What is a logo? What are the functions of a logo? Why do you need a logo? Logo, sign and emblem. Terminology What is the emblem of the organization

Many people confuse the logo with various signs by which a company or its products can be identified. What it is and why a logo is needed is an important issue that is decided when a company creates its own style and defines its mission.

The logo symbolically or allegorically expresses the essence of the company. This can be done using graphic as well as verbal techniques.

In a few letters (not to be confused with an abbreviation!) The meaning of the name of any organization is encrypted. A drawing or ideogram may also be used. To understand the basis of creating a logo, it is best to refer to examples.

Classification

There are 3 main species that are ubiquitous. All the variety of logos can be classified by image. Each belongs to one of the following sections:

picture
text
picture + text

Organizations, especially trading ones, most often use the latter type. It is the most convenient, because it can combine the emblem and the short name of the company.

Meaning of logos

Having understood what a logo is, it is easier to understand its meaning. It mainly depends on the mission of the company. Trade groups use it as trademark involved in the promotion of the product. Other enterprises and organizations make a logo that matches the style, tasks, purpose. Most often, a small emblem reflects activities or products.

Why do you need a logo

There are several functions that the logo performs (Table 1).

Video about creating logos:

Helps you stand out

Like a person, at first any organization is “greeted by clothes”. That is, pay attention to the appearance. Memorable logos help you find familiar companies among hundreds of others. A clearly articulated idea of the company, enclosed in a logo, helps to focus attention on it.

Legal guarantee of property

The logo cannot be repeated by two companies that, for example, produce the same product. This is the property of the company, which is protected by law.

If it is used as a trademark, then no one has the right to make the same. Otherwise, a company that violates the rules will be subject to administrative or criminal liability.

Customer confidence

Almost every manufacturer has its own logo. If a company monitors the quality of a product or service, it will acquire a permanent customer. People often distinguish products only by company logos.

unusual

Each company has its own characteristics that it is desirable to transfer into a graphic or verbal form when creating a logo. Any unusual idea contained in the logo allows you to attract customers and make them stop at this particular product.

Help in promotion

Only a logo that is endowed with the following qualities can help in the promotion of a product or service: originality and literacy in execution. In this case, the buyer will remember the product by the logo.

The most famous logos

One of Apple's most famous logos. Everyone knows the famous apple, but it did not appear immediately. First there was an engraving with Newton under an apple tree. After a while, one bitten fruit remained.

At Samsung, the logo is an ellipse, against which the name is written. Simple but memorable. The same can be said about Pepsi Cola. His blue-red-white logo is known all over the world.

Own logo

But not only global manufacturers need their own logo, but also small companies. After all, in fact, their tasks do not differ: to become famous among consumers and to become memorable.

Creation errors

The main mistake when creating a company logo: piling up a large number of details.

The client appreciates the simplicity of presentation, so you need to give up excessive pretentiousness. The eye should calmly perceive what is encoded in the logo. Nothing should annoy: neither the combination of colors, nor the amount of information.

Stages of creation

The logo itself can be very simple, but it takes a lot of time to design and create it. The creative process can be divided into several stages:

Each of these steps is important in its own way. Without preliminary - the creation of the logo will be superficial. The second step is to keep the emblem simple and stylish. The final stage is needed in order to check the effect of the created logo and, in which case, correct it.

After completing the second stage, you need to check the logo for compliance with several categories. If it has the following properties, then the main work is completed:

In order for the work to be done qualitatively, it is necessary to entrust its implementation to trusted companies with a good reputation and guarantees.

To get a high-quality logo, it must meet all the requirements listed above. Therefore, its creation is considered not only a creative process. Ultimately, such a sign should both decorate and maintain the prestige of the company.

Write your question in the form below

What is a logo and what is it for?

But before we go directly to the recommendations, we want to advise you on the online service from Turbologo , which can create a logo for you all in a few minutes. Just enter your company name and the site will create some logos for you!
Now let's get to the article :)

Every day we constantly encounter logos.

For example, the average US citizen sees 16,000 advertisements, logos, and labels per day. If you look around, you will probably also notice several dozen logos around you.

Why are there so many of them and why do so many companies spend thousands, hundreds or even millions of dollars to create this little element?

What do we, first of all, understand by the word “logo”?

A logo is a symbol or emblem that is used
to identify services, products and the company itself.

A logo presented in the form of a stylized corporate font (letters). In addition, small graphic elements are often used, such as the smile on the Amazon logo.
The advantage of such a logo is that it is easy to remember and helps to stand out from the competition, especially if they use other types of font.

Word elements can be:
– existing words in the company name;
- artificial words;
- abbreviations;
- letters;
- numbers.

This logo uses both text and symbols. This look takes advantage of the previous two: the graphic element makes the logo memorable and helps make the company name special and attractive.

Emblem

Logos of this kind enclose the name of the company within a special art form. This is one of the most complex types of logo.

Alphanumeric

A character is used that represents the name of the company using the initials or first letters of the name.

Many companies choose to use this type of logo because their initials better illustrate the company name than full name(if it is too long or difficult to pronounce). These are the logos of such well-known companies as Hewlett-Packard, Chanel and General Electric.

Below are examples of the most popular forms of logo creation, as well as the associations that each form evokes.

The Target logo is a great example of a versatile logo.

How to check the versatility of a logo?

Ask yourself if a logo would be great if it:

Is it printed in one color?
Printed the size of a postage stamp?
Printed like a big billboard?
Printed in black and white?

If the answer is “yes” to all questions, congratulations! You have created a universal logo!

I like to work from the beginning in black and white to make sure the logo looks good in its simplest form. Color is very subjective and emotional. This can detract from the overall design.

Patrick Winfield.

Compliance with the field of activity of the company

The logo should correspond to the field of activity of the company.
For example, if you are designing a logo for a children's toy store, it would be wise to use a "fun" font and icons that are associated with toys, children, etc. On the other hand, the logo does not have to literally depict what the company does. For example, the BMW logo is not a car at all, and the Hawaiian Airlines logo is not an airplane.

The question arises - should the logo correspond to the business area? The answer may come from a recent study of an online logo maker.

The Chinese brand BYD, whose logo looks suspiciously like the logo of the German car giant BMW.

11 questions to ask yourself before creating a logo

This section is the cornerstone in the development of corporate identity. So take it seriously.

Before you start creating a logo, it is very important to conduct a preliminary analysis of your business, niche, competitors.

What is it for?

The analysis will help pave the way for the successful creation of a company logo, better understand what are the features of your business, what idea and qualities you want to convey to customers, and what makes you different from your competitors. Therefore, we recommend that you answer the 11 questions below:

Analysis of your business

How would you describe your company in 1-2 sentences?
What are the long-term goals of your company?
What keywords can describe your business?
What is the value of your products and services?
What is your target audience?
What qualities does your logo need to convey to your customers?

It is very important to answer questions 5 and 6. So the more you know about your target audience, the easier it will be for you to create a logo that they can fall in love with.

Competitor analysis

Who are your main competitors?
Why are they better/worse than you?
How would you like to differ from your competitors?
What logos do you like and why?

Competitor analysis should help you figure out why competitor logos work or don't work and prevent you from creating a similar logo. You want to be original, right?

Analysis of logo application

How and where will the logo be used most of the time?

You need to answer this simple but very important question.

For example, airline logos should look great on the tail of an airplane.

If this is not the case, the company is unlikely to be noticeable against the background of others.

Another example.
A company that does most of its business online.
In this case, the full range of colors can be used for the logo, because digital devices have no problems with color reproduction.

On the other hand, it would be a very poor choice for a company that does business offline and the logo will be used more often in print.

For this reason, you should always carefully consider where and how the logo will be used most of the time so that you don't waste time on ideas that can't be done in practice.

How to choose a font for a logo?

The font is one of the most important elements of a logo. The readability of the logo, its perception, the transfer of the main meaning depend on it.

Before we move on to the basic rules for choosing a font for a logo, let's look at what categories of fonts there are and their psychological perception.

Font categories

1. Serif fonts
2. Sans serif fonts
3. Handwritten
4. Typewritten
5. Decorative

1. Serif fonts have small dashes at the ends of each element of the letter and a transition from a thick line to a thinner one.

4. Typescript fonts imitate text typed on a typewriter.

How to choose a color for a logo?

Color, color and more color! This is the first point of interaction and the most memorable object, - says Leslie Harrington, CEO of The Color Association.

Understanding how color affects human perception is very important when creating a quality logo, says Martin Christie of Logo Design London.

Color can help you enhance the right feelings and create a strong emotional connection. Use the infographic (large size) to choose the right color for the logo.

How to choose the right logo color?

To answer this question, you need to ask yourself 3 questions:

What color emphasizes the personality of your brand?
What colors characterize your products/services?
What color is your competitor using?

The colors are not tied to any particular industry, but certain colors are better suited to some services/products than others.
You should strive to choose a color that highlights your company's personality. The color should make the right impression on customers who see your logo for the first time.

What to do when you figure out the colors of competitors?

One option is to use the opposite color of the main competitor's logo. This will help you stand out. But it is worth taking into account the colors of your industry so that the opposite color matches the industry. For example, a pink color for a bank or law firm logo looks out of place and ridiculous.

Consider the characteristics of color in different cultures. For example, in the Western world, white is considered the color of purity and peace, while in some Asian countries it is the color of death.

One color or several?

To convey the desired feelings and emotions as much as possible, one color is usually used when creating a logo design. However, there are many successful logos with multiple colors - Google, eBay.

Therefore, you can safely use both one color and several. The main thing is that they match! But, of course, you should not overdo it and use a large number of colors.

— Pamela Wilson.

How to choose multiple colors for a logo?

The easiest way to find the right colors for your logo is to use color schemes.
There are many online services for finding great color schemes. You can find several in this one.

For example, Adobe Kuler or the Russian-language service Colorscheme.

Designers often use the 60-30-10 rule. It consists in the fact that you choose 3 different colors and use them in a ratio of 60%, 30% and 10%. This rule provides an easy way to create a professional color scheme for your brand.

— Jared Christofferson, Yellowhammer

Where can you find logo inspiration?

It is often very difficult to take the first step when we are dealing with something unfamiliar. For example, with the creation of logos. You can spend a day, or even a week, thinking and making logo drawings, which is very exhausting.

Fortunately, there is a good way to get rid of the stupor as soon as possible and make the first step less painful. For example, get inspiration from other logos and designer work.
For this we have selected Top 10 Sites where you can peep ideas for your logo.

Logo Pond

Step 1. Create some drafts

At an early stage of creating a logo, you may have several ideas that you want to express in the logo. Do not neglect them, it is better to write them down, perhaps some of them will be useful to you when creating the final version of the logo.

Step 2. Sketch the Logo Design

Sketching is a quick and easy way to put ideas on paper where you can evaluate them more easily.
Do not erase or discard sketches. Design is not a linear process. All ideas can be valuable, even if you don't think so right away.

If you can't draw, don't worry. You can try sketching the logo using screenshots. Go to several online generator sites, icon galleries, etc. Try to find the desired images that you like and save them. You can then use them to create your unique logo.

Step 3: Choose Your Logo Creation Tools

You can create a logo with:

– graphic programs – Adobe Illustrator, Inkscape, Photoshop;
– platforms for ordering logos – 99Designs:
- online services and designers -, Turbologo . Very helpful service, highly recommended!

If you are confident with graphics programs, use them to create a logo without a doubt.
But online services should not be neglected. They can be used to find inspiration or test ideas.

Step 4. Create a logo

Step 5. Test the logo

Have you created a logo and decided that it is perfect? Perhaps it is not. It will be more effective to show the logo to colleagues, friends, some clients and get feedback. Ask them a few questions: what do they think of the logo, do they like it? If you are satisfied with the answers, then you did everything right.
However, be careful with the reviews of friends and relatives. If they are not professional designers, their advice may not be entirely useful to you or even false.

Step 6: Check logo scalability

Check the image of the logo in various versions - in newspaper ads, on a business card, on your website. The logo should look good, whether reproduced in large or small format.

A few tips:
– If the logo has a lot of detail or lines that are thin, then the logo may look too fussy at small sizes.
– If the logo is created for a business card or website, then it will usually look awkward at large sizes.
– Use graphics programs such as Adobe Illustrator or Inkscape, they allow you to test the scalability of your logo.

Step 7: Create Multiple Logo Formats

You may have designed your logo in a graphics program such as Adobe Illustrator from the very beginning. If this is not the case, you need to transfer the logo sketch from paper to electronic form.

A few tips:
– Save the logo not only in .
The latter will allow you to easily scale your logo without losing quality. If you already have a bitmap logo, you can convert it to vector using vectormagic.com.
– Use the logo in PNG, JPEG for web and PDF, EPS, SVG for print.
– Save the black and white version of the logo for printing the logo on e.g. bags, pens, stationery.

Step 8: Keep Getting Feedback

Even after you've created a logo, you still need to be open to feedback. Use various tools like social media, customer reviews, expert opinions to make sure your logo looks perfect.

Is your logo really great? [Check list]

And so, probably, you have already created a logo. Congratulations!

But is he really good? Will it look great in different sizes? Well, let's test the effectiveness of your logo with our checklist.
Go through each question and answer yes or no.

1. The logo looks attractive to at least three people
2. The logo looks good in black and white
3. The logo is recognizable in an inverted position (form)
4. The logo is recognizable if its size is changed
5. No intricate details
6. The logo is visually balanced - the icon, font, color look harmoniously together
7. Not using too many fonts, colors, effects
8. The logo stands out from other logos

As we already wrote, it is very important to stand out from other companies, especially competitors.
Collect your competitors' logos and place yours somewhere in between.
Is he noticeable? Noticeable from others? If yes, that's great!

9. Responsive logo

Responsiveness means that the logo will look great on any object or surface - t-shirt, website, road sign, etc.

10. Logo memorable

Show your logo to friends or anyone and ask them to draw an image of it in a few hours or days. If he can sketch your logo approximately exactly, then everything is fine and your logo will be memorable.

11. Logo universal

The versatility of a logo means that it is perceived in the same way by a wide range of people. All people are different and the main thing is that the logo retains a single meaning for all its viewers.

12. Logo is easy to read

Imagine that your logo is placed on a banner, and you are driving a car at a speed of 70-80 km per hour. Could you read the text of your logo? If yes, all right. If not, it might be worth working on the fonts.

13. Do you have vector logo formats

It is very important to have vector logo files (AI, EPS, SVG, PDF). This will allow you to print the logo at any scale without losing quality, as well as edit it. For example, make a logo in a different color.

We hope our tips will be useful to you and you will be able to create a great logo!

Logo, sign and emblem. Terminology. Alexander Shiryshev.

Sign, logo, emblem - everyone has heard these words, many actively use them, but most use them for other purposes. Why is a sign called a logo and an emblem is called a sign? Why did the designer get lost in three birch trees and drag the customer there? Let's figure it out. Let's start with the logo.

“Logo (from the Greek. logos - word and typos - imprint) - the original style, the image of the full or abbreviated name of the company or the company's products. It is specially developed by the company in order to draw attention to it and to its products.- Raizberg B. A., Lozovsky L. Sh., Starodubtseva E. B. Modern economic dictionary. 5th ed., revised. and additional — M.: INFRA-M, 2007. — 495 p. - (B-ka dictionaries "INFRA-M").

“Logotype (from the Greek logos - word + typos - imprint) is a hand-typing letter with the most common syllables or even words. Logos were used at an early stage of typography in order to speed up the typing process.- Milchin A. E. Publishing dictionary-reference book. - Ed. 3rd, rev. and add., Electronic - M .: OLMA-Press, 2006.

“Logotype (from German Logotype, English logotype - Stefanov S. I. Advertising and printing: the experience of a dictionary-reference book. - M .: Gella-print, 2004. - 320 s: ill. - (Advertising technologies).

All of the above definitions agree on one thing: logo- this is some kind of indivisible combination of letters. Specifically in design word mark. This can be the name of a company or product, typed in a ready-made font, or an original style drawn by a designer for this work, a calligraphic inscription, a monogram, a monogram. Obviously, it is wrong to call a trademark a logo in general, especially if it is some kind of image not associated with letters. However, you can meet the illiterate use of this term all the time. Even at the end of the last definition, this situation is mentioned.

Logo. Alexander Shiryshev.

Sign is a very broad concept. The simplest definition I found explains it as “something capable in some respect to act instead of something else, i.e., being perceived by some living object, to have a meaning”(Russian Humanitarian Encyclopedic Dictionary: In 3 volumes - M .: Humanit. Publishing Center VLADOS: Philol. Faculty. St. Petersburg State University, 2002).

I dare to suggest that the "living object" here means a person. The newest philosophical dictionary interprets this concept even cooler.

“A sign is traditionally a material, sensually perceived object (event, action or phenomenon), acting in cognition as an indication, designation or representative of another object, event, action, subjective formation. Designed to acquire, store, convert and broadcast certain information (messages)."— The latest philosophical dictionary: 3rd ed., corrected. — Mn.: Book House. 2003.- 1280 p. — (The world of encyclopedias).

Based on these definitions, anything can act as a sign. Therefore, for our particular applied case, it would be correct to clarify the concept. There are several options: graphic mark, brand name, signet, trademark, emblem, trademark. Dictionaries are full of definitions of each of these concepts, somewhere intersecting in meanings, somewhere contradicting each other, demonstrating a complete misunderstanding of the compilers, what they are talking about, and why they put these terms into use at all.

The designer needs this term for one simple reason: this is one of his products. The client needs to explain why it is, how much it costs and how it is used. Obviously, explaining these things using the term "this shit" is not very convenient. How to name the original Nike style? We have already found out - the logo. How to call "swoosh" - the famous Nike arc? While we can answer this question, guided by the method of contradiction, this is definitely not a logo. How to designate a situation when they are used together? Another question that the designer must know the answer to, if only because there is a corresponding section in the standards passport and it must have a name.

Before continuing to terminology, let's deal with two harmful phrases: trademark and trademark. They are borrowed from the advertising industry, which has a very mediocre relationship to the identity. For advertisers, these terms are enough for communication. For a designer, they are too rough and conditional. Firstly, because anything can be hidden under them. Second, adjectives trading and commodity are misleading about the design services application object. After all, corporate identity can have not only a product, company or service, but also non-profit organization, government or educational institution, city, country, TV show, film, festival, sports team, person and much more. It's hard to imagine the phrase trademark of the Ministry of Education or trade mark of the Grushinsky festival.

The design services application object itself (company, product, organization, institution, country, event, etc.) we will designate with the word brand. In the context of this article, it does not matter to us that the brand is the result. Here and below, we will assume that the object for which we are developing a corporate identity standards passport will sooner or later become a brand.

So, we need to designate by the term such a phenomenon as a graphic sign of a brand. To be sure that we understand each other, I will give specific examples: Apple apple, McDonalds arches, Nike swoosh, Mercedes star, MTS egg, Windows multi-colored window.

Of the contenders for the designation of this branded element, the following terms remained: brand name, sign, graphic sign and emblem. Adjective branded concept sign does not specify, which means that the term remains as inaccurate and cloudy as without it. Signet- Anglicism (from the English signet - sign, stamp), also not deepening the concept of a sign. Thus, as a precise term, it makes sense to consider graphic sign and emblem.

“Emblem (from the Greek emblema - insert, convex decoration), a conditional explanation of an abstract concept, idea with the help of any image (for example, a dove - E. of the peace movement); often regarded as a kind of allegory. In a narrow sense - a symbolic image.- "Great Soviet Encyclopedia".

“Emblem (from lat. emblema - insert, convex image) - a conditional symbolic image of a concept or idea; unlike the symbol, it does not embody the content of the concept, but only points to it.- Raizberg B. A., Lozovsky L. Sh., Starodubtseva E. B. Modern economic dictionary. 5th ed., revised. and additional — M.: INFRA-M, 2007.

“Emblem (from lat. emblema - Stefanov S. I. Advertising and printing: the experience of a dictionary-reference book. - M .: Gella-print, 2004.

These definitions apply to the term graphic sign. However, the concept graphic sign mixed with concepts trademark, trademark and even trademark, but the phrase itself graphic sign in practice is reduced to just sign. Sometimes the designer uses the term sign understanding what lies underneath graphic sign, sometimes not.

Emblem. Alexander Shiryshev.

By the title of the article, it is not difficult to guess which term the author is leaning towards. For many years, I used the term graphic sign or simply sign. But gradually I come to the conclusion that the amorphousness of these terms and the resulting discrepancies are a significant hindrance in the work of an identity designer. Emblem more unambiguous, emblem shorter, emblem easier to understand and easier to explain to people far from design. There are no barriers to using this term. Word emblem familiar to everyone, can easily enter professional use and be easily perceived by the customer.

Thus, we have two terms denoting two different entities: emblem and logo.

Why did I delve into the terminology with such tediousness? Terms are the basis of internal and external communications. Both in communication with the customer and in communication with colleagues, one language should be used - the language of communication of professionals. And the more accurate and richer it is, the more effective communication will be.

As one colleague so aptly put it: “Think who is making it more complicated: a salesman who gives different names to various sausages, or a customer who wants to be understood when he only says give me three hundred grams of sausages.”

Interested in logo design and want to learn more about the specifics of logo design? If so, we hope this post will help you. To begin with, it is worth finding out what a logo is and what it represents. A logo is not only a mark on a website page, but primarily a commercial brand, where the shape, font, color, and picture have their own exclusive meaning and convey certain information to the consumer. The logo is of great importance for the implementation on the market of goods and services, predetermines the success of the business. The logo attracts attention, allows you to recognize the product of one or another company among thousands, serves as a kind of credit of trust for users.

What is a logo?

What is a logo and what are its features? A logo is a graphic design or emblem to represent an organization or product. The first logo appeared at the end of the 19th century, but the era of logo design began in the 1950s. Today, a logo is a business card not only for products, but for every website.

Don't forget the five principles of a successful logo

The logo should be simple. You don't have to be fancy. A simple logo allows users to quickly recognize the site. The logo must be memorable. Users who view several dozen pages a day will remember only the simplest (but meanwhile, unusual) logo. This is possible when creating a logo that will be directly associated with the theme of the site. The logo must be permanent. This means that the logo should present the site and attract attention not only throughout next year, but also to remain as effective in 10, 30, 50 years. Every month, some novelties and new technologies appear, priorities are gradually changing in society, and people of different generations perceive the same information in different ways. The task of a good designer is to create a logo that is understandable and perceived by different age audiences equally well today, tomorrow, and 20 years from now. In addition, the logo must match the site. For example, if you are designing a logo for a children's toy store, then it is wise to use childish fonts and bright colors. And for a law firm logo, fun fonts and bright colors are out of place.

Learn from other people's successful and unsuccessful logos

Lucky logos

Now, knowing the basic principles of building logos, you can independently determine where is a good and where is not a very successful logo. By knowing which logos have become successful and what makes them successful, you can figure out how good logos are made. For example, the famous Nike Swoosh logo was designed by design student Carolyn Davidson from the University of Portland back in 1971. For this emblem, the creator received only $ 35 in royalties, but one can only guess how much profit the Nike Swoosh brought to the company. The Nike Swoosh is an impeccably simple, catchy, effective, timeless and recognizable logo. The Nike logo is fully consistent with the style of the company, its products are comfortable, convenient, functional and stylish things. This logo is unobtrusive and clear. In addition, the Nike Swoosh logo is built on the association with the ancient Greek goddess Nike (Nike) and imitates the shape of the wings of the goddess of victory. Thus, an associative chain is formed in the user's mind: Nike, the goddess of victory, is Nike's product. The potential buyer understands that he will ultimately win (quality, style, price) if he purchases Nike products.

The Nike Swoosh is just one of many examples of effective logos. Apple chose the apple logo. This is very symbolic, since it is directly related to the name of the company (“apple” in the translation “apple”. In addition, it is worth clarifying that the company logo - “bitten apple” is immediately associated with temptation (Eve and Adam bit an apple in the Garden of Eden ).This logo is quite simple, transparent in its meaning, memorable and understandable for all generations.Apple produces all the newest and most unusual, which, of course, tempts (thus, the symbolism of the logo is once again justified).

Loser logos

Unsuccessful logos are those that are poorly perceived by the consumer audience, are difficult to associate directly with the site, are unaesthetic or simply ugly. Also, bad logos include those that have some kind of ambiguity (reminiscent of existing logos) or that are difficult to read (due to fonts). Often, in such unsuccessful logos, several letters in the name are replaced at once with drawings that remotely resemble letters in shape. Often such logos are difficult to perceive and “read”. Thus, the user does not immediately guess the content of the logo, will not immediately be able to read what is written correctly, and, therefore, most likely will not remember.

Your work algorithm

There is one more rule of successful logo design - work out your algorithm for working on logo design. Logo design is an almost intimate affair. Each designer has their own way of approaching this process, relying primarily on their own experience. However, every logo design process has mandatory components. So, the first thing you need to do is write a kind of letter, which will collect all the information from the customer with all the wishes. Designer John Homes once said: “You really need to understand what the client expects before you get to work. Logo design is not about finding a dark cat in a dark room, but rather the opposite.” The logo should be a well-aimed shot and be sure to hit the target.

Study and search

Another rule is to study in more detail the business of your customers (about products and production in general, about the history of goods / services, about the history of the creation and operation of the company on the market, about its successes and its main competitors). visual searches. This is no longer the study of information about the company, its products, but direct integration into logo design. At this stage, you should delve into the study of new trends, innovations in styles, find out what are the most popular and successful logos at the moment, what is waiting for the consumer audience. In addition, your new logo should not resemble existing ones. Sometimes it helps to study the logos of competitors. A designer can analyze competitor logos and, based on the criticism of competitor logos, find a good clue for a new logo. The next stage is sketches and conceptualization. The logo should become perfection in the eyes of the designer and, of course, please the customers. Follow carefully the reaction of customers to the logo, note their comments. An important place is occupied by the presentation of the logo, which is also worth working hard on.

Well, good luck with your logo! And to be successful, you need to be inspired. Here is a whole list of logo galleries where you can get interesting ideas.

Comments

Konstantin
August 17, 2011 at 10:31 am
The Nike Swoosh logo is inspired by the ancient Greek goddess Nike and mimics the shape of the goddess of victory's wings
It reminds me of a wave and is in no way associated with Nika. Nonsense (I'm talking about nike).
Ekwo Answer:
August 18, 2011 at 1:14 pm

brendyatina.rpod.ru/153484.html Here, listen to how the Nike brand was created, about the logo, naming.
August 17, 2011 at 11:54 am
I ask all claims to Nike)) in any case, the company was hardly named after the wave;)
Zoryanka
January 3, 2012 at 2:21 am
Personally, it reminds me of a golochka - well, like a test, or something :)
Kirill
January 14, 2012 at 8:58 am
very cool pick, thanks
By the way, I'm inspired by this page

every day a new designer and his logos. very informative
vkontakte.ru/three_one
advertising
October 17, 2012 at 8:38 am
www.advertisio.ru - the best logos from all over the world. If you need to design a logo, write - [email protected]
Vasiliy
May 16, 2013 at 10:59 am

It is difficult to imagine a modern company without a logo, this symbol is the most important method of identifying any business. In the past, they were created only by professional designers or artists, but today anyone who does not have special skills can develop a high-quality logo. How to make a logo for the site - our next article will tell.

What is a logo and why is it needed for a website?

A logo is a compact graphic mark that represents a specific company, organization, brand, product, website, or individual. The main tasks of modern logos are their recognition and memorability among the target audience, a good image of this type should be, at the same time, original and easy to remember. Today, there are a huge number of logos in the world, so not everyone will be able to create a unique and effective sign.

The scope of their application is truly extensive, you can create a logo for the site, for placement on printing materials, products and their packaging, signs, billboards, etc. Ideally, these signs should be present next to every mention of your company in order to be associated with it by default in the minds of consumers.

Even when the logo does not have a font accompaniment (only a picture), it still creates a strong association with the brand. Therefore, its quality must be exceptionally high, because a poorly designed logo will not only not be remembered, but will also leave a negative impression on your customers.

Key functions of the logo

To get a high-class badge, you need to know what tasks it performs. A good logo provides a complex effect that includes several functions at once. In particular:

Makes the company, its products or services more recognizable, creates a positive business image, increases the level of audience loyalty;
It distinguishes the brand from competitors, helps to distance itself from them, emphasizes its features and advantages - is actively used for advertising purposes;
Protects products from fakes, confirms the company's ownership of its developments, guarantees their original origin and high quality;
The logo is the basis and the main visual component of the entire corporate identity of the brand, so special attention should be paid to its development.

Read more about the role of logos and corporate identity in our free book. "How to create a corporate identity and not go broke". You can download from this. A very useful book for the new entrepreneur.

Today, there are three main types of logos, they differ from each other in their structure and set of constituent parts. Let's take a closer look at them.

Main types of logos

The main criterion that separates modern logos is their appearance - they can include either only an icon or only an inscription, or a combination of these elements.

So, among them are:

Symbolic (icon). Such logos include only a graphic symbol, without a text display of the brand. They are considered the most complex and require considerable experience and skills from the designer in order to fully reveal the essence of the company in a small icon, without resorting to text. However, well-designed logo symbols provide the brand with tremendous popularity and memorability (these include the brands Apple, Mercedes, Shell, Mitsubishi, etc.). Today, only about 4-5% of modern logos are iconic;

Text (font). These signs are based on the name of the company, written in a specially designed stylized font. In addition to the full brand designation, only certain parts or abbreviations are often used (for example, IBM). The main factor of such objects is the font and color combination of letters, so they are given increased attention. Font logos of a number of large corporations (Coca-Cola, Disney, eBay, FedEx) are widely known all over the world and are the most important component of their brand. Now this type makes up about 30% of the total number of modern logos;

Combined. Most often (in 60-70% of cases) when developing a website or company logo, customers want to combine text and graphic designation. We can say that this type of sign combines the advantages of both previous ones - it gets both an original attractive icon and a distinct brand name in a stylized font. By choosing a combined logo, you will be able to make it as effective as possible, but you will also have to think about how to harmoniously combine its parts with each other without making the object too bulky or “cutting the eyes”. This type of logo is the most suitable for a website.

Thus, we learned what a modern logo is, what types and functions it has. Now it's time to reveal the main secrets of a good logo.

What should be the logo for the site?

Before you start making a logo for a website online, we recommend that you decide on the concept of its design. There are both general principles for creating high-quality logos, as well as tips for their specific nuances (for example, color and font features). In this section of our article, we will provide the most important information in each of these areas.

General characteristics of a good logo

Originality. To be remembered by the target audience, your company logo must be original and unlike any other well-known logo. This is a complex, but also the most important principle that should be dealt with closely. If you manage to achieve it, then people will notice your brand in any places, even in the most dense stream of advertising;

Simplicity. A good logo is necessarily simple and versatile, it is not overloaded with unnecessary details, so it looks harmonious both on a miniature icon of your site and on a huge billboard;

legibility. Text or combination types should be easy to read, and by no means should you create a very frilly font for them with zero readability. People do not like to make efforts to decipher certain symbols, so you should not turn your logo into a puzzle in pursuit of originality;

Adaptability. It is important that any object of this type scale well and be perfectly adaptive. When developing a logo for a site, it should be taken into account that it should be displayed with the same quality when viewed from any device, both on the site and in the mobile application;

Durability. A high-class logo will not lose its relevance even after several decades after its creation. Coming up with graphics, you should not "tie" it to modern fashion or other fleeting trends. At the very least, it should have the potential to be modified in the future.

However, you should not dwell on the general characteristics, because even the smallest details can be significant in this matter, which we will discuss below.

Color scheme and geometric shape of the logo

An easier way to develop a graphic sign for your brand is to use modern online generator services. They have an extensive set of powerful tools and, at the same time, will be absolutely understandable to a person without specialized knowledge.

One of these popular services is, it provides users with ample opportunities for designing and editing logos, including using Cyrillic fonts.

So, how to get a logo for a website online using Logaster:

1) Go to the main page of the site and click on the link "";
2) Enter the text that will appear on the sign (it is assumed that you need a combined logo), then click "Create Logo";

3) The service will provide you with an assortment of several dozen possible options, taking into account the chosen topic - with various icons and fonts. You can choose any one you like or narrow the search range by selecting the company's activity and color palette;

4) At the next stage, Logaster offers the function of editing the selected object - you can easily change its text, font, color or icon;

How to insert a logo on a website

After you have received the finished file (preferably in PNG format), you will probably want to upload it to your website. Since most modern sites use the popular system, we will focus on it. The sequence of actions here is very simple:

We upload the file with the logo to the hosting, however, this must be done not in the root folder, but in the images folder. An approximate path to it will be as follows: public_html - wp-content - themes - folder with the theme - images. To do this, we use the Filezilla program (FTP client for working with files on your site);

We install the logo in the header of your site and at the same time make it clickable. To do this, you need to write a little code:

Further, it is recommended to set the location of the logo, this can be done in the same header.php file. To do this, place a style line (e.g. style=”width:70px; height:70px; margin:10px; float:left;”) right after the title=”logo” tag before.

How to add a logo for a WordPress site

There is also an easier way to add a logo to a WordPress site. Here's how to do it step by step using the theme settings of your choice:
1. Go to the site management console.
2. Select the category “Appearance - Customize”.

3. Find the “Add logo” item, click on the link and upload the logo to the site (it is recommended to use only PNG images with a transparent background).

By following these short and straightforward steps, you can upload your new logo to the site in a few minutes and place it in the most visible and appropriate place.

So, in this article, we briefly told you about how to make a logo for a website for free and without design skills. As you can see, this is a very important symbol for any company, which can bring considerable benefits to your business and attract new customers. A high-quality and effective logo depends on many factors, including originality, simplicity and legibility, colors, fonts and even the geometric shape of its objects are considered no less significant.

Using modern generator services (for example,), you will be able to get a harmonious, stylish and unique logo in a matter of minutes that best suits your company's specialization. We hope that the information presented in the article helped to find answers to all your questions.

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