Web Design: The Logo
The company logo takes a prominent place in the marketing strategy of any firm. It makes sense to put enough effort and resources into its creation, as it will be plastered across different mediums that are both changeable and permanent, and will be difficult to change. New companies can design their logo and base their marketing campaign on it while more established ones can define a recurring theme across their marketing history and use it as the basis for improving their logos. Here are some tips on the creation process.
Whatever its purpose, from physical to digital, a logo must convey the spirit of the company. Do not confuse this with the core activities. For example, McDonald’s logo has nothing to do with fast food1 but is instead a golden arch. Another example would be Nike2, whose logo gives the impression of agility and dexterity, just like the company’s merchandise. Therefore, a web designer must identify the most important organization characteristics and what sets the firm apart from its competitors. The designer could look at the core values or the unique selling points previously used in advertisements. Another port of call would be customer opinions; how they perceive the company, what they like best and least about it, and how would they describe it.
A logo can combine images as well as text, although these look better separated. The logo will be featured in a multitude of sizes, from key chains and memory sticks to T-shirts and posters, and it needs to be recognizable and readable in all cases. Furthermore, the text and picture could be separated and used on different media. Consider how the main part will fit at the top of the web page and the main text will fit in the main content.
When going about designing the logo itself, it is important to take into account existing promotion history (for instance, customers have learned to associate Lloyds with green3 and Santander with red4) and more importantly, the psychology of color5. Certain nuances will calm the viewer while others will make him anxious and restless. These effects should be used with great care so as not to frighten or divert the customer. Naturally, each industry has its own preferences to color nuances.
Simplicity is generally touted as the key element to logos, and its importance should not be underestimated. People have a tendency not to remember details, so a simplified logo will be easier to recall. Simple logos further look more stylish and are easier to reproduce, which will enable the company to spread its promotion campaign to new mediums. For example, stylishly simple logos can be engraved on products as a more permanent marketing effort.
For small companies, it is important that customers identify them through their logo. It becomes imperative to include the name of the company in the logo, either as part of the image or next to it. The name should be highlighted and easily perceived as it can be used in search engines to find the website and deal with the company. Alternatively, incorporating the name in the image leaves more room for clever graphic design, although it should not be so blended that users cannot identify it on their own.
At the end of the day, a logo has to be different from anything on currently on the market and it must have an instant impact. Customers are unlikely to come back for a second look if they are initially unimpressed. Finally, research on competitor logos is necessary so as to make sure that there are no unlucky coincidences with them.
References:
- http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/36/McDonald’s_Golden_Arches.svg/200px-McDonald’s_Golden_Arches.svg.png
- http://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20100803104247/logopedia/images/4/4f/Puma_logo.gif
- http://techieminx.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/lloyds.jpg
- http://www.cambridgenetwork.co.uk/public/images/logo-santander.jpg
- http://www.precisionintermedia.com/color.html
