Like a pig, I see logos these days that are muddy, unkept, and outright stink. But they don’t have to be.
When I say Golden Arches, Swoosh, or Apple, you don’t think about heaven, slip ‘n slides, or fresh fruit. Instead, you might think of burgers, shoes, and computers, even though these things have nothing to do with your diet, exercise, or technology. Why? Companies like McDonald’s, Nike, and Apple have created powerful brands using simple logo designs. Sure, they have the budget to dump into branding, but a great logo doesn’t have to be flashy, just memorable.
Well Trained Graphic Designers Are Like Butchers
Logos—like any slice of meat—typically look (and smell) bad in the raw but then amazing once we cut out the fat and cook ’em up! So, when I approach the design process, I evaluate the client’s current branding to find just the right slices of meat to use as my starting point and turn it into something our client is proud to stand behind.
Let me break it down.
Top 8 Things to Keep in Mind While Designing a Logo:
- Talk with the client to get to know their story
- Analyze current branding
- Think outside of the box and don’t get trendy
- Take a minimalistic approach
- Start the design in black and white
- Make sure the design is scalable
- Apply the logo to different mediums
- Define the meaning behind your concept
Let’s be honest, though. Some logos are just too messy to be salvaged and may call for a complete redesign, no matter how much equity is at stake. In that case, you have a choice: Put lipstick on a pig or remain true to your creative process and take that logo from farm to refreshed.
To quote the ever-so-loved Porky Pig, “That’s All, Folks!”
—
Vicken Massoyan, Senior Graphic Designer
