all over the web, but still people mess up with design of logos for their organization. So, one last time on my blog we’ll just go through some of the most important pointers that must be kept in mind when you take part in any graphic design challenge or rather go about designing a logo yourself. Go through and assimilate the following steps:

• Purpose – Learn and find as much as you can about the purpose that an organization wants it logo to serve via the use of shape, fonts, color, images etc.

• Follow the Rules – There are 5 rules that are followed even by some of the best logo designers.

• Logos must be SIMPLE
• Company logos design must be MEMORABLE
• It must be TIMELESS Pay attention to TYPOGRAPHY & COLORS
• Logo must be FOCUSSED on the brand

• Establish a Design Process - Follow a set procedure but before that make sure the process you’d planning to follow suits your style of working.

• Software - As graphic design designers, one must be master of not less than one professional logos design software. It’s always advised to use vector-based software’s such as CorelDRAW, or Adobe Illustrator.

Ferrari Logo

Logo Designer

More number of men are mesmerized by fast moving cars rather than their women and if it’s about a car like Ferrari, then you can’t blame them for ignoring the fairer sex. Spectacularly beautiful and incomparable to any other car in its class, Ferraris are known world over for their jaw dropping speeds and overall fire under the hood and the logo truly reflects that ferocity. The black prancing stallion is one of the most respected & well recognized corporate identity logos in the world. The horse literally symbolizes the horse power that any Ferrari car would carry and at the same time, it rightly depicts control, skill and intensity. The yellow background gives a unique and striking fillip to the black horse and the black outline around the background gives the logo a dignified and refined appearance. The top portion of the logo design consists of three color bands in green, white & red to enhance the aesthetic grandeur of the design. The words SF on the yellow background stand for Scuderia Ferrari, where the word Scuderia means stable as in a horse stable or barn.

Good Design is CRAP

Good Design

How would you feel, as a graphic design designer if your creative head calls your designs C.R.A.P.? I’m sure you would be anything but destroyed! But you need not worry because in the world of graphics or web designing, it’s taken as a complement. Confused? Well the term C.R.A.P. was coined by an author Robin Williams in her book “Non-Designer’s Design Book”. The acronym was used to describe the importance of Contrast, Repetition, Alignment, and Proximity in any design work.

•    Contrast – This design principle refers to the variation in shapes, sizes, colors etc. that could be used to contradistinguish the text or any other design object.  Incorporating contrast in your designs would simplify things for the user & make it easier for them to understand it.

•    Repetition – Repetition pertains mainly to repeating the design styles and keeping them consistent throughout, without overdoing it.

•    Alignment – Alignment refers to the act of adjusting or positioning the parts to visually connect the design elements in relation to each other.

•    Proximity – Graphic design designers should make sure that the design elements that are related or similar to each other must be kept closer to one another. It helps the user to easily look for the associated information on the design page.

Difference between Brand & Logo

Brand Logo

Most people I know are usually unable to differentiate between a logo and a brand.   So here’s my two cent on the issue.  Firstly, unlike logos, brands are not designed but are experienced. By all means Apple Inc. logo could be a banana fruit and as long as Apple made innovative products like iPod, iPhone, iPad etc. that people loved, the brand of their company wouldn’t change much. Apple’s brand gives social & professional identify to its customers and forms an emotional bond with them. Brand gives customers a sense of belonging & community within that product category. But it’s not to say that corporate identity logos are not important. Corporate logos design is an inseparable part of your brand and can contribute in a small way to influence our choices and behaviors as it represents your company.Hence it’s necessary to be careful while choosing your design of logos. Both brands and logos must be used by companies to assign a priority to their investments and breathe out a continuous stream of messages to create an everlasting impression.

What makes a good Graphic Designer?

Graphics Designer

The million dollar question: What makes a good graphic designer?  Is it the passion? Perhaps a lot of practice and hard work? Could it be an inborn talent that cannot be taught? It could be any of these or more. Unlike creating art, which is subjective, graphics design designers have a purpose in mind. Graphics designing is more commercial in nature & seasoned graphic design designers tend to be expert marketers helping in product promotion, sales, creating corporate identity logos, branding etc. They grasp the needs of the consumer and understand the color, texture, images, copy etc. that will give you the desired result. There are certain qualities that most graphic designers are endowed with and if you think you have the one’s listed below, then it’s high time you listen to your heart and pursue your true calling.

•    Are you a good listener? A graphics design designer has to do a lot’s of listening to understand the needs of their clients.

•    Do you manage your time effectively? Time is money and it’s even truer for a graphics design designer.

•    Do you pay attention to details? Graphics designing is not an easy job and requires lot of attention to avoid those minor errors to enhance the designer’s and the client’s integrity and credibility.