The Art of Logo: Resonating Memorable Brand Image Beyond Words
In our visual-driven world, have you ever wondered about our world without logos? Imagine our favorite brands without their logo, no letter M in the logo of McDonald’s, Nike without swoosh, Starbucks without mermaid and their signature green color, no bitten apple in Apple’s logo, etc.
Without any representative image, font, or colour as the brand’s logo, it will be horrible. We will be questioning, is this the same brand or just the fake one? Brand loyalty will not exist. By imagining this, it shows how important a logo is. It speaks louder than words, invoking emotions and lasting impressions in mind.
The Anatomy of Logo
The logo has existed since the ancient civilizations era. Ancient artists created logos as a way of communication and commerce. They used it to show identity, ownership, rules, and exchange messages.
The way of creating logos has been evolving in today’s digital era with the same function and more attractive looks. It is crafted from symbols, font, colour, and image to represent a brand’s value, vision, mission, and culture.
Let’s take an example of Apple. It has bitten apple as the logo. Do you know what is the meaning of the logo? Well, as we know about the story of Adam and Eve biting the forbidden fruits because it is exciting and getting high curiosity. Apple wants to show that its image is clean, and its technology is accessible.
The Psychology of Logo
The logo has a strong ability to evoke emotions. Disney is using Cinderella’s Castle as their logo to make the viewers feel wonder and magical as it brings up nostalgia from childhood memories.
Even Coca-Cola uses their font to be curvy and red background to represent happiness and celebration. Coca-Cola uses psychological methods to feel festive with the curvy shape font and the classic design to evoke feelings of joy and celebration. It is not so surprising that Coca-Cola has always been one of the big sponsors of the FIFA World Cup.
The combination of psychological strategy with emotional impact to play with colours and shapes might affect consumer behaviour. Logos are affecting the way consumers will see a product. It shapes perceptions, builds trust, and pursues purchase decisions
A Memorable Logo
Simplicity vs. Complexity
This issue has been a topic of debate. Should a logo be simple or complex? Well, the answer is a logo should strike the right balance. A logo must be versatile, recognizable, and convey a sense of identity and purpose without overwhelming the viewer.
Apple did a good job with the logo design. It shows a simple apple shape, but the bitten part makes people curious, why is it bitten? So, it carries a complex meaning behind it about the Eden tragedy of Adam and Eve. With smooth and rounded edges design, it conveys innovation, excitement, and approachability.
A tight competitor of Apple, the Samsung logo also strikes the righteous balance of simplicity with profound symbolism. At a glance, viewers will see the blue oval “Samsung” prominently displayed. Try to take a closer look, viewers might see the oval shape with a subtle yet powerful element. It represents the Earth.
What does it mean? The Earth symbolizes Samsung’s global presence and aspirations. It reflects that Samsung is committed to innovation and the advancement of its technology on a worldwide scale. In essence, the Samsung logo is one of the logos masterpieces by blending simplicity with the depth of branding identity and mission through clarity and elegancy.
Versatility, Uniqueness, and Timelessness
Like a chameleon, a logo should be versatile. It fits everywhere, from the scale of billboards to the scale as tiny as the app icon. Whether in colour or black and white version, it needs consistency that the brand logo remains consistent and recognizable. However, uniqueness and timelessness are also important. As we know Nike’s swoosh is one of the unique logos from time to time, and still be a strong brand in a scale of worldwide.
When you are about to craft the brand logo, make sure you do not just follow the trends. Make it timeless to prevent redesigning the logo to fit the era. While your logo is timeless, maintaining a lasting connection with the customers is a must-do. It helps your brand to be long-lasting.
The Process of Creating a Memorable Logo
As we examined the big brands of coffee shops, attire, and technology about the anatomy, psychology and how a logo can be memorable, but how to create a memorable logo like all of the brands mentioned above? Lets take an example with a different type of business, that you will be opening a one-stop pet service business, here are the things you should do.
Research and Discovery
To have some inspiration to create a successful logo, doing research is a must. You can get it from your favorite brands, how your brand will be valued, the unique selling point, your target audience, and most importantly competitors.
Sketching and concept Development
After you find out what kind of logo is perfect for your brand, you can start sketching your ideas. You can mix and match some shapes, colours, images, and fonts. The sketch might be done in hand drawing or with the help of an application, such as Photoshop, Illustrator, Canva, or any application you are comfortable with.
With the help of today’s technology, it should not be hard for you to use AI to create a logo for your one-stop pet service business. Make sure you write the right prompt to let the AI understand what kind of logo is in your mind. If you are not aware of AI tools, you can reach out to any logo designer or agency as another way to help you sketch out your imaginary logo concept.
Feedback and Iteration
Once you collect some sketches, you can find out which ones attract your heart. You can start asking people around you for their feedback, recommendations, and opinions about the sketches. After you have collected what people said about your sketches, it’s time to make it perfect and get the chosen sketch as the logo. Let it resonates memorable brand image beyond word.