Logos are everywhere.
They're a huge part of daily life,
from the toothpaste we use in the morning,
the insoles of our shoes,
cereal packaging,
phone apps -
most of the products we see and use are branded with some form
of symbol or wordmark.
Why is that?
Logos aren't just a label that shows who's responsible
for a product or service,
they're also used because
people often choose products based on their perceived value
rather than their actual value.
Think of the celebrity who drives an Aston Martin instead of say,
a Skoda.
Skoda has often been ranked Car of the Year in many European countries
and delivers much better mileage at one tenth of the price.
It's the logical choice.
But it's Aston Martin's identity that creates images of luxury and status
and that is what usually clinches the sale.
A logo can appear in various formats
depending on both the brand
and the environment in which the logo is displayed.
Wordmarks are type-based logos
that draw attention to a brand name on its own.
The type design often gets a custom twist
to capture the essence of what the brand does
and to separate it from competitors.
That could be the loose, flowing feel of Cadbury's or Coca Cola
or the more traditional vibe of The New York Times
and The Washington Post.
Visual tricks such as the use of negative space
can be applied to add little design magic.
An example is the hidden FedEx arrow that conveys direction and movement.
Monograms are shortened wordmarks
that are usually initials of longer names.
These are about turning a mouthful into something
that's generally easier to remember.
Another form a logo can take is that of a graphic symbol.
Still representing the core of a brand's service,
it's often used where space is at a premium -
like an avatar,
or that little area beside a website URL.
Sometimes when a brand is so established
and the symbol is instantly recognisable
anything else becomes almost unnecessary.
Symbols are particularly well suited for incorporating subtle messages
that act as talking points and heighten memorability.
The bear in the Toblerone logo is one example -
it adds meaning because the bear relates to an old coat of arms
that represents the town where the Toblerone chocolate
was originally created.
The main job of a logo is to identify.
It takes its meaning from the entity it represents
not the other way around.
This is why, when logos first enter the world,
they're essentially empty vessels.
With consistent use over time
the mark gets filled with every association people have
with a particular brand,
whether that's positive, negative or something in between.
That's exactly how religious symbols work.
There's nothing inherent in the shapes,
but it's about what those shapes have come to represent
in the minds of the people who are looking at them.
Another form of logo is that of a combination mark -
essentially a wordmark and symbol together.
This lets you communicate messages in a slightly different way.
Look at how the Amazon logo has it all from A to Z
and even adds a little smile into the mix.
So how can you tell a good logo from bad?
In my work as a designer
I judge the strength of an idea on the following criteria -
By appropriate I mean the design needs to be relevant
in shape and form to the client in question.
For example, a logo for a toy maker may need to be fun
and appealing to kids
or a logo for a car racing team may need to appear sleek and dynamic.
By simple I mean that the design can't say too much.
It should tell one story
so it's adaptable enough for use in all applications
from on a billboard or the side of the building
to a social media avatar or a website favicon.
By memorable I mean that the design also needs to be distinctive -
unusual enough to be remembered.
A good way of testing this is to describe the design to someone
and see if they can sketch a fairly accurate likeness.
Some of my favourite logos aren't particularly well-known
but they've stuck with me because they all share those same traits.
Telling a relevant story with simplicity and distinction.