A really short introduction to the basic's of designing good and effective logo. Based on 5 golden keywords: Simple, Memorable, Timeless, Versatile and Appropriate. 26 pages with minimal text and a lot of examples of big and famous brands.

1. how to
design
successful
logos
a Very Short Introduction (10-minutes max.) IDFCTRY.COM

2. I am
Occupation : CREATIVE AT IDFCTRY.COM
Education : The Dutch Academy of Art and Design
Rietveld Academie Amsterdam.
Philosophy : Everything is a chance.
Thinks : Reality is chaos.
Naïeve belief : Everybody is creative.
Motivation : Let’s make better mistakes tomorrow.

3. Logo design
A logo is a graphic mark or emblem commonly
used by commercial enterprises, organizations
and even individuals to aid and promote instant
public recognition.
Logos are either purely graphic (symbols/icons)
or are composed of the name of the organization
(a logotype or wordmark).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Logo

4. OC
“The VOC Monogram, literally “United East Indian Company”
The first multinational corporation ever. It’s logo is still found all over the world these days.

5. Five golden keywords
FOR A SUCCESFUL LOGO
Simple
Memorable
Timeless
Versatile
Appropriate

6. Simple
THink K.I.S.S.*
A simple logo design allows for easy recognition
which makes it versatile memorable.
Powerful logos feature something unique without
being overdrawn.
A powerful logo makes a quick statement.
*Principle of design; which translates to: Keep It Simple and Stupid.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KISS_principle

7. The hidden arrow is a form of subliminal advertising of the brand,
symbolizing forward movement and thinking. Brilliant.
It has been ranked by Rolling Stone Magazine as one of the 8 best logos of the past thirty-five years.

8. The overlapping double ‘C’ comes from the name Coco Chanel.
Coco” is the nickname used by founder, Gabrielle Chanel.
The Chanel logo design was designed in 1925 by Coco Chanel herself and remained unchanged ever since.

9. Memorable
FAME! remember my name!
A powerful logo design should be memorable.
This is achieved by having a simple and
appropriate logo.
Uniqueness. Be your own brand. In the end, instant
recognition is the holy grail.
The next time a customer needs your kind of
business, he’ll choose you just because of brand
recognition. Don’t try to emulate another company.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2COKt6DqSaQ

10. Dare to differ. In its own simplify way this logo is say:
“We are creative, we challenge the status quo.
”
This relative unknown logo from aTV producer is absolute phenomenal.

11. The entire logo creates a feeling of movement, energy and excitement.
A perfect fit for the James Bond series.
The 007 Gun Symbol Logo is designed in 1962 Joseph Caroff.

12. Timeless (1)
Avoid trends. Trends come and go.
A good logo should be timeless.
Will the logo still be effective in 10, 20, 50 years?
And avoid trends. Avoid trends. Avoid trends!
When it comes to brand identity longevity
is key. Don’t follow the pack. Stand out*.
*Did I mention to avoid trends?

13. Timeless (2)
redesign: Evolution v.s. Revolution
When to comes to the task of redesign, commit
yourself to the heritage of the existing logo.
Evolution is preverent on the choice of revolution.
The germany say:
“in der Beschränkung zeigt sich der Meister”*
Take up that challenge.
* “in the limitation itself shows the master”
(in fact essential to all graphic design).

14. The five Olympic rings represent the five continents involved in the Olympics and
were designed in 1913, adopted in 1914 and debuted at the Games at Antwerp, 1921.
Despite the fact that the IOC is very protective of its symbols, each Olympic Games has its own variantion.

15. “ ...........................
”
The New Man logo is one of the first commercially designed so-called ambigram logo.
A typographical design that can be read as one or more words not only in its form as
presented, but also from another viewpoint, direction, or orientation.
Check this nice gallery: http://www.01101001.com/ambigrams

16. 1998
2010 1980
In a long line of renditions of the same elements, it is sure to say that it will be changed
in another dozen or so years again.
Peugeot’s roots go back to 19th-century, at all times the lion emblem was embedded.

17. Versatile (1)
The Ability to adapt
A good logo should be able to work across
a variety of mediums and applications.
Vector format is master.
It ensures that the logo can be scaled to any size.
A good logo should be able to work both in
horizontal and vertical formats.

18. Versatile (2)
Ask yourself; is the logo still effective if it’s:
- Printed in one colour?
- Printed on the something the size of a pencil?
- Printed on something as large as a billboard?
- Printed in reverse(ie. light logo on dark background)
Tip: design logo’s in black and white. Colours come later.

19. Developed in 1913. Used a small circle-based design to depict the snow-covered tip
of the “Montblanc” mountain and the fine quality of the pens.
The star is also referred to as an edelweiss, the swiss national symbol.

20. The bullseye, the “TARGET” character, it one of the most their recognizable
rands logos ever designed.
Target Corporation, usually known simply asTarget.

21. Favicons: the mini graphics in the browser’s URL bar specifying a particular web-site.
It is a graphic art form on it own. Making something good, limited to 16 colours and
16x16 pixels is the true graphic designers challenge.

22. Appropriate
The look and feel of the logo should be
appropriate for its intended purpose.
For example, if you are designing a logo for children’s toys store, it would
be appropriate to use a childish font colour scheme. This would not be
so appropriate for a law firm.
A logo doesn’t need to show what a business sells
or offers as a service.
Car logos don’t need to show cars. The Harley Davidson logo isn’t a
motorcycle, nor is the Nokia logo a mobile phone.
A logo is purely for identification.

23. Belive me, a logo with two bulls colliding headon, is appropriate for a drink
that gives you an energy boost. And even the annoying Magenta colour is appealing
to your emotions in a way that comes headon in your eyes.
Red Bull is an energy drink, based on market share, it is the most popular energy drink in the world.

24. The reverse R, imitates a small child’s backward writing of “R”
, which is short for “are”
.
One big advantage of a good name “that say’s it all”: you don’t need any long and
incomprehensible mission statements anymore. Everybody knows what you do an how.
Toys “R” Us, is (was) the largest toy-centered retailer in the United States.

25. The battle of the best(?)
Just for fun. Source: Fortune. How ever questionable the contenders are, the winner isn’t.

26. Disclaimer
The information in this document is intended for informational and educational
purposes only, to provide readers better understanding about Graphic design
and corporate design.
all Designated trademarks and brands are the property of their respective owners.
please respect them.