The LOGO
An abbreviation of “logotype”, it literally means “word imprint” and is used as an emblem or symbol to represent an identity. It is an often part of a brand, whether it be a company, a product or even a person, and is a key element of a business trademark.
The logo is one of the most important design elements for the identity of every business. It is the first visual element that introduces a business to a customer and it helps to quickly identify the business, acting as a reference symbol that creates familiarity with a business.
A logo should symbolically represent what your company provides as a service or product, whilst maintaining a unique quality that makes it stand out from competing companies in your industry area.
The design process for a logo should include thorough research into the area of business that the organisation is in. Taken into account should be the logo designs of the competition to distinguish it from the others. Thought should go into how the logo best expresses the style and personality of the business, and the official company colours used, which in turn are chosen to make your business unique. The chosen typeface will be used in conjunction with the logo that can be easily read and in a style that goes with the industry or organisation it represents.
This is especially important when designing the company theme used for all stationery, such as business cards, letterheads, with compliment slips, and all other marketing material as you need to maintain consistency wherever your organisation’s logo is seen.
In our case, when we designed our logo around the name and missive of our business Wisefocus Designs, we chose to use the graphic representation of an eye to stand for knowledge of our business and the wisdom of our mission. Focused at the eye’s centre is a stylised blossoming plant representing our growth and the advancement of our company for the benefit of all.
A deep philosophy behind this to be sure, but we wanted to express as much as possible about our business and its values as possible. This was to convey our company view that design is “has a value experienced and appreciated by the eye of the beholder”.
A spectrum of colour was used to demonstrate our range of skills and services, with each individual colour also providing a deeper meaning. The green colour of the plant icon represents unique new growth and the marine range of colours range in the surrounding area represents the deep and diverse range of our skills and work. The purple and blue balance of the figurative “W” for “Wisefocus” demonstrates the intersection of the masculine and feminine aspects of design expressed in our design approach.
The time to process our logo design was about 2 weeks, with research and many drafts made until we felt that it was ready. We then tested the design on an neutral audience from outside our project, asking for their feedback to ensure it was appealing to “new” eyes and something they could readily identify with.
Though it is relatively easy to create a logo, and there are plenty of logo makers online, there is a bit more to it than just creating a graphic to use. You have to ensure that the colours can be converted and easily reproduced in print. The logo should be legible from very large down to the smallest size, and be easily distinguished from competitors. The logo should sum up what it is representing as a visual statement, and be identifiable whether reproduced in colour, black and white, or grey scale. It must not infringe on any registered trademark, so research is very important to prevent the expense of a trademark infringement claim.
It is probably wise to have a professional designer make your logo, as their experience can save you a lot of time in developing your logo and company theme, ensuring that your company has a unique identity whatever the media it is displayed on.