Designing a logo is quite an expensive task, because many owners of small companies prefer to do this on their own. It seems that this is a simple matter, and it does not make sense to overpay the designer for some kind of picture. Only the knowledge of graphic editors and the ability to draw in order to create a logo is not enough. Of course, there are many online generators that allow you to create a logo without watermarks from ready-made pictures. Only such an image is unlikely to help solve the problem and work to attract customers.
History of the appearance of the logo
Let's consider what rules exist during development, and how to create a logo yourself. But first, let's get acquainted with the history of the emergence of this concept, because otherwise it will be impossible to give it a definition. The concept of "logo" appeared at the beginning of the XIX century and was synonymous with ligature. Ligature is the union of several characters into one. When the industry began to develop rapidly, there was a need to create special means for printing. Various machines began to be developed, and for a long time simply text cliches were called the logo, which did not have to be re-typed each time. They were usually used for newspaper headlines and did not change for a long time.
Logo in the modern sense
But in the 20th century, the definition has changed - now they call it a certain image that can convey the personality of a company or brand. Modern logos are similar in meaning to medieval family coats of arms. They allow consumers to distinguish their own from others and highlight their favorite companies. There is still much debate about what it really is. Some graphic designers argue that only text can be a logo, and the symbolic part is a separate element of branding, but there is also an opposite opinion. Before creating a logo, it is important to understand that now it is called not only an inscription or drawing, but also a symbol, a combination of several characters or an emblem. They can be together or separately, but, most importantly, that the final image conveys the personality of the company for which it was developed.
The symbolic appearance of the logo
Before you create a logo yourself, you need to find out what it can be. There are several groups into which this type of image is divided. The most popular type of logo is symbolic. It is most common among large companies, because with the help of symbols you can create a certain associative series with a product or service. When a person catches this symbol, he easily perceives the images associated with the product. Before you create your logo or emblem, imagine what kind of associations the final product of design thought should cause. This can be difficult to do, because it is so important in the first stage of work to write out for yourself as many possible options as possible.
Text logos and emblems
The next look is text logos. This is one of the most convenient logos for designers engaged in the development of pages on the Internet. One of the options that should be used when creating a site is a text logo. Creating a logo on your own, it is important to remember that it is more convenient for sites when the domain is the logo and the name of the project at the same time. Alphanumeric or abbreviation types are used by companies with very complex names. Abbreviations in the form of abbreviations can also become logos. An emblem is a very specific type of logo - it is a three-dimensional image. In a combined form, there is a text part and an icon. The most popular form of logo is the circle - it enjoys the most attention. As a small workout, look around and try to find as many logos as possible. Compare their shapes with each other and find the most common. Most likely, it will be a circle.
Logo styles
Before creating a logo, it is worth deciding on its future style. Styles can be divided into many groups, but most often they use the following:
- Flat design is a modern version of the logo design, which is well suited for youth projects. It is a prototype of minimalism and is expressed in the intentional simplification of forms.
- The counter form is a special technique that allows you to create logos and other graphic images from various forms. In this style, negative space (emptiness) is used in a special way. It can be no less active than the figure itself. The designer uses all the space both inside the image and beyond.
- Calligraphy is a special “warm” style that expresses the cozy atmosphere of the place where it is used. Its specificity is expressed in the fact that it is suitable for brands where something is done by hand: for cooking, ateliers, hairdressers.
- Minimalism is the most versatile logo design style. It can be used in places where other options are unacceptable.
How to find an idea for a logo?
One of the methods for finding ideas has already been described above - this is the fixation of associations. Start by sketching and write down everything that comes to mind. If this does not help, bring a team to work and share ideas with each other. A team of professionals very often brainstorms. Describe the logo on paper to present it. Try to make an abbreviation from the name or select some letters and turn them into an image. Take letters as symbols. Use negative space, learn to work with it.
The first rule when creating a logo
If you are thinking about how to create a company logo yourself for your company or for the customer, remember: the designer must receive a full technical task or brief before starting work. Be sure to fully understand the task set by the customer. Without a complete brief, starting development does not make sense. Waste of time and effort without clear evaluation criteria and customer wishes is a sure sign of a huge number of future layout changes. Not having received in full the task with a description of what needs to be done, the contractor needs to prepare for the fact that the final project is most likely not approved.
The second rule when creating a logo
The second point is to minimize computer work. Before creating a logo, start with very simple objects - a sheet of paper and a pen or pencil. These items will be the least distracting from the quest. Tablets and other gadgets attract attention to themselves, not to work. It is believed that a blank sheet can cause stupor and scare away ideas. But this is just a myth. Simply grab a pen or pencil in your hand and fill in some free space to begin creating your first sketch.
Stage one: sketching
First sketch or sketch. Sketch everything that comes to mind - during work you need to be in a state of flow. When thinking about how to create a logo, fix on paper the maximum number of images that come to your mind. Do not divide the sketches at this stage into successful and unsuccessful. It happens that a very simple and at first glance unpretentious sketch develops into a beautiful and concise logo. Remember that at this step there are no bad ideas. In the subsequent stages, some of the sketches will still be filtered out. A draft is an outline that captures the best ideas. Now the time has come when it is best to begin to coordinate the layout with the customer. It is enough to choose 3-4 successful options that, in your opinion, solve the task, and only after that go to the next step.
Sketch and work with graphic editors
Creating a sketch is the stage at which it is time to turn on the computer. To create a logo, a program for working with images will be needed in any case. Choose a convenient graphics editor. It’s good if you already have it installed, but if not, purchase only licensed products. Think about in which program to create a logo - it is important to use the right tools for the job. It’s best to create a sketch not in raster editors, but in vector ones. If you choose a product from Adobe, it is best to focus on Illustrator, not Photoshop. Although Adobe Photoshop is often more familiar to graphic designers, it was created for editing photos and creating collages. Of course, if you have a better idea of how to create a logo in Photoshop, use it. But Adobe Illustrator was created specifically for drawing and is a better option.
Presentation of the finished sketch to the customer
Having finished the sketch from the draft approved by the customer, you get an almost finished product with various variations. You will present this part of the project to the customer. Do not strive for originality - it is important not to create such a logo, but to submit it in an original way. Your product should be versatile and look good on any medium. Proper presentation is a very important stage in creating a logo. If you give your work in raw form, then most likely the client will not be able to “present it to his own”, that is, to feel that this image expresses his personality. The logo must be in its place so that the customer sees it as completed - with such a presentation it will be easier for you to protect your layout. That is, if you create a logo for the site, during the presentation it should be located on the site. If for a business card - on the business card itself, and not look like an ordinary picture. The final stage is to work with objections and make changes to the layout. Very rarely, the customer immediately likes everything, and he takes the job the first time. Therefore, you need to be prepared for the fact that you have to justify your choice.
The main rules of the presentation of the project
You can revive the logo and present it to the client through a presentation. This is a very important step in creating a layout. The designer needs to think about how the logo will be applied to various elements and materials: how will it look on a business card, package, website? Serve the finished layout in color and monochrome - in any case, it should be well read and not blend in with the background. There are logos with an open meaning. For example, in the “Formula 1” logo, between the black letter F and the red hatch, you can see the number “1” in the negative space, and in the FedEx logo there is a white arrow between the letters “E” and “X”.
What fonts to use for the logo?
Five main font groups can be distinguished:
- Chopped font is the most popular type of font that is often used in printing for headings. It is well read, it is clear and contrasting.
- Font with serifs - is often auxiliary and is adjacent to some other. It is used in typography, because the eyes easily run through the lines typed by him. Serifs become a kind of beacons for the eyes and facilitate the reading of large texts.
- Handwritten font - not recommended for logos, because when you reduce the size it becomes illegible. Handwritten fonts are hard to read.
- Decorative font - this group of fonts is gaining popularity very quickly and becomes unoriginal.
- Typewritten font - rarely found when creating logos and almost never used, as it is difficult to read when reducing size.
How to choose the right font?
The font must be appropriate for the business. Its mark is very important. You also need to see what competitors use in their logos. The font should be readable in various formats - on business cards, billboards and icons. Some large companies order the development of their own fonts or send ready-made ones to the contractor. No need to chase trendy fonts - after some time, the now fashionable logo will be found everywhere and will no longer be original.
Choosing a color for the logo
Another important topic is the color scheme of the logo. To select the desired gamut, ask the customer a few questions about what kind of shade will characterize his product, which emphasizes his personality, and find out the design of logos from competitors. After that, it will be easier to choose. It is worth remembering that different colors evoke certain emotions - these are peculiar clichés of perception. For example, red is considered defiant and may seem dangerous, yellow is used to attract attention, blue is the color of security and trust. That is why some social networks and banks use it in their logos. Green is freshness, environmental friendliness and naturalness. Orange is a sunny, attractive color, causes a feeling of trust. Pink is a feminine and romantic color. Violet is often used in the beauty industry, it is rich and cheerful, associated with novelty. Black is a respectable, austere and distinguishing detail. Sometimes the customer provides ready-made color palettes.
Logo Design Features
The distance between the text part and the picture should not be too large so that in the perception of the observer the logo does not fall apart into separate parts, but looks whole. Monochrome is also very important. It is advisable to use no more than 3 colors. A large number will distract attention to the design. When printing, some shades can mix and turn from bright stripes into a gray mass. Do not be afraid to use simple logos - the skill of the designer is not to create many details. Try not to turn the logo into a colorful spot. Focus on the future, keep in mind that your project can exist for many years, it should not go out of fashion.
Common mistakes in logo design
Very often, the designer, creating the logo, begins to embody some of his thoughts and ideas, and does not solve the problem of the client. This happens when the customer has not yet provided the terms of reference, and the designer has already begun development. For a freelancer, this behavior will lead to a loss of time and money, and when working in a company, it will negatively affect its reputation and lead to losses. Adherence to new programs also often leads to a loss of time. A common mistake is the excessive use of bright colors or the judgment of a font by its image on the screen, and not on paper or another surface. No need to be afraid of "empty" and too simple logos - everything should be concise and to the point. Try to get rid of excess elements and parts. Beginning designers do not need to strive for ideality - just do your job well and solve the task set by the customer.