When should a CEO choose a wordmark, and when a symbol?

In general, consider a symbol only when:

• Your name is too generic, too long, doesn’t translate well globally, or is hopelessly deficient in personality.
• You need an emblem on the product, as on a car hood, or a sneaker.
• You need to link subsidiaries to the parent and can’t easily use the name. (The Bell symbol served this function for the old AT&T and its operating companies.)
• You have (or can afford) ample media, to teach us what the symbol means.

Choose a wordmark when:

• Your name is reasonably distinctive but not (yet) a household word.
• You want to associate products or subsidiaries with the parent more clearly and directly than a symbol permits.
• Communication funds are limited and should be focused on name recognition.

—

More on Tony Spaeth‘s website Identity Works. Worth a visit.

Renault symbol photo credit

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Quite a basic template, but one that can still offer a few pointers.

Penguin Logo Guidelines

More identity design guidelines in this section of the resources page.

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Those of you who read my self-titled blog will already know, but as I have a few thousand extra subscribers on Logo Design Love, it’s worth repeating here. I’ve just launched my third blog, Identity Designed (ID) — a showcase and forum for those involved in the design of brand identities.

I spoke a while back about shifting more towards the bigger brand identity picture, possibly even selling Logo Design Love. Since then I’ve been chatting with a number of fantastic designers/studios around the world who have kindly contributed case studies for this new venture.

The aim is to grow the site into a book, a collection of interviews, resources, possibly awards, and a few other ideas. It’s clearly very early days, but if you’re a fan of Logo Design Love, I’m sure you’ll enjoy Identity Designed.

Free subscriptions are selling-out fast — grab yours immediately…

ID via RSS
ID via email
ID on Twitter
ID on Facebook

…or just go and have a look. I’d like that, too.

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“Justify color selections by pairing them with similarly hued images from the destination.”

Sound advice from Clinton Duncan, a contributor over on Brand New.

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“Anyone involved in creating visual identities, or wanting to learn how to go about it, will find this book invaluable.”
— AIGA MEDALIST TOM GEISMAR

I showed you the table of contents, and asked what chapter you wanted for free. Many of you said, “All of them,” but alas, I doubt my publisher would approve, so you’ll have to settle for the most popular vote — seven: From pencil to PDF.

Here are the chapter sub-headings to give you a very quick glimpse.

From pencil to PDF

• Mind-mapping
• The fundamental necessity of the sketchpad
• The Tenth Commandment
• Pinning the map
• Internationally recognized
• No set time
• Dress for success
• Black and white before color
• Where Photoshop comes into play
• The pen is mightier than the mouse

Grab the free download link here on the book website.

These translations are also available if English isn’t your mother tongue.

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Some recent Tweets

• How to choose a new logo — by Marius Ursache
• 8 Bits Of Perfect Geometry In Classic Logos
• RT @zeldman Value of “winning” logo to Netsol is presumably $ six figures. Value of your time: $0. Crowdsourcing is theft.
• Fonts used in logos of popular websites — via @chrisspooner

If Twitter’s not your thing, no worries. I’ll periodically publish my favourite logo links right here, with some images and additional commentary.

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Feedback from other designers

When you don’t receive constructive criticism, it’s all too easy to believe your work’s the best thing since Doritos and hot dip. Clients are normally the first to open your eyes, but it’s always good when a fellow designer gives it to you straight prior to any client communication.

There’s an excellent community of logo designers on Twitter, and if you ask nicely, they’re more than happy to offer advice. You’ll also find collections of talented web designers / developers who tweet, though I’m not too sure why you find me via that second link.

Unless you genuinely respect the designer giving feedback, take comments with a pinch of salt, because not everyone’s as competent as you, and not everyone will have time to familiarise themselves with your design brief.

Help with client concerns

There are ways to address this, and there are ways to avoid. I don’t recommend naming your clients (feathers can easily be ruffled), but if you mention the important points of your concerns, we’re a friendly bunch, and it’s likely that one of us has experienced the same issue.

Twitter can also help you out of a website fix.

General chat

Especially when working from home, on your Todd (like me), Twitter can act as a welcome break from work. One of the things I miss most about an office environment is the regular interaction with colleagues, so it’s nice to see what’s happening, real-time, in the lives of people in know.

Image copyright: Overthinking it

Sharing resources

How many of you still use del.icio.us? For me, it’s not nearly as much as I used to, and I’m sure the site has taken a hit with more and more of us sharing (and collecting) our bookmarks via Twitter.

Twitter’s like del.icio.us with conversations.

Driving traffic

I’m guilty too. Via swissmiss. Image by Danny Jones.

How are you using Twitter?

With deadlines to meet, I don’t use it too often — though it’s all relative, as I still tweet almost every day. I’m sure I could make more use of the resource when a question crops up, but it’s a (bad?) habit of mine to try helping myself before asking others.

Actually, the search tool is an excellent way to find answers, or to find feedback on a particular product or service before buying anything, so Twitter does help even if I don’t take up your time by posting a question.

Have you been guided through a fix on Twitter?

Are you borderline obsessive? ;)

Share your Twitter tales of wonderment.

Ps. Thanks so much to you kind folk who continue helping me on Twitter (find me @DavidAirey and @LogoDesignLove).

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I’ve learned from quite a few mistakes during my time as a designer, and to save you from doing likewise, here are 10 logo design tips I picked up.

1. A logo doesn’t need to say what a company does


Restaurant logos don’t need to show food, dentist logos don’t need to show teeth, furniture store logos don’t need to show furniture. Just because it’s relevant, doesn’t mean you can’t do better.

The Mercedes logo isn’t a car. The Virgin Atlantic logo isn’t an aeroplane. The Apple logo isn’t a computer. Etc. Etc.

2. Not every logo needs a symbol


Sometimes a client just needs a professional wordmark to identify their business. Don’t be afraid to ask what they think.

3. Two-way process


Remember, things might not always pan out as you hope. Your client might request something you disagree with. If that happens, try giving them what they want, then show them what you believe is an improvement, and why. They’re less likely to be so resistant if they already see how their thoughts pan out.

4. Picasso started somewhere


You don’t need to be an artist to realise the benefits of logo sketching. Ideas can flow much faster between a pen and paper than they can a mouse and monitor.

5. Under-promise, over-deliver


If you’re unsure how long a task will take to complete, estimate longer. Design projects are like construction work — you piece lots of little elements together to form a greater whole, and setbacks can crop up at any time.

6. Leave trends to the fashion industry


Trends come and go, and when you’re talking about changing a pair of jeans, or buying a new dress, that’s fine, but where your brand identity is concerned, longevity is key.



Don’t follow the pack.


Stand out.

7. Work in black first
By leaving colour to the end of the process, you focus on the idea. No amount of gradient or colour will rescue a poorly designed mark.

8. Keep it appropriate


Designing for a lawyer? Ditch the fun approach. Designing for a kid’s TV show? Nothing too serious. I could go on, but you get the picture.

9. A simple logo aids recognition


Keeping the design simple allows for flexibility in size. Ideally, your design should work at a minimum of around one inch without loss of detail. Look at the logos of large corporations like Mitsubishi, Samsung, FedEx, BBC etc. Their logos look simple and are easier to recognise because of it.

10. One thing to remember


That’s it. Leave your client with just one thing to remember about the design. All strong logos have one single feature to help them stand out.



Not two, three, or four.



One.

More logo design tips

This is just a snippet of what has followed in the Logo Design Love book. Plenty more in there (with a free chapter here).

Do you have any additional tips to share? Have you had a problem in a project that was eventually overcome (or not)? I’d love to know.

I love New York image courtesy of Oded Ezer

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The World Trade Center Logo Preservation Project was created by Korean designer, Ji Lee, currently working as creative director at Google Creative Lab, NYC.

“World Trade Center buildings are present in thousands of classic New York skyline logos owned by local businesses in the city. They tend to belong to small businesses that are likely to disappear over the years to come. So are their logos and the Twin Towers.

After 9/11, I started to photograph and archive these logos in order to preserve the many different graphic expressions of these important historical buildings.” Ji Lee

Brings back a lot of memories from a visit to Manhattan in 2001. I arrived in New York in June, after winning a student travel bursary and arranging an internship. I spent a few days in Manhattan before catching a Greyhound bus to Pittsburgh, where I spent three fine months with the Graphic Arts Technical Foundation (and working part-time in the Sewickley Country Inn).

My return flight to the UK was via New York, where I spent a few more days between September 13th and 17th, 2001. In a way, the people on the street seemed closer together, but witnessing the hundreds of thousands of ‘missing person’ flyers pinned throughout Manhattan was heart-wrenching.

The WTC Logo Preservation Project. Worth building upon.

Via swissmiss.

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I was chatting with my friend Randa, a successful WordPress designer, and she posed an interesting question:

“I often look at the work of other logo designers in admiration and wonder what they have that I don’t. What is it that makes someone really good at identity design, and is it obtainable through practice or is it a “gift” that some have and others don’t? There are zillions of logo designers out there — what separates the good from the great?”

With enough hard work, I believe you can excel in any profession. There are, of course, certain age barriers. For instance, and I’m very sorry say, you won’t see me strutting my stuff in spandex anytime soon — I’m just too old to achieve olympic gymnast status. Trust me, that’s a good thing. On the other hand, however, if I was to study medicine, and with enough dedication, I could become a doctor.

So for me, creating effective identities certainly isn’t a gift, but rather a skill to be learnt.

What do you think separates the good from the great?

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