Logo Showcase Episode 6

Logo Showcase Episode 6

FILA Logo

"The FILA brothers started manufacturing clothing in 1911, in the shadow of the Italian Alps. The current logo has been used effectively, largely because of the treatment of the letter F. The red bar makes the initial unique and highly memorable."

Gernsheimer, Jack (2010-02-23). Designing Logos (Kindle Locations 2400-2402). 

Skyhorse Publishing. Kindle Edition. 

      Much like the mobil logo, the FILA logo uses typographic anomaly to make a word more interesting. Instead of just reading FILA plainly, this logo uses the red color to scream for attention and grab viewers attention. The letter “A” in this logo is used to represent the Italian alps where the clothing company started. This logo is successful and recognizable due to the anomaly which creates a focal point and separation in 

the letter “F”. 

Apple Logo

     “The original Apple Computer logo, designed by Rob Janoff at Regis McKenna Advertising in 1977, combined imagery of an apple and a rainbow.”

Gernsheimer, Jack (2010-02-23). Designing Logos (Kindle Locations 2509-2510). 

Skyhorse Publishing. Kindle Edition. 

      Although it is now monochromatic (black and white), this early Apple logo is similar to the target logo in the way it does not use typography and manages to easily represent the companies name. The simple bite mark out the apple is playful yet not corny. It is simplistic, recognizable and delivers the punch necessary to portray the company name. I personally do not like the rainbow colors, but maybe that is because I am so used to the current black and white logo we see on their products today. 

FedEx Logo

       “The FedEx logo was designed in 1994 by Lindon Leader at Landor. FedEx capitalized on the increasing use of the nickname for the company originally known as Federal Express."

Gernsheimer, Jack (2010-02-23). Designing Logos (Kindle Locations 2707- 2709). 

Skyhorse Publishing. Kindle Edition. 

      This font, cleverly uses negative space and manages to give the logo a whole new meaning. In the negative space created from the positive space of the letters “E” and “x” we get a negative spaced arrow. This arrow symbolized the companies product/service as a delivery/mailing company . The two words “Fed” and “Ex” are separated using different colors giving this logo an asymmetrical balance. The negative arrow moving forward is brilliant and not many logos can create such objects with out damaging the legibility of the text. This logo is a prime example of how you can use positive and negative space to create an extra dimension in your logos design. 

Logo Showcase Episode 5

Logo Showcase Episode 5

Volkswagen Logo

“One theory states that the logo was created by Franz Reimspeiss, a Porsche employee, while another credits Martin Freyer with winning a design competition. Either way, this is arguably one of the most successful logos ever designed. The two letters seem to interact perfectly with one another, and the circle of the same line weight contains the letters with just the right amount of “air” in the negative spaces to retain legibility.”

Gernsheimer, Jack (2010-02-23). Designing Logos (Kindle Locations 2189-2194). 

Skyhorse Publishing. Kindle Edition. 

    Once again we have the perfect circle which immediately gives our image a sense of balance. Volkswagen uses the perfect amount of negative space in order to separate the letter “V” from the letter “W” while still maintaining that shape that is created from combining the two together. Both letters are created from positive space around it, giving the letters a unique stability. The letters seem to run off into the circle that is surrounded by a black outline, this logo is immortal, as are many of our famous car emblems.

 

Mobil Logo

“The Mobil logo was designed around 1964 by Chermayeff and Geismar.”

Gernsheimer, Jack (2010-02-23). Designing Logos (Kindle Location 2317). 

Skyhorse Publishing. Kindle Edition. 

      Mobil gas gives us an example of how we can solely use typography and still create a successful logo. The use of anomaly on the letter “o” gives the whole word a more appealing look. Instead of just a plain word, it now stands out because of its difference and imbalance. This imbalance gives the viewer a screaming focal point while still managing to legibly show the word “Mobil”. 

Citi Bank Logo

Gernsheimer, Jack (2010-02-23). Designing Logos (Kindle Locations 2707-2709). 
Skyhorse Publishing. Kindle Edition.

      The Citi log is very simple, it manages to represent an umbrella with the red arc, which was meant to represent the travelers appeal of the company. the lowercase letters give the citi logo a whole new feel, yet remaining professional. The arc manages to protect the two “i”s and box in the letter t, I don't know if it was intentional but it sure is unique. 

Logo Showcase Episode 4

Logo Showcase Episode 4

Nickelodeon Logo

"The Nickelodeon logo, by comparison, is conservative. Because the obliqued, rounded, and friendly logotype consistently reverses out of orange blobs that vary in shape”

Gernsheimer, Jack (2010-02-23). Designing Logos (Kindle Locations 2620-2621). 
Skyhorse Publishing. Kindle Edition. 

      This simple asymmetric, organic shape gives Nickelodeon its preferred representation. The playful letters and “splat” represent the target audience for kids. They did not want to be professional and rigid, they wanted to be playful and loose, for the children to enjoy. This logo is successful for its target market, maybe I'm just biased because its from my childhood era. This logo also plays along with their famous "slime time live" where everyone on the show gets "slimed".

Delta Faucets Logo

      “The Delta Faucets logo has for its fundamental element a water-drop shape. When repeated around an axis three times at 120-degree rotation, a triangle is formed. Delta is the fourth letter in the Greek alphabet and takes its name from the shape of the sediment formation at the mouth of a river. The triangular configuration of the drops set in a circle adds relevance to the logo.”

Gernsheimer, Jack (2010-02-23). Designing Logos (Kindle Locations 2759-2761). 
Skyhorse Publishing. Kindle Edition. 

      Delta uses the balanced circle format, a go to for logo design. They are able to create the Greek letter delta (triangle) from the simplified and repeated three water droplets. The water droplets represent the water for delta faucets and the negative space forming the delta represents their name (delta). Without any typography this logo manages to represent the water function of the company, as well as its name, even though it is subtle. 

Quebec Hydro Electric Logo

      “The logo for Quebec Hydro Electric, designed in 1960 by Gagnon Valkus, employs the hardworking lightning bolt, used repeatedly to represent all things electric. This is one of those rare instances when employing overused imagery is arguably the right thing to do. First, the bolt is widely understood. More importantly, it’s the perfect element to complete the letter Q.”

Gernsheimer, Jack (2010-02-23). Designing Logos (Kindle Locations 2238-2241).
Skyhorse Publishing. Kindle Edition.

      Simple and effective, thats what comes to mind with this logo for Quebec Hydro Electric. The letter “Q” is completed and transformed from the letter “O” with the inclusion of a stylistic lightning bolt. The lightning bolt gives the logo proper representation. The logo easily represents a lightning bolt while still maintaining the logos overall legibility. Immediately I think electricity, making this logo an effective representation of the brand's overall identity.

Logo Showcase Episode 3

Logo Showcase Episode 3:

1.

Mitsubishi Logo

      “The current Mitsubishi logo appears to have surfaced in 1964. The shipping company that was formed in the 1870s and later became Mitsubishi used a triangular water chestnut on its ships’ flags. “Mitsu” means three and “bishi” means water chestnut. The three-diamond mark used today emerged as a reinterpretation of the family crest of the founder.”

Gernsheimer, Jack (2010-02-23). Designing Logos (Kindle Locations 2330-2332). 

Skyhorse Publishing. Kindle Edition. 

      Yet another car emblem that has taken over the world and reached the status of universal recognition. This logo was created to represent a water chestnut that was used on a flag of the “shipping company that was formed in the 1870’s". The use of 3 diamonds meeting at the center give this logo symmetry and balance as well as great use of negative space. The three diamonds form three negative triangles that also meet at the center of the logo, a place that our eye is automatically drawn to. This simple display created using symmetry and geometry makes for an appealing logo with a defined focal point. The water chestnut fact is not really necessary for their brand identity, but it makes for an interesting shape and captivating logo. 

2.

Saturn Logo

      “The logo for GM’s emerging automobile division Saturn was introduced around 1984. Always set within a red rectangle, the intersecting circular and oval lines, which bleed out of the box, represent the spherical planet and its encircling rings.”

Gernsheimer, Jack (2010-02-23). Designing Logos (Kindle Locations 2583-2585). 

Skyhorse Publishing. Kindle Edition. 

      Although out of business today, I assure you that is not because of this logos failure of representation. This logo never needed the word saturn, but wow did they do a nice job with the typography. The letter “A” seems to separate the word into two parts, “S” and “Turn”. The logo itself uses negative space inside of a rectangle to create the image of the planet saturn. The logo breaks off at the borders of the rectangle without losing its representation of a planet. Somehow our brain manages to finish the rest of the image, and we see a planet even though less than half of the image (planet and ring broken off by the red border) is represented, now that is pure logo mastery. 

3.

          Target Logo

      “The Target logo is a classic example of simplicity at work. Granted, the logo’s designer lucked out when it came to creating a logo with obvious imagery, but the concentric circle-within-a-circle interpretation of a target is brilliantly simple and communicates universally.”

Gernsheimer, Jack (2010-02-23). Designing Logos (Kindle Locations 2425-2427).

Skyhorse Publishing. Kindle Edition. 

      Target is one of the most simple, yet successful logos of all time. It manages to use an outlined red circle and another red circle inside of it to represent the companies full name without using a single letter. The target is created from this red bullseye which immediately has the focal point and representation of a target. Target’s simple recreation of a target is amongst the most successful of all logos. Proving that in the logo world we must remember K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple, Stupid).

Logo 101: Research before design

      Earlier I talked about how I never start designing until I have done a significant amount of research about a company/brand. The first thing I want to do is research the brand and find out what their core values are. Core values may include, customer service, helpful, friendly, fast service, and welcoming. Once you have a brand's core values, you can begin to pick out words that you think would well represent the company. This brainstorm of words is to help explore as many ways as possible to describe the brand. You may end up with words like fast, circle, yellow, and food. Once you have a large list, you can start to highlight the words that you think promote the brand most effectively. 

      How are you supposed to create an effective logo without a substantial amount of knowledge on the brand? You simply cannot, that is why research is the crucial first step of logo design. With your refined list of words, you can now begin to sketch out elements that you think represent those core values. These sketches should not be detailed, they should be quick thumbnail sketches of ideas, shapes and colors you think may be helpful further down the road. After you have completed all of the tasks above, it is time for feedback. Anyone can give helpful feedback, it is important to ask family, friends, clients and co-workers for their opinion. By now, you have a general feel for the ideas/themes that people are gravitating towards. 
      
      Once you have an idea that most people can agree upon, its finally time to start designing. Make sure that you complete all of these tasks before you begin designing, or else you will run into problems down the road. If you run with an idea before getting any feedback, there is a good chance that you will have to backtrack in order to please the crowd. Do yourself a favor and follow these guidelines to guarantee that your branding process runs as smoothly as possible. 

Logo Showcase Episode 2

1.

Reading Pretzel Machinery

Gernsheimer, Jack (2010-02-23). Designing Logos (Kindle Locations 1310-1313). 

Skyhorse Publishing. Kindle Edition. 

      Once again, the common theme of mixing typography and symbolic images is used to give a company its recognizable image and theme. Reading Pretzel Machinery manages to pull off the I <3 NY logo feel that was introduced to us by Milton Glasier. 

      If they used the letter "P" to represent their brand name they would have wound up with "RPM", automatically linking them to the automobile industry. How did they solve that issue  Instead of using the letter “P”, they represented the word pretzel with a recognizable symbol of a pretzel.  The pretzel symbol is created from the intertwined “R” and “M”.  The negative space around the letters give the  overall image an interlaced appearance that make the pretzel look like it is overlapping. The gradient used in the color version gives off the image of a pretzel being baked.

2.

World Wildlife Foundation

“World Wildlife Fund The World Wildlife Fund logo was designed in 1961 by Peter Scott. There are few creatures that have the universal appeal of a young panda, and WWF likely recognized the fund-raising potential of adopting this symbol as its logo.” 

Gernsheimer, Jack (2010-02-23). Designing Logos (Kindle Locations 2253-2256). 

Skyhorse Publishing. Kindle Edition.  

      This logo uses just enough positive and negative space to create this young and adorable fuzzy friend. They wanted to appeal to the sympathy of others by creating this friendly looking panda which is on the WWF’s critically endangered list. The fact that this animal is black and white makes it more easily recognized. The use of simple shapes makes this logo work, there are no extreme details and yet this animal is still obviously a panda and never confused as anything else. No letters needed for the branding of this company, they are well established through the panda. 

3.

The Creative Circus logo

“The Creative Circus logo designed by Roger Sawmill and Mark Braught in 1995 uses fundamental geometric shapes, yet gives them an implied sense of dimension. The basic five-pointed star appears to be applied to a spherical surface, as does the circle in which it resides.”

Gernsheimer, Jack (2010-02-23). Designing Logos (Kindle Locations 2714-2716).

Skyhorse Publishing. Kindle Edition. 

      This logo manages to recreate a ball typically seen at the circus. The sphearical representation of the outlined star makes the circle more of a sphere and gives it the ball appearance. This ball looks like it should be at the circus under the foot of a two ton elephant. The logo is simple, yet easily recognizable. 

Logo Showcase Episode 1

Today I will critique some logo's that I find effective for their respective brand's identity. 

1.

The Reading JCC Logo 

Gernsheimer, Jack (2010-02-23). Designing Logos (Kindle Locations 1361-1363). 

Skyhorse Publishing. Kindle Edition. 

      This logo is successful with the way it incorporates the letters JCC as well as depicting an outline of the Star of David, a symbol of Judaism. JCC stands for Jewish Community Center, the repeated “J’s” rotated over and over agin create the letters JCC. The repeated J’s also create the 6 pointed star with the remaining negative space. The sleek design and creative letter placement gives this logo multiple meaning and representations that all give the JCC its defined image.

2.

BMW Logo

“Designed by Franz Josef Popp and modified in the 1990s by Zintzmeyer & Lux.”

Gernsheimer, Jack (2010-02-23). Designing Logos (Kindle Location 2165). Skyhorse Publishing. Kindle Edition.

      Circles are a common theme that we start to see with many logo designs. The perfect geometric shape provides an image with symmetry, giving the overall image a sense of balance. This logo uses negative space to make the letters BMW pop. It also uses a checkerboard in the center to represent the checkered flag we can see in professional races. The symmetry and balance give this logo cohesion and precision, making it the successful logo we all know today.

3.

“Seatrain Lines The Seatrain Lines logo was designed in 1965 by Tom Geismar.”

Gernsheimer, Jack (2010-02-23). Designing Logos (Kindle Locations 2359-2360). 

Skyhorse Publishing. Kindle Edition. 

      This logo uses great negative space, it somehow uses the positive space created from two curved arrows to create a perfectly formed negative space “S”. This logo stands for the Seatrain Lines which is well represented from the “S” and the arrows that go to and from, left and right, back and forth. This logo is full of movement giving the viewer a representation of their brand's product/service.

Logo 101: Simple vs. Complex Imagery

As I talked about in my last post, simple logos are more effective than complex ones. Complex logos tend to be loaded with details, and unnecessary information. Logo's should not appear lifelike or photographic, it's more important that your logo speak for itself. Simple imagery works better with logo design when it comes to printing and display. If you create a simple logo, you can shrink or enlarge it to any size without losing the overall structure or idea of the image. For example, you should be able to see your logo clearly when you shrink your logo down for your business cards, or letterheads. This also applies for enlarging your logo, people should be able to see your logo on a billboard from as far away as possible. We'll take a look at some examples to show the difference between simple and complex by shrinking them.

http://www.mac-history.net/photo-gallery/2011-10-30/apple-history-in-pictures-the-start-1976-1984

Apple's first logo designed by Ron Wayne in 1976

Apple Logo Monochrome Version Created by Rob Janoff in 1998

Above are two large versions of the Apple logo in 1976 and the new logo created in 1998. They are both large so you get the idea of the apple. In the new one we can see the shape of a bitten apple and in the old one we have a complex image of Isaac Newton being hit on the head with an apple from an apple tree. The old logo has far too much detail and will lose its value and idea when shrunk.

Do you see how the simple logo is working much better when scaled down? We see the same image as before when the logo was much bigger. However, the same can't be said for the old Apple logo. It has lost all of its details once we reduced it to this size (icon size). The logo on the left is now far more interesting and easier for the viewer to comprehend and recognize from a distance. Keeping your logo design simple will make it easier for everyone to understand your brand and will pay off when it comes to display and printing. Save all the hassle of rebranding by getting it right the first time, keep it 

simple stupid. 

Logo Design and Branding: Today's Lesson: Positive vs. Negative Space

Logo Design and Branding: Today's Lesson: Positive vs. Negative Space

Today's Lesson: Positive vs. Negative Space

       There are many principles of design, each help create captivating imagery. However, one particular principle is stressed over and over again in some of worlds best logo designs. The relationship between positive and negative space helps give a logo an extra dimension without making an image too complex. Remember, when creating your logo try to keep the image as simple as possible. For instance, the more colors, lines, and shapes your logo has, the more complex the image. We will deal with simple vs. complex imagery tomorrow, now back to positive and negative space.

       Negative space (sometimes referred to as white space) is the space around and between an image. Therefor, negative space is created from positive space. For designers, playing with positive and negative space can create an extra element or dimension for an image or design. The Rubin Vase optical illusion is a prime example of the extra dimension created if we use positive vs. negative space to our advantage. 

Here is an image of the Rubin Vase found from:

http://mediaelectron.blogspot.com/2008/11/what-is-gestalt-psychology.html

The properly placed positive and negative space in this image creates a unique illusion. The viewer alternates between their perception of what is and isn't positive space. This back and forth between seeing two faces (black space) and a vase (white space) makes for a captivating image. Let's take a look at some logos that use this design principle in order to create this illusion, or extra dimension.

FedEx Logo Created by Lindon Leader in 1994

        The negative space between the "E" and the "X" creates an image of an arrow. This arrow represents the sending and receiving of mail, a service that FedEx provides.

Ed's Electric Logo created by Josiah Jost in 2008

        The letter "E" is negative space created by the surrounding positive space (image of an outlet being plugged in). This logo shows once again how you can keep it simple and still get the idea of your brand across. Thanks for reading, let me know what you think. Comment below with ideas, questions, or feedback. 

Is that Clip Art!? How not to design a LOGO

A logo is not created overnight, if it was, you probably used clipart and Microsoft paint. If this is true, you most likely have a brand identity in need of some work. It is worth paying a professional to help with your branding, graphic designers like myself spend hours researching a brand before ever sketching out a design. You may be creative, you may be artistic, but logo design is a long and tedious process. Logo design/Branding takes serious research, feedback, trial and error, and patience. Don't tackle branding by yourself, you will end up being the only one who understands your brand identity. It is important to get as much feedback as possible because you may see something that someone else does not see and vice versa. Like this logo below, designed for the Arlington Pediatric Center. Obviously not enough people participated in this branding project because nobody got my feedback which would have pointed out the explicit statutory rape taking place dead center of the logo. While the Arlington Pediatric Center was trying to represent their caring and friendly core values, they accidentally did the opposite. At first glance, this logo looks like it belongs to the National Pedophilia Acceptance Association. This is one example of an absolutely terrible branding fail that has recently been changed, thank god! This is just one of many reasons why you should get as much feedback on your brand identity before launching it to the public. Feel free to comment or share some brand fails of your own.

Here is an article of the "Top 15 Worst Logo Fails" found on boredpanda.com:

http://www.boredpanda.com/worst-logo-fails-ever/

Here is the updated website for the Arlington Pediatric Center:

http://www.arlpedcen.org/

An intro to Brand Identity: Giving your Brand a Personality

Brand Identity is the representation of a brand through imagery such as logo design, packaging, and web design. Brand Identity gives a company distinguishing characteristics, creating a relatable personality for the brand. This personality or identity is based on target market, brand background, company core values and product background. Creating a brand identity is important for the success of a company, without an identity a brand is likely to be received improperly by it's customers/viewers. Successful brand identities are able to define a company and what they provide through their logos. Logos are defined by their colors, shapes, positive vs. negative space, repetition, symmetry and overall image. The McDonalds logo is a simple symmetrical "M" that manages to give off the signature tasted of their golden french fries. When I see their logo I think fast food, this happens because of the extensive research and work that went into the branding of their company. The sharp curves at the top of the "M" suggest the speed of their service and the golden yellow represents the golden crisp of their fried food. Without a complex image of a burger, McDonalds are able to flaunt their brand with gigantic golden arches that can be seen from miles away. Here is an image of the McDonald's logo thanks to McDonald's website:
http://www.aboutmcdonalds.com/
Please comment with questions about branding or examples of branding you would like to share.