What does the logo mean. What is a logo? Errors during creation
Interested in logo design and want to know more about the specifics of logo design? If so, we hope this post will help you. First, you need to find 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 exclusive meaning and convey certain information to the consumer. The logo is of great importance for the sale of goods and services on the market, and predetermines the success of a business. The logo attracts attention, makes it possible to recognize the product of one or another company among thousands, and serves as a kind of credit of users' trust.
What is a logo?
What is a logo and what are its features? A logo is a graphic design or emblem to identify an organization or product. The first logo appeared back in the late 19th century, but the era of logo design began in the 1950s. Today a logo is a business card not only for goods, but also for every site.
Don't forget the five principles of a successful logo
Keep the logo simple. You shouldn't be fancy. A simple logo allows users to recognize the site faster. The logo should be memorable. Users browsing 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 should last forever. This means that the logo should present the site and attract attention not only over the next year, but also remain as effective in 10, 30, 50 years. Every month there are some novelties and new technologies, priorities are gradually changing in society, and people of different generations perceive the same information differently. The task of a good designer is to create a logo so that it 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 creating a logo for a toy store, then it is advisable to use children's fonts and bright colors. And for a law firm logo, funny fonts and bright colors are inappropriate.
Learn from the example of other people's successful and unsuccessful logos
Successful logos
Now, knowing the basic principles of building logos, you can independently determine where is a good and where is not very successful logo. Knowing which logos have become successful and what their success is related to, you can find out how good logos are created. For example, Nike's famous Nike Swoosh was designed by design student Carolyn Davidson at 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, memorable, 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 in association with the ancient Greek goddess Nike and mimics the shape of the wings of the goddess of victory. Thus, an associative chain is formed in the user's mind: the goddess of victory, Nick, is Nike products. A potential buyer understands that in the end he will gain (quality, style, price) if he buys Nikе products.
The Nike Swoosh is just one of many examples of effective logos. Apple has chosen the "apple" logo. This is very symbolic, since it is directly related to the name of the company (“apple” in 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 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, unaesthetic or simply ugly. Also bad logos include those that have some ambiguity (resemble existing logos) or that are difficult to read (due to fonts). Often, in such unsuccessful logos, several letters in the name are replaced with drawings that are vaguely reminiscent of letters in shape. These logos are often difficult to perceive and “read”. Thus, the user does not immediately guess the content of the logo, he will not be able to read the written correctly right away, and, therefore, most likely, he will not remember.
Your own algorithm of work
There is one more rule of successful logo design - work out your algorithm for working on logo design. Logo design is almost an intimate affair. Each designer treats this process in his own way, relying primarily on his own experience. However, every logo design process has a must. 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 noted, “You really need to understand what the client is expecting before you get started. Logo design is not about finding a dark cat in a dark room, but rather the other way around. " The logo should be a well-aimed shot and always on target.
Study and search
Another rule is to study your customers' business in more detail (about products and production in general, about the history of goods / services, about the history of the creation and operation of the company in the market, about its success 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 the consumer audience is waiting for. In addition, your new logo should not resemble the existing ones. Sometimes it helps to study the logos of competitors. A designer can analyze the logos of competitors and, starting from criticism of the logos of rival companies, find a good clue for a new logo. The next stage is sketches and conceptualization. The logo should become perfect in the eyes of the designer and, of course, please the customers. Pay close attention to the reaction of customers to the logo, mark their comments. An important place is taken by the presentation of the logo, which is also worth working hard on.
Well, good luck with your logo design! And for successful work it is worth being inspired. Here is a whole list of logo galleries to get some interesting ideas from.
Comments (1)
- Konstantin
August 17, 2011 at 10:31 AMNike Swoosh logo is built in association with the ancient Greek goddess Nike (Nike) and mimics the shape of the wings of the goddess of victory
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 pmbrendyatina.rpod.ru/153484.html Here listen about how the Nike brand was created, about the logo, naming.
-
August 17, 2011 at 11:54 AMI ask all claims to Nike)) in any case, the company was hardly named after the wave;)
- Zoryanka
January 3, 2012 at 02:21 AMPersonally, it reminds me of a golochka - well, like a test, or something :)
- Kirill
January 14, 2012 at 08:58 AMvery cool hand, thanks
by the way, I'm inspired by this page
every day a new designer and his logos. very informative
vkontakte.ru/three_one
- advertisio
October 17, 2012 at 08:38 AMwww.advertisio.ru - the best logos from all over the world. if you need to develop a logo, write - [email protected]
- Basil
May 16, 2013 at 10:59 AM
The logo is a part of our daily life. They represent a brand and influence our purchasing decisions, whether we know it or not.
One has only to look around and you will notice a lot of logos around you. They are everywhere!
But what exactly is the purpose of the logo? What's their story? What's in their design and the right logo?
What is the purpose of a logo?
The first and most important role that a logo plays in the life of your company is identification. They help the consumer to recognize, identify and select your business before any other. At the end of the day, all other logo requirements are just talk of nothing compared to this role.
A bit of history
A logo is an emblem or symbol. It is a visual entity that denotes or an individual, used for identification and recognition in society.
A logo is an emblem in the form of stylized letters and / or images that convey a specific idea.
The logo is the most important element of the company's image. From the point of view of an ordinary consumer, the presence of a logo or a trademark of a company with an established status is a guarantee of the good quality of a product or service. Products that do not have a well-known logo are called noname.
Your logo is an extension of your brand, and your brand is your story.
The word logo itself comes from two ancient Greek words λόγος - the word + τύπος - imprint, and the term "logo" appeared at the beginning of the 19th century and meant the union of two or three characters of a typographic font.
The first officially registered logo was the emblem of the Bass beer, which was once the best-selling beer in the UK. The logo was registered personally by Bass & Co owner William Bass on January 1, 1876 at the British Patent Office. Interestingly, the trademark, logo, like the beer itself, still exist.
Some of the earliest logos include one of the most recognizable worldwide, the Coca-Cola emblem, invented by pharmacist John Stith Pemberton and marketed as a medication for nervous disorders in 1886. But the name of the new product and the first Coca-Cola logo were invented by Frank Robinson, who worked as an accountant for Pemberton.
Logo design process
A good logo is the cornerstone of your brand. It helps clients understand who you are and what you do.
A logo is a big responsibility on a tiny image!
Designing a good logo often requires the involvement of a whole team. Before a logo is designed, there must be a clear definition of the brand's concept and values, as well as an understanding of the consumer or target group.
Although it is worth noting that many of the world famous logos today were invented by the owners of companies themselves, their assistants, accountants and other people who have absolutely nothing to do with design or art.
Types of logos
- Typeface
- Graphic style
- Combination of graphic and font style
No business is successful thanks to its logo. The purpose of the logo is to increase the awareness of the company. The quality of services and goods is done by you
- First of all, the logo should be easy to remember and recognizable.
- A good logo should evoke in the consumer some association with the products you produce or the services you provide. In other words, a good logo should have a clear meaning on the surface.
- Poor logo design can seriously damage your business's first impression. Don't skimp on good designers. After all, there is nothing more expensive than cheap design.
- The logo should look good on large posters and small business cards. It should be simple. If you make your logo too complex, you will lose a lot of detail when you scale it down.
- Originality also plays an important role. This will help you stand out from the crowd of competitors.
- And of course, your logo must be unique.
Logo components
Most, if not all, logos are composed of a combination of the following elements:
Color
Colors are the main communicators of your Logo. They tell your audience about the mood of your company. A color palette can consist of one or more colors (although we recommend sticking to a two- or three-color combination).
The colors for the logo will later be used in the corporate style.
Typography
The main thing in the logo is simplicity and ease of remembering. Very often, a regular font is taken, it changes a little and voila, the company has a good, universal logo and high recognition.
Here are some examples of successful text logos: IBM, CNN, Yandex, Google, Facebook, Coca-Cola, Amazon, etc.
The image can range from a simple arrow to a detailed image of an object.
If you decide to use an image - remember that when you reduce the size of the logo, some details may be lost; try to use something that looks clean and scalable.
Combined logos are perhaps the most common type. These logos contain typography and imagery at the same time.
This type of logo provides more room for creativity.
Subtitle
Placed below a logo, a slogan usually includes a slogan designed to hook your audience or clarify what your company is doing.
Logos don't have to be accompanied by a slogan, but it's something to consider if, say, your logo image itself is an abstract interpretation of the concept of harmony - while it may convey your values, it doesn't really tell your customers anything about your business.
How to protect your logo
Logos and their designs may be copyrighted through various intellectual property organizations around the world that make available design application procedures.
® - a registered trademark mark, is a confirmation that this trademark is officially registered as belonging exclusively to this company, and by law is protected by constant protection for a certain period.
The strongest protection of a logo is provided in the case of its official registration as a trademark, which protects a company from unfair competition and allows it to protect its rights in court.
The trademark cannot be used by others without the consent of the owner.
A logo is much more than just words, an icon, a color. A good logo tells the story of your company: who you are, what you do, and what you stand for.
Creating a logo is not an easy task: there are many nuances that need to be taken into account when designing it. Luckily, you don't have to do this alone. With this step-by-step instruction, you can do it easily and simply. But enough words, let's get started!
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
that 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 move on to the article :)
Every day we constantly come across logos.
For example, the average US resident sees 16,000 advertisements, logos and labels per day. If you look around, you will probably also notice dozens of logos around you.
Why are there so many of them and why do many companies spend thousands, hundreds, or even millions of dollars to create this small 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.
The logo presented in the form of a stylized corporate font (letters). In addition, small graphic elements are often used: for example, a smile on the Amazon logo. 
The advantage of this logo is that it is easy to remember and helps to stand out from competitors, especially if they use other types of fonts.
Verbal elements can be:
- existing words in the name of the company;
- artificial words;
- abbreviations;
- letters;
- numbers.
This logo uses both text and symbols. This look takes advantage of the two previous ones: the graphic element makes the logo memorable and helps to make the company name special and attractive. 
Emblem
Logos of this kind enclose a company name within a special art form. This is one of the most difficult types of logo designs.
Alphanumeric
A symbol 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 the 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 is great if it:
Printed in one color?
Printed in postage stamp size?
Printed like a big billboard?
Printed in black and white?
If the answer is “yes” to all the questions, congratulations! You've created a universal logo!
I like to work in black and white from the beginning 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 scope of the company
The logo must correspond to the field of activity of the company.
For example, if you are designing a logo for a toy store, it would be wise to use a “fun” font and icons associated with toys, children, etc. On the other hand, a logo doesn't have to literally represent 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 a logo correspond to a business area? The answer can be found in a recent study of one online logo maker.
Chinese brand BYD, whose logo suspiciously resembles 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 starting to create 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 the features of your business are, what idea and qualities you want to convey to customers, and how you differ 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 are the keywords to describe your business?
What is the value of your products and services?
What is your target audience?
What qualities should your logo convey to your customers?
It is very important to answer questions 5 and 6. Because 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 be different from your competitors?
What logos do you like and why?
The analysis of competitors should help to find out why the logos of competitors work or, conversely, do not work and, to prevent the creation of a similar logo. You want to be original, right?
Analysis of the use of the logo
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 on the Internet.
In this case, the full spectrum of colors can be used for the logo, because digital devices have no problem with reproducing colors.
On the other hand, it would be a very bad choice for a company doing business offline, and the logo will be used more often in print.
For this reason, you should always think carefully about where and how the logo will be used most of the time so that you do not waste time on ideas that cannot be implemented in practice.
How to choose a font for your logo?
The typeface is one of the most important elements of a logo. The readability of the logo, its perception, and the transmission 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 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 transition from a thick line to a thinner one.
4. Typewriter fonts mimic text typed on a typewriter.
How to choose a color for your logo?
Color, color and color again! This is the first touchpoint and 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 heighten the feelings you want and create a strong emotional connection. Use the infographic (large size) to choose the color you want for the logo.
How to choose the right logo color?
To get an answer to this question, you should ask yourself 3 questions:
What color highlights your brand's personality?
What colors characterize your products / services?
What color is your competitor using?
Colors are not tied to any particular industry, but certain colors are better for some services / products than others.
You should strive to choose a color that will highlight the personality of your company. The color should make the right impression on customers who see your logo for the first time.
What to do when you've figured out the colors of your competitors?
One option is to use the opposite color to the main competitor's logo. It will help you stand out. But take into account the colors of your industry so that the opposite color matches the industry. For example, pink for a bank logo or a legal company looks out of place and ridiculous.
Consider color patterns in different cultures. For example, in the Western world, white is considered the color of purity and peace, and in some Asian countries it is the color of death.
One color or several?
In order 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 one color, or several. The main thing is that they are combined! But, of course, do not overdo it and use a large number of colors.
- Pamela Wilson.
How to choose multiple colors for your 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 Colorscheme service.
Designers often use the 60-30-10 rule. It consists in choosing 3 different colors and using 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 to 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 drawings of the logo, 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 design work.
For this we have selected Top 10 Sites where you can spy on ideas for your logo.
Logo pond
Step 1: create some drafts
Early on in logo design, you may have several ideas that you want to express in your logo. Do not neglect them, it is better to write them down, perhaps some will be useful for you when creating the final version of the logo.
Step 2: sketch out the logo design
A sketch is a quick and easy way to put ideas on paper, where you can evaluate them more easily.
Do not erase or discard your 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 be upset. You can try to sketch the logo using screenshots. Go to the sites of several online generators, icon galleries, etc. Try to find the images you like that you want and save them. You can then use them to create your unique logo.
Step 3. Choose the tools to create your logo
You can create a logo using:
- graphic programs - Adobe Illustrator, Inkscape, Photoshop;
- platforms for ordering logos - 99Designs:
- online services and constructors -, Turbologo
... Very helpful service, I advise!
If you are comfortable with graphics programs, no doubt use them to create your logo.
But online services should not be neglected either. 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 it's perfect? This may not be the case. 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, they are wary of reviews from friends and family. If they are not professional designers, their advice may not be entirely helpful to you, or even false.
Step 6. Test the scalability of the logo
Check the logo image in different ways - in newspaper ads, on a business card, on your website. The logo should look good whether it is 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 a logo is created for a business card or website, then it will, as a rule, look awkward at large sizes.
- Use graphics programs like Adobe Illustrator or Inkscape, they allow you to test the scalability of your logo.
Step 7. Create multiple logo formats
Perhaps you created the logo from the beginning in a graphics program like Adobe Illustrator. 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 logo in PNG, JPEG for web and PDF, EPS, SVG for print.
- Save your logo in black and white for printing your logo on, for example, bags, pens, stationery.
Step 8. Keep getting feedback
Even after you've created your logo, you still need to remain open to feedback. Use a variety of tools like social media, customer comments, expert opinions to make sure your logo looks perfect.
Is your logo really great? [Check list]
And so, you probably already created a logo. Congratulations!
But is he really good? Will it look great in different sizes? Well, let's check the effectiveness of your logo with our checklist.
Go through each question and answer yes or no.
1. The logo looks attractive for 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. There are no complex details
6. The logo is visually balanced - the icon, font, color look harmoniously together
7. Not used too many fonts, colors, effects
8. The logo is visible among other logos
As we already wrote, it is very important to stand out from the background of other companies, especially competitors.
Collect your competitors' logos and place yours somewhere in between.
Is it noticeable? Noticeable against the background of others? If yes, everything is great!
9. The logo is adaptive
Responsiveness means the logo will look great on any object or surface - a T-shirt, website, road sign, etc.
10. The logo is 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 roughly accurately sketch your logo, then everything is fine and your logo will be memorable.
11. The logo is universal
The versatility of a logo means that it is perceived 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 of its viewers.
12. The logo is easy to read
Imagine that your logo is 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 so, everything is fine. If not, it might be worth working on the fonts.
13. 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 loss of quality, as well as edit it. For example, make a logo in a different color.
We hope these tips are helpful and you can create a great logo!
Logo
A logo is the original outline or abbreviated name of a company, a product group produced by a given company, or one specific product manufactured by it.
Typically, a logo consists of 4-7 letters. Approximately 4 out of 5 trademarks are registered in the form of a logo. The logo is always unique. Which, by the way, also has legal support. For example, when registering, the mark will be checked for uniqueness.
Logo concept
The logo is the main attribute of the company's corporate identity. The development of a logo is necessary to draw attention to the company or its product. Logo design is a visual expression of the concept and idea of a trademark. logo brand communication
Creation of a logo or creation of a trademark - consists in creating a mark or symbol. It is simple, harmonious, evokes an associative array, lays in the consumer's subconscious the image of the product.
A high-quality logo is a symbol by which you can read the idea of the brand, the mission of the company, its attitude to the consumer and positioning in the market. There are billions of logos out there. The best of them were remembered and consistent with the marketing strategy of the company.
The logo cannot exist on its own, it must harmoniously fit into the advertising concept. For consumers, a logo is an introduction to a company, product or service.
Here are the basic rules and criteria to be followed when designing a logo, mark or trademark:
1. Individuality
This property allows you to stand out in the market and become competitive. This requirement is fundamental in the development of a logo and ensures the possibility of registering a mark, as well as its further use without violating the rights of other business entities.
2. Originality
This is what sets its logos apart from competitors. This property should evoke positive emotions and associations among any potential consumers of this product.
3. Functionality
A very essential and important criterion taken into account when creating a logo. For example, a logo or trademark can be placed both on letterheads and a website, as well as on fax paper, souvenirs or leaflets. That being said, the logo should be easily scalable and relatively simple. This requirement for the development of logos is advisory in nature and involves the use of elements of orientation to the average level of consumer erudition, restrictions on the number of elements included in the sign or logo. Another important requirement for the development of a logo, which is not included in the main, but nevertheless must be taken into account, is the associativity of the trademark.
4. Associativity
This property of a trademark denotes the presence of links, associations between the trademark and the characteristics of the product it labels. All these requirements for the development of a logo or the creation of a trademark are closely interconnected. Individuality, simplicity and attractiveness, taken into account when developing a logo or trademark, are the key to its memorability for consumers. The individuality and recognizability of the trademark contribute to its protection against counterfeiting.
Moreover, individuality ensures it at the stage of registration of the mark, and recognition contributes to the maintenance of protection later, even if the logo has gained great popularity and is widely used in colloquial speech.
The first impression is impossible to make twice. That is why the image of the company should not cause doubt and discomfort in the consumer.
The logo is the foundation of the future trademark, its main element, therefore, the creation of a logo or the development of a trademark should be treated as carefully as the choice of an artist. The development of any corporate identity begins with the creation of a logo.
The production of logos implies directly, the design of the logo, i.e. working on the idea that the company logo expresses. It is important to understand the goal to achieve which the corporate identity should work effectively. After formulating the goal, the direct production of the logo begins.
Competent logo design takes into account color schemes, fonts, and a number of visual characteristics.
The logo is the central element of the company's corporate identity, all other components through which the brand communicates with the consumer - graphics in the sales area or typographic fonts in advertising - as a rule, are selected after the logo is created. The first thing that a customer sees when entering a store or choosing products on a shelf is their name. With the help of the logo, the shortest communication between consumers and the brand takes place, lasting some fractions of a second. Therefore, the main requirements for a logo are brevity, memorability and integrity.
In addition, more and more attention is paid to the emotional content of brands and, in particular, the logo. In conditions of progressive stress, logos are simply obliged to convey positive emotions to the consumer. Typically, the most readable means are brand symbols or signs.
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 nowadays anyone who does not have special skills can create a high-quality logo. Our next article will tell you how to make a logo for a website.
What is a logo and why is it needed for a website?
A logo is a compact graphic sign that represents a specific company, organization, brand, product, website, or individual. The main tasks of modern logos are considered to be 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 a website, for placement on printing materials, products and their packaging, signboards, billboards, etc. Ideally, these signs should be present next to every mention of your company in order to be associated with it in the minds of consumers by default.
Even when a logo has no typeface (only a picture), it still creates a strong association with the brand. Therefore, its quality should be extremely high, because a poorly designed logo will not only not be remembered, but will also leave a negative impression on your customers.
Key logo features
To get a high-quality mark, 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, to emphasize its features and advantages - it is actively used for advertising purposes;
- Protects products from counterfeiting, confirms the firm'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, therefore, special attention should be paid to its development.
Read more about the role of logo and corporate identity in our free book "How to create a corporate identity and not go broke"... You can download this. A very useful book for a budding entrepreneur.
Today, there are three main types of logos, they differ from each other in their structure and set of constituent details. Let's take a closer look at them.
The main types of logos
The main criterion dividing modern logos is their appearance - they can include only an icon or just an inscription, or a combination of these elements.
So, among them are presented:
Symbolic (iconic). Such logos include only the graphic symbol, no textual display of the brand. They are considered the most difficult and require a lot of experience and skills from the designer in order to fully reveal the essence of the company in a small icon, without resorting to the help of 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 designation of a brand, only certain parts or abbreviations are often used (for example, IBM). The main factor of such objects is considered to be the font and the color combination of letters, therefore, 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 is 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 designations. We can say that this type of sign combines the advantages of both previous ones - it receives both an original attractive icon and a distinct brand name made in a stylized font. Choosing a combined logo, you can make it as effective as possible, but you also have to think about how to harmoniously combine its parts with each other and at the same time not make the object too bulky or "cutting the eyes". This type of logo is the most suitable for the site.
Thus, we learned what a modern logo is, what types and functions it has. Now it's time to reveal the top secrets of a good logo.
What should be a logo for a website?
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, and advice on their specific nuances (for example, the features of colors and fonts). In this section of our article, we will provide the most important information on each of these areas.
General characteristics of a good logo
Originality. To be remembered by the target audience, the brand name of your company must be original and unlike any other well-known logo. This is a difficult but also the most important principle that should be tackled closely. If you manage to achieve it, then people will notice your brand in any place, even in the densest ad flow;
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, in no case should you create a very fancy zero readability font for them. 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;
Responsiveness. It is important that any object of this type should scale well and be perfectly responsive. When developing a logo for a website, it should be borne in mind that it should be displayed with the same quality when viewed from any device, both on the website and in the mobile application;
Durability. A high-quality logo will not lose its relevance even several decades after its creation. Coming up with graphics, you should not "tie" it to modern fashion or other fleeting trends. As a last resort, it should have the potential to change 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.
Colors and geometric shapes of the logo
An easier way to design a graphic sign for your brand will be to use modern online generator services. They have a wide range of powerful tools and, at the same time, will be absolutely understandable for a person without specialized knowledge.
One of these popular services is, it provides users with ample opportunities for developing 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 be present 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 selected topic - with various icons and fonts. You can choose any you like or narrow the search range by choosing the company's activities 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 a 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, but you need to do this not in the root folder, but in the images folder. An approximate path to it will be as follows: public_html - wp-content - themes - theme folder - 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 small code:
Next, it is recommended to set the location of the logo, you can do this in the same header.php file. To do this, place a line with styles (for example, style = "width: 70px; height: 70px; margin: 10px; float: left;") right after the title = "logo" tag before.
How to add a logo for your WordPress site
There is an easier way to add a logo to your WordPress site. Here's how to do it step by step using the settings of your chosen theme:
1. Go to the site management console.
2. Select the category “Appearance - Customize”.
3. Find the item "Add logo", 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 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 benefit 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 equally important.
Taking advantage of 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 the specialization of your company. We hope that the information presented in the article helped to find answers to all your questions.