Logo – An Identity For Your Business

What is a Logo?

Logo is the visual representation of your company or organization. It is the name, symbol, monogram, emblem, trademark or any other graphic representation designed for easy and definitive recognition by your company audience.

Short History

Logo design has its origin in Greece. Ancient Greeks used symbols, which consisted of one or more letters. These typically represented the initial letters of a person or place for use on stationery and signs. Early Greek coins used to bear the logos of rulers and towns. In the middle ages, similar logos were seen in abundance in commercial use.

Merchants in the thirteenth century used these simple letterforms as trademarks. These early examples of logo design include marks for masons, goldsmiths and nobility. By the 1700s, every trader and dealer had a trademark or stamp.

The industrial revolution caused a dramatic gain in the value and importance of trademarks. By the 1950s, with the emergence of national and multinational corporations, trademarks began to move beyond symbols, using larger design systems to unify all communications, to accomplish identifiable goals.

In today’s world, company logos have become the faces of business. The general audience has become very responsive to logos and their meanings. Because of the diversity of products and services available today, a well planned and thought-out-logo design is very important to a company's success.

Importance of Logo

Logos trigger people's memories of previous experiences with the company, leaving a greater impact than words alone can do. Logo itself is the simplest and direct way of promoting a business. It describes a company without lengthy explanation. A well-designed logo will help your business to increase visibility and in turn, sales.

What makes a Good Logo

Don't be too flashy and try not to include too much information. These can have a negative impact. Complex designs representing all aspects of your business and long tag lines are fine in their place, but not as part your logo. The logo type and imagery should be instantly recognizable, up close and at a distance.

Logos with rich colors and rich illustrations may be difficult to use in certain applications. A good logo design should consider all potential implementations.

Your company logo design should be distinct to make your company stand out of the crowd. Using common or fashionable styles goes against the purpose of having a logo and can even have a negative backlash among your audience, who can view your company as unimaginative.

The Definitive Logo Design Destination Online!

Logo design is no child’s play. No matter how much the availability of a plethora of graphics-related software that lets you create intriguing shapes and amazing calligraphy with a mere click of the mouse, or the abundance of cheap logo-designing services, thanks to rampant business process outsourcing to third world countries, would try to have us believe that logo design is not a very hard proposition these days, the fact is that such facilities hardly ever produce a logo design that you can really be proud of. A good logo design, nay a ‘great’ one, calls for a good deal of creativity, a lot of thinking, adequate understanding of the business and of course, sufficient skills. Let’s not try to forget that software don’t make a great logo design. It’s the mind of the artist that makes one.

When it comes to logo designs, they elicit mixed reactions from most of us. There are logos that you like, logos that you hate, and then, logos that you just don’t care about. What’s more, the same logo can cause different people to react differently to it. The logo you are going gaga over is one that others may yawn at. To make matters even more complicated, our reaction to a logo changes over time. The logo you thought looked so great when you first saw it years ago, doesn’t look so impressive anymore, right?

Perception of beauty, therefore, is a rather subjective affair that can change over time. However, some logos transcend these barriers and remain etched in our minds forever. Having attained the position of greatness, they remain striking and intriguing even with the passage of time. Generations pass by, but these logos refuse to age.

Let’s face it, not everyone can gift you a logo like that. You need some of the best minds in the industry to have an immortal logo design. A logo should always strive to be an extension of the psyche and ethos of the brand or company it is meant for. It can never be a dissociated piece of art. The right logo designing process will lead to the right logo. And when you get everything right, it is not hard to create a truly great logo!

Companies such as My Corporate Logo follows some of the best business processes to bring you logo designs that easily let you steal a march over your competitors. Working closely with the client, My Corporate Logo goes through multiple iterations before zeroing on that perfect logo design. At My Corporate Logo, the logo design experts will provide the client with at least 3-4 logo design concepts within 24 hours of placing an order. Generally, the final custom logo design is delivered 2-3 business days.

Logo design services at My Corporate Logo are surprisingly affordable. My Corporate Logo dot com is the best online address for professional business logo designs at cost effective prices. Being cheap doesn’t mean that the quality is compromised. It is very easy to come across an online logo design firm. But most of them are just a couple of designers operating without any professional set up or the necessary infrastructure. My Corporate Logo is a logo design firm, specializing in company logo design. Your satisfaction is always guaranteed!

Avoid 6 Common Logo Design Mistakes

A logo is the ever-present face of your company. Words, type, colors and shapes –these attributes help a logo to communicate a message to potential customers about what your company does and how your company is different from the competition.

Many logos fail to communicate, which eventually creates barriers to successful marketing and advertising. For brand messaging, a company should have cohesive marketing approach of all points - logo, website, brochures, advertising, promotions, etc. If something as seemingly small as a logo lacks the communicative punch, you’re your company is surely missing a huge opportunity to reach out to your customers.

A poor quality logo suggests inferior products and it puts a bad impression in the minds of your customers. Find out if your logo is suffering from any of the six common logo mistakes mentioned below. If you can successfully avoid these common logo blunders, then you are on your way to a successful logo.

1. The Clipart Logo

Many clipart images are widely distributed. Most of us are familiar with the software providing the clipart and will instantly recognize your 'borrowed' logo. This is one way to loose credibility of your business.

2. Special Effects Logo

First, strip off all the special effects to get at the heart of the design. A great logo should be able to stand its ground in black and white, without any effects. Draft your concept on paper first. Think about what to present before you decide how to present. After you are pleased with a one-color concept, then produce it digitally. At this point you may not like to add any effect to enhance your logo for web use. Eliminate any effect that does not add value to your design.

3. The Banner Logo

A logo is not your web banner advertisement. You are doing your company more harm than good by forcing your logo into a banner shape, especially if your logo is crammed to fit the entire rectangle.

4. The Text-Only Logo

These types of logos restrict the ability to express your company's uniqueness. A large established company can pull off text-only logos with exorbitant marketing budgets. Test of your logo's effectiveness by altering the letters and see if your logo is still recognizable. If not, then you need to seriously consider the visual element of your logo.

5. Monogram

Monograms (company initials) are very difficult to use effectively. It will take a long time to build credibility with a monogram logo. Also, logos consisting of several overlapping letters generally do not do well, and very often they speak too little about your company and the products.

6. The Complex Logo

Logos with complex photos and layouts make poor logos. If you insert any additional information, then it becomes an extra detail for your customers to remember. A simple logo design with solid shades and minimal lines will definitely have greater impact and memorability.

Characteristics Of A Good Logo Design

Logos are a visual representation of an organization’s image to the public. Every organization today, needs to promote their brand identity in order to make a lasting impression on the minds of the potential as well as loyal customers. But not all logos effectively deliver what they are meant for. It requires a lot of logical thinking and hard work to design a logo effective enough to meet an organization’s need.

A logo should ideally have a few characteristics that would prove it to be visually effective. The most important characteristics of an effective logo are:

Defining Shape

A distinct shape is an essential characteristic of a good and effective logo. A clear distinct shape would help a logo to make a deep-rooted impact on the human mind and definitely it would help people to connect to the organization it stands for.

Boldness or Presence

A logo should cover the maximum space allotted for the logo. The boldness or presence factor should be carefully decided and created so as to convey the particular message for its organization.

Weight

Weight is a characteristic that should ideally make a specific logo stand apart from others. The finest logos have a weight of existence and are recognizable when viewed alongside other strong images. However, the weight should not be due to over-usage of bold colors or 3D renderings. These, instead of enhancing the weight, can prove to be detrimental.

Contrast

Contrast is another characteristic of a good logo design. The colors, fonts and texts should have plenty of contrasts. A logo with high amount of right contrast on the edges is often found to be more appealing.

Another very important characteristic is the color. In fact, it probably is the most important characteristic. The usage of color almost always becomes very important in order to uplift any image. It is an instant stimulant to the mind of a person. Prominent colors should be used while designing a logo. Distinct colors should be used properly and effectively to bring out the actual message of the organization. However, it should be kept in mind that the use of too many colors can confuse the human mind and hinder the desired effects of a logo. The colors used in a logo design should be carefully chosen too, keeping in mind the color psychology. Every color exerts some feeling on individuals and they should be chosen carefully for a logo to convey the right message. It is known that blue is the most popular color of the world. However, that does not mean that all logos should essentially have the color. The designer needs to understand and feel the message that the logo intends to convey. It might require a lot of trial and error until a final result comes up.

These characteristics, when properly used in a logo design helps to develop the finest of its types and it, in turn, effectively helps to create a successful brand for the organization it stands.

4 Things To Look For In A Logo

For any business to succeed, branding is the key. The logo is the core aspect of branding that paves the way to a successful business. If you are looking to design a logo for your company, then choose your logo-designing firm carefully. There are thousands of logo designing firms and choosing the reliable and professional designing firm is not very easy. Yet you can always keep an eye on certain things to ensure that you get the most out of your logo-designing firm.

1. Business in the Logo

The logo symbolizes your business. A great business logo is one that can sum up your entire business objectives within itself. People should be able to remember your business when they look at your logo. Just a glance at your logo should bring your products to their minds. For example, the way we think of Nike when we look at the Nike's "Swoosh". It is simple, but effective. You can make a complex logo, but if it fails to impress your customers, it does not serve its purpose.

2. Company Symbol

The logo should portray your company. The aim of your company and the target audience should be kept in mind while designing the logo. Your logo represents your company. The faster you understand this fact, the easier it becomes for you to understand your logo. If you idolize class, then your logo should have simple and classy designs and colors. A flashy logo here will be a deterrent to your company.

3. Elegance

Designing a logo is a creative work and it takes the mind of a genius to design a logo that is different yet elegant. Herein lies the secret of your business success. Your logo should be quite different from your competitors yet easy to remember. But make sure that in quest for uniqueness, your logo designer does not end up creating complicated logos, which your customers fail to remember.

4. Indelible Impression

Your logo should possess the quality to remain etched in the minds of the people forever. If you use bright and flashy colors that are in today, they might be obsolete in the years to come. So make sure that your logo designers create a logo for all times and for all ages that will represent your company in the years to come.

Logo designing is a creative job. Make sure your logo designer incorporates the above-mentioned features to make your business logo design unique.

Corporate Logos - Building Brand Identity

Corporate branding is the need of the hour. Every organization today, needs to promote its brand identity in order to make a lasting impression on the minds of the potential as well as the loyal consumers. As the world has advanced, time to impress clients or customers has become less. So branding has become essential as it helps to achieve the company’s long term goals, sustain customers and clients and create new client base. Successful branding is all about single thing - recognition from customers. It’s about making the customers aware of one company or its products and services in such a way that they would be able to separate the company from its competitors. Branding seeks to increase the product's perceived value to the customer and thus increase brand franchise and brand equity. Brand works as an implied promise of quality level. It may also help increase the price of a product.

Basic branding can be done in various ways, starting from designing an effective logo, web address, visiting cards, letterheads to advertisements in television, media, events, and becoming a sponsor. The most important amongst these is probably the corporate logo. A corporate logo portrays a company’s identity, aims and objectives. It acts as an important tool for the promotion of a company’s culture. Corporate logos provide visibility and prominence to organizations by becoming a signature of the company. It goes a long way to explain the kind of service or product, the quality of the service or product and the time delivery. An ideal corporate should be simple, yet convey all the necessary information of the company.

Furthermore, logos an important aspect of branding as they can be used everywhere, on the business cards, letterheads, envelopes, websites and even on the company building. As every individual needs an identity, so does an organization. And a corporate house without a logo would seem like an individual without a face. A professional custom logo design gives a face to any business and makes it more memorable to the customer. Moreover, a well designed unique logo helps a business to gain an extra edge over its competitors. When more than one company is selling same products or services at the same price, consumers often tend to judge the products or services by the infrastructure, the overall look and feel of the company. A neat logo, in this case, helps to convey this belief to the consumers.

Three types of logos are generally used – text logos, symbol logos and combination logos having both texts and symbols. Whichever is used, a corporate logo should always be well researched and rightly selected. It should be simple enough for general customers to remember correctly and at the same time attractive enough to remain in their minds. It should ideally stand apart from the competitor logos and communicate the essential information of the business and its products and services to the consumers and thus create a belief in them. If all these aspects are taken into consideration while choosing a corporate logo design, it would surely go a long way to establish the company’s brand amongst the consumers.

Brand Building Solutions For A Successful Business

"Believe" – Won’t you pause for a moment to know what to believe in. It is the new tagline of Yahoo! Personals - a masterful example of how to achieve the brass ring of branding. One will definitely pause and actively will fill in the blanks and personalize the connection, which is the most effective form of engagement. A strategy should be developed for your company logo design and you have to make sure that your company's brand identity is paralleled to your company’s logo. The connection between a company and its branding should be immediate. Your brand should focus the things that will help people see your organization and its strengths clearly. Great branding reaches multiple audience segments. It should not be limited to any particular group of people rather it should appeal different types of people.

Brand your company for a long term of period, you should not be short-sighted about your company‘s branding! Great branding lasts over a long period of time and its message doesn’t fade after only a few months. Branding should transcend fads in the marketplace. If your competitors are trying to position their brand as "cool or hip" to meet market demands, let them. You should only try to keep your brand consistent so that it out lives market trends. Your logo should be the brand ambassador of your company, the tagline used in it should propagate the message of your company in a lucid and inimitable style. The final outcome of this creation is to set unique and compelling visions that summarize what your organization is about. A brand statement with a logo is essential for your organization to make yourself perceived to all. A tagline – that usually accompanies your company logo – can be a very useful way to state what you do on almost every page of your site. Taglines should be a concrete and clear statement about what you do or why it's important– for instance, “Together, we can save a life” from the Red Cross site.

However it is vital that the information and function that are propounded through the tagline of your logo or the logo itself echoes the brand messages that you want to convey. If you are an expertise on any specific thing then your website ought to have helpful resources on it. If you want to convey that you provide great service, you should have examples, articles, and testimonials about that great service on your site. The ideal is to do more and talk less about your value to actually provide value on your website. There is no more genuine way to brand yourself through your website than to make the site advance your mission itself.

Your company logo should be unique and highlight the uniqueness of your organization. It should communicate what you are all about, and give visitors a sense of your key values and priorities. It should feel like a design that could only be used by your organization. At the end of the day, this is what it means to have an effectively branded organization; and ultimately it is a good logo design, that will give your company the essence of a brand.