If you are serious about taking your business to the next level, you need to look at developing a branding strategy that makes use of your business’s logo. The logo is the branding stamp that will quickly communicate the values and benefits that your brand represents. Whether you use the logo on product designs, in your marketing materials or on promotional products, the right logo will allow your business to scale awareness to the wider audience in your market. Below are a few tips from logo design experts that you can use to develop a winning logo.
Caroline Davidson – Creator of the Nike ‘Swoosh’ logo in 1971.
Caroline Davidson is credited with creating one of the world’s most easily recognisable logos. She helped Nike founder Phil Knight with the rebrand of his ‘Blue Ribbon Sports’ business to the ‘Nike brand’ when he and his business partners were also looking for a new logo concept. Caroline was offered the opportunity to create the logo and after coming up with several designs, she fell in love with the Swoosh. She said that she never got tired of looking at it. Harvard Business School professor Stephen A. Greyser was quoted saying, “The Swoosh has become a living, vibrant symbol of the firm.” She aimed to develop a static design that appeared fluid. She would draw her designs on tissue papers and lay it over the shoe to make sure it would look good on the product.
Milton Glaser – Creator of the ‘I love New York’ logo in 1977.
Milton Glaser was able to use the influence of pop culture and art to develop the logo, which was also used as a slogan for New York’s State Department of Commerce. The idea evolved from a ‘one-line’ concept to ‘stacking’ to develop a higher impact on the audience. The logo became closely associated with New York City and was even modified by Glaser following the 2001 September 11 attacks, with a black dot in the heart representing the World Trade Centres.
Rob Janoff – Creator of the Apple logo in 1977.
The Apple logo was created by Rob Janoff who was the art director at advertising and PR firm Regis McKenna. One of the thoughts behind his design was how iconic it was for people to take a bite out of an apple, since it was something that anyone could experience. The design is said to have used the ‘Golden ration’, which has been used since the 16th century to create harmonious, aesthetically eye-pleasing designs.
Ruth Kedar – Graphic design artist for the Google logo – 1999-2015.
The original Google design was conceptualised by Larry Page, one of the original founders of Google. However, the formal design was completed by Ruth Kedar. The Google founders liked the playful elements and typeface that she used in the design. Another element was the use of colours in the typeface that reinforced how Google “Doesn’t follow the rules.”
Bill Cleary – Graphic designer for the first EBay logo
Bill Cleary was a part of the CKS Group, a Californian design agency. One of the key factors to the original design was how ‘baseline shift’, which displayed the characters in a zigzag manner. The colours were used to convey entertainment, enthusiasm and energy. There was also an abnormal use of capital letters to enhance the display. The logo was used for 17 years before undergoing a revamp in 2012.
The right logo design can enhance the recognition and brand recall for the business. Every business wants to have a logo design that is memorable, easily recognisable and that easily communicates the core values of the brand. Get inspired by these experts today!
