So, you want to
design a logo?
Type Logos
 Type logos are nothing but text. Some of the
most powerful, most recognized, logos in the
world are type logos. Coca-Cola and Microsoft
both use type logos.
 A special, preferably unique, font face should
be used. Why? So that no one else can trade
on the image that you create with your logo.
The Coca-Cola logo is a great example. The
"Dynamic Ribbon" font is trademarked. No one
else can legally use that font. This protects the
image and identity of Coke.
Type Logos
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Coca-Cola
This is arguably the most famous
logo in the world. The Coca-Cola
Company has been using this
logo since 1886. By using a
copyrighted font, no other
company can use this script font.
When using a type logo you want
to modify an existing font, or
design a new font so your logo
will be unique.
Incidentally, the Dynamic Ribbon
script was originally penned by
Frank Robinson, the bookkeeper
for the pharmacist who invented
Coke. Robinson also suggested
the name Coca-Cola.
Type Logos
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Microsoft is a much younger
company than Coca-Cola, but it
also has a very powerful logo.
A stylized sans serif font is used.
The name leans slightly to the
right, implying movement and
action. The letters are very close
and sometimes touch, merging
two forms into one. The letters "f"
and "t" for example. Also, the
letter "o", where it would touch
the "s", has a small triangle
cutout. This cutout also serves to
divide the two syllables of the
word.
Illustrative Logo
 Illustrative logos do what their name
implies: they clearly illustrate your
company. The logo is a combination of
text and an image that directly represents
what your company does
 D'Angelo Sandwich Shop, Chili's
restaurant and Burger King are good
examples of this.
Illustrative Logo
 D'Angelo Sandwich Shop
 This chain of sub shops
replaces the letter "l" in its
logo with a sub. Reinforcing
the idea of what type of food
you can expect to purchase.
The font used is very
decorative and relaxed. When
used in conjunction with the
folksy drawing of the sub they
are reinforcing the casual,
take-out atmosphere of the
chain.
Illustrative Logo
 Chili's
 Not only does the name
of the company make
you think "hot and
spicy", but the use of a
chili pepper as the
apostrophe reinforces
the company name, its
origins as a Mexican
food restaurant and the
fun, hip, youthful image
they are trying to convey.
Illustrative Logo
 Burger King
 At first glance this might
appear to be a graphic based
logo. But notice that the name
of the company is inside a
hamburger bun. They are
reinforcing the core business
of the restaurant. Subtly the
logo says, "We are in the
hamburger business. Not
salads. Not toys.
Hamburgers."
Graphic Logos
 Graphic logos include a graphic, often an
abstraction, of what your company does.
Barber poles and the medical caduceus
symbol are abstractions that might be in a
graphic logo.
 There can be a fuzzy line between illustrative
and graphic logos. The Burger King logo can
appear to be an abstract circular graphic,
unless the viewer recognizes that the yellow
semi circles are in fact a hamburger bun.
 BMW and CBS have graphic logos.
Graphic Logo
 BMW
 BMW has been using this
logo since 1920. The
company began as a builder
of high performance aircraft
engines. The circular design
represents a white airplane
propeller against a blue sky.
Unless you know the history
of the company the symbol
has no particular meaning.
Graphic Logo
 CBS
 The CBS "eye" has been
in use since 1951. The
man who created it,
William Golden, said that
he was inspired by the
hex symbols he saw on
barns in rural
Pennsylvania. He
originally conceived of it
as a blinking eye.
Common Symbols
 It may seem like a logical choice to include generic images in your
logo, but they are usually not a good idea. Why? — You want to
use your logo to set yourself apart from the crowd.
 That doesn't mean that a barber pole, or a medical caduceus,
should never be used in a logo. Just that you need to think about
the costs as well as the benefits of using such a generic image.
 Chili's restaurant uses a generic image in their logo: a chili pepper.
But it serves two purposes. The image is a homonym for the
company name and it informs the viewer that the restaurant
specializes in Mexican food. The designer's of the logo used the
symbol as the apostrophe in the company name to further
integrate it into the logo.
Clipart
 Clipart are ready made images that you can
use. There are lots of places on the web to get
clipart for free. But because the images are
easily available, someone else might be using
the same image.
 Using clipart can be helpful to you in
brainstorming ideas for your logo, especially if
you are "graphically challenged" — you can't
draw. But have someone create a unique
image for you. Or modify the image yourself,
so that its now unique.
Color Symbolism
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White
White is a neutral color. In fact, most people don't even think of white as a
color.
Physical
White is a brilliant color that can cause headaches for some people. It
goes well with any color, and contrasts well with dark colors.
Emotional
White usually has a positive connotation. In heraldry, white depicts faith
and purity. In the high-tech world it suggest simplicity. It is associated with
hospitals, doctors, cleanliness and sterility. Because of the connection
with snow or ice it also implies coolness.
Light, cleanliness, purity, simplicity, sterility, goodness, innocence,
spirituality, virginity
Cultural
In most Western countries white is the color for brides. In the East, it's the
color for funerals.
Black
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Black is frequently viewed as the lack of color. Like white it is a neutral color. It
goes well with almost any color.
Physical
Black is the ultimate dark color. Photographs often look brighter against a black
background. Very light or bright colors seem even brighter against black.
Black gives the feeling of perspective and dept, a black suit or dress can make you
look thinner. But studies have shown a decrease in readability when you use a a
large amount of text against a black background.
Emotional
Black frequently has a negative connotation. But it also implies strength and
authority. There is a further implication of prestige, elegance and formality. In
heraldry, black is the symbol of grief. Black is associated with fear (black death)
and the unknown (black holes). But it can also be seen as sexy and sophisticated
(the little black dress).
Power, authority, formality, elegance, somberness, practicality, mourning, death,
evil, mystery
Cultural
In most Western countries black is the color of mourning. Among young people,
black is often seen as a color of rebellion.
Gray
 Gray is a neutral color. It is a tint balanced between white and
black.
 Physical
 Gray and silver work well with cool colors. While actually a neutral,
most people consider it a cool color.
 Emotional
 Gray is conservative. People usually don't have a strong
emotional response to it. Although it sometimes is viewed as
cloudy, moody, or sad.
 It represents practicality, sadness, security and reliability. Charcoal
gray carries with it some of the strength and mystery of black
without the negative attributes of black. Silver is cool like gray but
livelier, and connotes riches.
 Cultural
 Silver coupled with turquoise evokes the Southwest (U.S.).
Brown and Beige
 Brown, and its tint beige, are neutrals.
 Physical
 Studies have shown that brown promote the synthesis of serotonin
(a neurotransmitter), which in turn reduces tension and irritability.
 Emotional
 Brown a down-to-earth color, literally. Its the color of dirt, wood
and stone. This link with nature carries a sense of simplicity and
stability. Some people view brown as comfortable.
 Brown or beige can also be though of as conforming or boring.
 Natural, earthy, woodsy. Wholesome. Subtle richness or luxury
(leather or dark chocolate).
Red
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Physical
Studies have shown that red increases human metabolism by increasing
respiration and raising blood pressure. Breathing becomes more rapid, appetite
increases, and the senses of smell and taste are heightened. This can make it an
irritating or disruptive color if used too much.
Emotional
Red is the color of fire and is emotionally tied to everything intense or passionate.
Love, anger, excitement, fire, speed, blood, aggression, and war can all be invoked
with red. In heraldry, red is used to indicate courage. The fact that red is used in
stop lights, fire trucks and warning signs ties the color to a sense of danger. Men
like to yellow based reds while women are attracted to blue based reds.
Love, romance, danger, power, aggression, war, hate. Passion, courage, vitality,
life. Sexuality, sensuality, desire. Rage, anger.
Cultural
In the East, red is the color of happiness, good luck and fortune. It is often worn by
brides.
In the West, and when used in combination with green, it is a Christmas color.
It is used in many national flags.
Pink
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A warm pastel color.
Physical
Emotional
Pink carries softer versions of the emotions that red
infer. Pink is the sweet side of red. It is romantic, where
red is passionate.
 Femininity, softness, girlishness.
 Cultural
 It may be politically incorrect, but in the West pink is
still perceived as a girlish, feminine color.
Orange
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A warm color.
Physical
Studies have shown that viewing orange increases oxygen supply to the brain.
This stimulates mental activity; creating a feeling of invigoration. Orange also
increases appetite while simultaneously reducing blood flow and increasing
relaxation.
Like red, orange has very high visibility.
Emotional
As a very warm color it evokes an image of heat. Orange is associated with fall and
harvest. It is connected with healthy food (orange juice, vitamin C) and stimulates
appetite. In heraldry, orange is symbolic of strength and endurance. As a
combination of red and yellow, it joins together the emotional features of both
colors: the energy of red and the happiness of yellow.
Warm, energetic, enthused, happy, creative, active, stimulating, cozy, fun, cheery.
Cultural
In the West orange appeals to children, so its very effective when promoting snack
foods and toys. When used in combination with black it invokes Halloween.
In recent years, orange has been used in the US to color anti-bacterial products.
Yellow
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A warm color.
Physical
Yellow is known to stimulate mental and muscular activity. This may be why babies
cry more in yellow rooms. The transfer of visual cues from the eye to the brain is
quickened by the presence of yellow. It also causes allergic reactions to happen
more frequently, and creates a temporary fight or flight response in individuals.
Emotional
Like red, yellow has conflicting emotional symbolism. Yellow is the color of
sunshine and is therefore linked to happiness, optimism and idealism. In heraldry, it
originally indicated honor and loyalty. But it is also the color of cowardice and
deceit. It has been shown that men associate yellow with childishness.
Joy, happiness, cheerfulness, warmth. Spontaneity, caution, danger.
Cultural
In all cultures gold is the color of wealth and money. And it invokes a temporary
fight or flight response in people.
In the US a yellow ribbon has come to be associated with missing or absent loved
ones (yellow ribbon around a tree).
Green
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A cool color.
Physical
Unless specifically trying to evoke Christmas do not use green in conjunction with red. The two
vibrate against each other and are extremely difficult to view. Further, 7 percent of men (and
less than 1 percent of women) suffer from red/green color blindness and cannot tell the
difference between the colors.
Green is the easiest color for the human eye to see has been shown to improve vision.
Emotional
The color of nature, and as such implies fertility, growth, balance, harmony, and stability. But
like red and yellow it has other emotional implications that conflict. For many people, it implies
envy, jealousy, evil, reptiles, insects, and bodily functions. In heraldry, green indicates growth
and hope.
The environment, wealth, natural, tranquil, health, freshness, loyalty, fertility, ecology, healing.
Ambition, greed, jealousy, sickness. Newness, naiveté.
Cultural
In the U.S. green is money and good luck. Green is associated with Spring and (when
combined with red) Christmas.
It is the universal color for "go" in traffic lights.
Blue
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A cool color.
Physical
Blue slows human metabolism and produces a calming effect. This deepens breathing, lowers
the body temperature, decreases sweating, and helps induce sleep. It is also known to
suppress appetite, as there are very few (if any) blue foods in nature. Blue and orange vibrate
against each other and are known to create a jarring effect in viewers.
More people, and vastly more men than women, claim blue as their favorite color. There are
more shades of blue available in the web safe color palette than any other color.
Emotional
This sky/sea color is associated with depth and stability. In heraldry, it symbolizes piety and
sincerity. These ties to stability and earnestness make blue a "conservative" color.
Deep blues are seen as academic, deep, serious, rich, and regal. Lighter blues are calming,
cool, clean, and tranquil.
Cultural
In the US, blue is the preferred color of large corporations because of its connotations of
knowledge and stability.
In many cultures blue has connections to religion.
Purple or Violet
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A cool color.
Physical
An extremely rare color in nature.
Emotional
Purple is a combination of red (energy) and blue (stability). It is
associated with royalty and implies the wealth, power, and luxury of the
royalty.
It is often chosen to convey creativity and uniqueness. It is associated
with creativity and artistry.
According to surveys, almost 75 percent of pre-adolescent children prefer
purple to all other colors.
Mystery, magic, creativity, uniqueness, royalty, power, spirituality, dignity,
sophistication, luxury, wealth.
Cultural
In the West, purple is associated with royalty. There is also a tie to
religious ceremony.
Lavender
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A warm pastel color.
Physical
Emotional
Like pink, lavender is seen as romantic. But it also
draws on the creative connotation of purple.
 When combined with other pastels, lavender imparts a
feeling of femininity, daintiness, and a kind of "great–
aunt's tea party" nostalgia.
 When used with cool tones or gray there is an
implication of creativity and artistry.
 Feminine, romance, daintiness. Creativity, uniqueness.
Element
Element
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