Logo is the graphical representation of an organization’s image .In order to make an effective logo there are certain design characteristics, which has to be followed, in order to bring out a visually effective logo.
Following are some of the important characteristics of a good logo:
- SHAPE
- PRESENCE
- WEIGHT
- CONTRAST
Now let us discuss how the above characteristics become evident while preparing a proper Logo.
Defining Shape
A recognizable shape or size is always necessary in order to make the logo clear. Human brains can easily identify a well-defined shape. The logo should be distinct. It is here where the proper usage of the white space is necessary. Too much of congestion is not desirable. Some amount of white space should be left in order to relieve the vision of the onlooker. In a nut shell, the logo should be clean.
Try the squint test on the following logos...
Examples of good shape
No matter how you treat the Apple logo, its strong outline shape is unmistakable.
The above logo ('Nike' wording and symbol, or 'Nike' or symbol alone) is such recognizable shapes, that they can be displayed in almost any color combinations.
Example of poor shape
At small scale, this logo fails in several ways. One problem is that the shape is made of a combination of thick and thin elements. By the squint test, thinner essentials are the first to wane, so the remaining shape has to be bold and clear. This figure is not audacious enough, due to: a short of 'integrity in a concrete form; deficient white space among elements; drop shadow adding up visual 'dirt'.
Importance of Presence
Presence is judged by the boldness of the logo. The logo should be capable of covering the maximum space allotted for the
logo design. But it is useless if the space filled with the logo fails to convey the desired message.
Example of good presence
Observe how much of the rectangles they absorb are filled by these 2 logos. The City Hall records
logo is even larger than its limits.
Example of poor presence
The words make up very little of this logo, only around 13% of the area. The ellipse shape is very common, and unrecognizable on its own. Note how the font used is too bold to be clear to read. The only strength of this logo is its bold color.
Importance of Weight
Good weight means that a logo does not rely on fine features in order to be recognizable. If a logo is bold, it can be effective in more environments. The finest logos have a weight of existence and are decipherable when view alongside other strong images.
Apply of color is essential getting a clear, bold logo or icon. Too many colors, gradients, 3-d effects and complex patterns can be detrimental to your logo's weight.
Usage of colors becomes important here. More the number of colors used, less will be the weight. Gratuitous 3-D effects should be avoided. The logo must be done without them.
Example of good weight
In IBM's logo, the horizontal lines are a secondary feature to the main shape. The logo is still recognizable without them.
Strong weight, color and shape make Dell's logo recognizable.
Example of poor weight
The wording is way excessively dull, as is the added visual clue (the palette shape). The 3-d emboss consequence on the text also reduce contrast and readability. What has a farm got to do with a painter's palette?
Contrast
After selection of colors, fonts and texts, the logo designer has to see if the logo that he prepared is at all capable of creating the proper appeal. Good logos have lots of contrast on the edges of meaningful visual elements.
Squint test and desaturating test are some of the useful way of testing the contrast of the logo.
Examples of good contrast
The RockShox logo uses both white-on-white and inverse (light-on-dark) contrast together, to good effect. Great presence and strong colors make this impact and highly recognizable.
Examples of poor contrast
The logo shape behind the text is too light to see clearly. Also, the important "venture capital" text is too weak in light gray. On the squint test, you are rapidly left with only the tough single word "Mobius", which may not be consequential.
Word has too slight edging contrast, as it's less bright than the highlight from the 3d effect.
