How To Know When It’s Time To Redesign Your Logo

Logos are like any other form of advertising. They have a shelf life.
All major companies have changed their logo to some degree over the years, i.e., Proctor and Gamble, Westinghouse, General Motors, Ford, Coke, McDonalds and many others.

Early Logo Beginnings

The history of logo design and logos dates back to ancient Greece. The word "logo" means a name, symbol or trademark designed for easy recognition. The use of logos as trademarks has existed as long as there have been traders and merchants. They can be traced back to the thirteenth century. They include masons marks, goldsmiths marks, paper makers' watermarks and watermarks for the nobility, and printers' marks.

Why Do Logos Change?

Many factors drive advertising or logo trends. The most powerful force that shapes and drives design is “human culture.” You might say advertising, even logo design, reflect the signs of out times.

From the early 1800’s to 1940’s, most logos were elegant hand illustrations and lettering. A logo for an electric company during this period was not much more than the company name with a lightning bolt. Some companies have retained part of their original design in their present day logo. In 1920 the Victor Talking Machine Company had a logo of a dog named “Nipper” sitting in front of a phonograph and listening very intently. Today RCA still uses Nipper in its advertising campaigns.

Enter Avant Garde Design

In the early 60’s the creative works of Andy Warhol presented a unique look at the world. His works came to be known as Pop-Art. This movement permeated the ranks of commercial television, movies and main stream advertising. Logo shapes and design became more “iconic” in nature. McDonalds dropped the little burger guy popping out of the golden arches in favor of the stand-alone golden arches.

In the late 1990’s the Silicon Valley revolution lead to a flurry of techie-type designed logos incorporating some sort of Nike swoosh that is ever present in current logo designs.

Logo Formulation

A logo communicates your identity. The mark of a good logo is legibility and strong brand recognition. How do you create a powerful logo for your business?

Good question. Let’s get started.

Let’s say you are an attorney who specializes in immigration. A great creative place to start is with a paper clip. That’s right, a paper clip. The idea here is to free your mind of all the typical symbolism, like a gavel or court building, that one would associate with an attorney or a lawyer. Try to think outside your brain. Throw out all your pre-convinced creative notions.

Thinking about how a non-associative object might be applied to your logo design takes your concept in a unique direction. Give it a try. Think of any odd item like an iron or a clothes-pin, then list ten concepts of how this item or shape would apply to your new logo.

Research Your Logo

You should market research your logo. If you are designing a logo for a turbine motor company then get on the Web and collect every logo from every company that builds or sells turbine motors. Ask yourself, which of the logos do a good job of communicating. Compare color palettes and the fonts used. Learn from the successes and mistakes by analyzing what works and what doesn’t.

Sketch Your Ideas

Before you open Illustrator or Photoshop, grab some paper and doodle a few designs. This is how many professional designers develop their concepts. When developing the icon or Nike swoosh portion of your logo, don’t worry about typography at this point. Concentrate on the icon. Try looking at logo finished samples. Some great sources of inspiration for exceptional logo design include; misipile.com, iconfish.com, halcyonlogodesign.com logoworks.com and atlantis57.com.

Incorporating the Company Mission or Motto

Your client may have a company phrase or tagline. For example, a recent Church client of ours had the tagline, “Changing Hearts, by Keeping it Real.” By using this tagline as a focal point I was able to develop logo concepts outside the usual “Calvery cross or praying hands.” By incorporating an iconic heart, I was able to create a logo that branded the message of my client.

Listen to Your Client

After having labored and submitted multiple designs for a medical practice, they requested additional designs and re-dos. They asked for something with a dandelion being blown in the wind. I had thought my circled spores logo concept would have surely won their hearts and minds. But alas it was back to the drawing board.
You’re bound to hit the mark on the first try or the hundredth try. But, that’s ok. You grow a thicker skin and press on. In the end they settled on the circled spores design. Logos are a very personal thing, so be patient and provide your client with as many concepts as possible.

About the Author
Rick Vidallon is President of Visionefx, a Web design company based in Virginia Beach, Va. They provide services to national companies as well as small to medium businesses throughout the United States. Rick can be reached at (757) 619-6456 or rick@visionefx.net.

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