Corporate Company Logos and Names to Learn From
Posted on October 16, 2017 by Logo Design Tips and Tricks
Your brand encompasses what you do, what you believe, and what you make.
To customers, everything about your company fits inside two things: Your name and your logo.
Designing company logos and names is like an athlete training to go pro or an actor wanting to become a movie star: It helps to learn from the best.
Read on to learn about three key factors to consider when designing a logo and the iconic brand identities that embody them.
Scalability
Nobody wants a boring brand, but a logo full of detail isn’t a great idea either.
What you design will be used in many ways. It could get blown up for billboards, or shrunk down for tiny phone screens.
Because of this, stay away from over-complicated designs. They won’t scale well and will be hard to reproduce with high fidelity.
National Football League
The NFL’s logo has stayed relatively consistent. Always featured are the blue shield and the league’s abbreviation, rather than the full name.
The most recent NFL logo debuted in 2008, with the biggest change being the reduction of stars from 25 on the previous logo to only eight.
The NFL logo gets printed on shirts, stamped on footballs, and sewn into patches for uniforms. All the stars on the shield made accurately reproducing the logo difficult.
Besides simplification, the new logo adds meaning. The 25 stars had no significance. But the new eight stars represent each of the divisions in the league, separated into two groups of four from each of the two conferences.
For the NFL, simpler proved to be better.
Color Simplicity
Color influences the psychological effects of a logo. Color also has more tangible impacts, like printing costs and how the logo looks in greyscale.
You need to pick the right colors to represent your brand’s personality without muddying up the presentation.
eBay
The previous eBay logo was very “loud,” featuring unique letters of different colors that crossed into each other, blending the colors.
Each cross-section added a new color. More colors mean there’s more for the mind to process, plus more ink needed for printing projects. It also made the logo jumbled when used in black and white.
The renovated logo takes out the cross-sections, removing three colors. The more uniform look also seeks to represent shoppers’ “consistent experience” when buying on the once-sketchy auction site.
eBay still has four flashy colors to represent the uniqueness of its company, but now in a more streamlined and accessible way.
Online Utility
The context in which we see company logos and names factors into how we perceive the brand.
Of course, the most common place we interact with brand symbols is online.
On websites, logos become part of the user interface and affect how we navigate the page. Many companies use website planners like the Slickplan diagram maker to test how logos influence user interactions on a site.
In short, it’s not just about what you’ve got – it’s how you use it.
YouTube
YouTube’s famous wordmark does more than tell you where you’re at. It’s part of how you use the site.
Like on many websites, clicking the YouTube logo will take you to the home page. But YouTube’s logo has a special quality: It’s a play button!
When you press a play button, you expect to watch a video. When you press the YouTube play button, you can expect to see a wide selection of videos to choose from.
YouTube uses its website and logo jointly to ensure visitors that they’ll have an entertaining experience.
Design Company Logos and Names
Now that you’ve learned from the best, it’s time to start designing.
Online Logo Maker gives you the tools and the design know-how to build your brand – for free!
Real Estate Company Logos That Will Knock the Socks Off Your Competition
Posted on October 11, 2017 by Logo Design Tips and Tricks
The field of real estate is booming. If you want to stand out from the crowd, you better have one of the most outstanding real estate company logos.
But what if your passion is real estate and not graphic design? Do you hire an expensive professional to do it for you?
Don’t spend your time agonizing over your logo instead of getting your customers into the home of their dreams.
We’ve got some tips that are going to help you design an amazing real estate logo all by yourself!
Tips For Designing Real Estate Company Logos
Location, Location, Location!
You live by this mantra in real estate; why not apply it to your logo? Some of the best real estate company logos feature their local flavor.
Does your home base have a unique building? Does it have a town mascot?
Taking a moment to consider what makes your area unique and using that in your design helps you stand out among the rest.
Colors In Real Estate Company Logos
Branding has become a huge buzzword recently and for good reason. Branding helps you identify the feel of a company.
Colors play a huge role in how a customer perceives you. How does that apply to real estate?
Think about it this way: if you sell luxury properties, consider using the color black in your logo. If your specialty is flipping houses quickly, use red to convey a sense of urgency.
Look at a company like Mrs. Property Solutions – you can’t miss that pink! You’ll catch your customer’s eye with the right color.
Fun With Fonts
Just like colors, fonts can help you convey a certain feeling.
If you’re a legacy company, consider using a font that looks like Old Script. If you’re selling apartments in the trendy part of town, look for sleek lettering.
Letting is just as important as the images and name that you choose, so keep it in mind when crafting real estate company logos.
On Trend
Have you ever seen an old product and were able to pinpoint what year it was from immediately? If you stick with old ideas, your own logo will look dated.
Look around you for inspiration in what’s trendy. Think about the products you use – or those younger than you use – and consider what works for them.
Things like negative space, updated retro designs, and minimalism are prevalent in many logos we see today. Play around with your logo using these concepts.
Play the Name Game
Does your company’s name have something in it you can use? For example, if your company is “Bullseye Property”, wouldn’t it make sense to have a target in the design?
Your greatest idea might be staring you right in the face!
Sometimes the best logos are the simplest. Your company’s name might be your greatest source of inspiration!
Get Creative!
It’s not that daunting to try your hand at making a logo with these tips. It can be downright fun!
Use some or all of these design ideas in your logo and see what you come up with. Don’t forget to share them with us in the comments!
5 Design Tips for a Solar Energy Logo
Posted on October 11, 2017 by Logo Design Tips and Tricks
Want to harness the power of the sun in your solar energy logo? Of course, you do.
Solar energy use is increasing at a record pace in the U.S. as more people and businesses realize the value, efficiency, and sustainability solar power provides.
The steady growth in this industry means there’s plenty of room for new companies.
But how will you make your company stand out from all the rest?
Although the sun belongs to all of us, there are ways to convey your unique business story through your logo.
Keep reading for help designing your one-of-a-kind logo!
Five Design Tips for a Solar Energy Logo
1. Don’t Make People Guess
Your logo should immediately tell potential customers who you are and what you do.
If you use a picture of a cat sitting in front of the sun, people won’t know you’re a solar energy company. Sure, you love cats, and the cat in your logo is cute, but it’s confusing and unclear.
You want your logo to say solar energy. In fact, you want it to say state-of-the-art, dependable, reliable, and affordable solar energy!
Solar energy is the future. Don’t use old-fashioned fonts or images. Your logo should represent solar energy in a modern way. Consider clean, simple lines and images that complement your company name.
Use images that symbolize your product, but try not to be cliche. In other words, a bright yellow sun with your name across it won’t create the best impression.
Take your time and experiment with different ideas until you find the right balance of stability and modern energy.
2. Tell Your Unique Story
Every logo tells a story. What makes your company different from other solar energy companies?
Draw inspiration from your personal story:
- Why did you decide on a solar energy business?
- Is environmental stewardship important to you?
- Are you an energy efficiency expert?
- Do you want to help people save money?
- Did a certain life event motivate you?
- What’s your training and expertise?
Ask yourself these questions and more to determine your backstory. The answers can influence your design choices.
3. Credibility
Solar power is a major monetary investment. Your solar energy logo should convey stability and reliability to your potential consumers.
You can do this by choosing the right fonts and colors. A frilly, script in bright purple won’t make customers trust you. The font you choose can be modern or traditional, but it should look strong and dependable.
Color studies show that certain colors evoke different emotions. For example, blue reflects stability, red conveys passion, yellow and orange are considered energetic, and green is the color of nature.
Use color as another way to illustrate your credibility as a solar energy company.
4. Versatility
Your solar energy logo should also be versatile. Consider all the places you’ll put your logo.
Will it be on a truck, social media profile, website, business cards, staff shirts, pens, caps, solar panels or packaging?
Design a logo that’s readable and recognizable in a variety of sizes and situations.
5. Personality
Study what other solar energy professionals use for their logos. See which ones you think are appealing, then study the font, style, colors, size, and composition.
What works? What doesn’t work? Don’t copycat another logo. You want your solar energy logo to be different and distinguishable from other companies.
The best way to be unique is to incorporate particular aspects of your company personality. Make it your own!
A tagline helps your logo work harder and adds personality. Add a short tagline to your image. Make it descriptive and concise.
Need Help Designing Your Logo?
Why not test these tips on your own logo ideas? You can make a unique logo fast, easy, and free with Online Logo Maker.
3 Logo Design Ideas for Your Flight Comparison Business
Posted on October 11, 2017 by Logo Design Tips and Tricks
Comparing flights is a tricky business. Not only do you want to provide the best product for your customers, you have to be able to market yourself properly.
Here are some logo design ideas you should consider for your flight comparison business:
How To Get The Best Logo Design
Scope Out the Competition
Unsure about where to start? Look at what your competitors are doing. Scoping out the marketing tactics of other successful businesses can help you find your footing.
Are there any competitors in your market that particularly resonate with their customers? Their logo probably goes a long way to establish a meaningful connection.
If you’re just getting your flight comparison business off the ground, you don’t want to seem too much like an outsider. Customers might feel intimidated, depending on your marketing strategy.
When conducting competitive analysis, figure out what works with other company’s logos and apply your own creative sensibilities for a unique result.
Focus on Appeal
When designing a logo, you have to know your customers. Try to put yourself in their shoes and figure out what will appeal to them.
Are you trying to reach young professionals with your business? Make sure your logo is modern and attractive. If you’re trying to appeal to the older generation, like retirees, you might want to aim to be more subtle.
Font and color play a huge part in whether or not your logo is appealing. It’s important to have these elements tested and retested by a focus group to decide whether or not they are right for your company.
You should also consider demographics. Is your audience primarily Spanish-speaking? Do you specialize in booking flights to Spanish-speaking countries? If so, instead of “cheap flights” as your tagline, you should use “vuelos baratos.”
Get into the mind of a consumer and find out what will make them want to use your service.
Simplicity Matters
As stated before, font and color are everything when it comes to logo design. But you want to be careful not to overdo it. Logos that are too complex can turn a customer away.
Your business has to make sense to the customer or they will not want to use your product. It starts with effective communication.
Your logo is the ultimate communication tool. What do you want your customers to know about your company? What information is valuable to them during the decision-making process?
Make sure this information comes across, and that’s it. Anything more runs the risk of confusing your customer.
Save Your Logo Design Ideas
Designing a logo takes time. But during the process, it’s imperative that you save every logo your design team creates. All your logo design ideas are valuable because you never know which logo will resonate the most with your customers.
It is also always a good idea to have a bank of options for your focus groups or test audiences.
Need help getting started? Contact us for more information on how you can create the perfect logo for your flight comparison business.