81 Responses to “What makes a good logo?”

1. Paul (@paulher) on Jul 29, 2009 said:

   This is a great article Jacob. I’m dealing with a particular client right now that does not understand what a logo is, what a logo stand for, etc … and it doesn’t matter how well and simple I explain to them … this article will help them out greatly … thanks man!
   pher

2. Luis Lopez (@EXXCORPIO) on Jul 29, 2009 said:

   Excellent article Jacob, these principles are really important for every designer, and the way you explain is really clear and easy to understand for everyone I think.

3. Harprabhjot Paul Chandhoke (@hdegreeglobal) on Jul 29, 2009 said:

   Nice post. I agree with all the said points. In fact, we follow a similar process. Minimalistic and simple designs last longer and stay evergreen. Its tough explaining to clients sometimes. But, we win most of the time. Cheers

4. Daniel Pipitone (@danielpipitone) on Jul 29, 2009 said:

   Great article. I think the Pepsi vs Coca Cola is especially valid and interesting. A similar comparison could probably be also done with IBM and many other tech companies relative to Rand’s genius for timeless ideas.

   Thanks for posting!

   Daniel

5. Dame (@DameGraphix) on Jul 29, 2009 said:

   Excellent article!! Very good key points and clear explanations. The Pepsi vs. Coca Cola comparison is such an eye opener on great and effective design.

6. Blue Print on Jul 29, 2009 said:

   Amazing how the Coca-Cola has never changed, I never noticed until I saw it on this post. I guess they call it “classic” for a reason.

7. Fabian (@brandsimplicity) on Jul 29, 2009 said:

   Great article!Great design has a hook, some thing that make a lasting impression on you and provokes a response.

8. Prescott Perez-Fox (@scottperezfox) on Jul 29, 2009 said:

   You know, I’d put appropriate as No. 1 on the list. If the logo is for a prestigious university, but has a logo that looks like Toys R Us, it won’t connect with the audience — it will betray the brand. This is part of the reason we’re so upset with the London 2012 logo.

9. Beaulys (@beaulys) on Jul 29, 2009 said:

   “A logo can be drawn in sand with fingers”

   That is my first rule to make logos.

10. Davina K. Brewer (@3HatsComm) on Jul 29, 2009 said:

    I think Simplicity has a direct impact on Versatility. Having a logo that is flexible, adaptable, that works in color, white, and looks as good on a coffee mug or embroidered on a shirt, as it does on a business card, is what helps make it Timeless and more valuable.

    Great list, thanks for sharing.

11. AnnMarie on Jul 29, 2009 said:

    This article clears some of my confusion- so thank you. My senior year of art school (at Ringling), they redesigned their logo. They had a classic logo (of a star inside a hatched circle), but was afraid it tied them too much to the circus, which is understandable. After a year working with a highly reputable design firm, they created an “ever changing” logo involving a “golden rectangle” frame in black surrounded by images. The collateral about the logo had three paragraphs explaining the logo and what it meant. I have always felt, that if you need more than a sentence or two to describe what that logo signifies for a brand- it doesn’t serve its purpose as a logo.

12. Nancy Creighton (@purpleswirl) on Jul 29, 2009 said:

    This is good! I can use this article to reinforce what I tell my clients — who sometimes seem to think that I’m just giving them my opinion, not the benefit of my education and experience, and not the accepted norms of the design community.

13. NBK (@nguyenbk) on Jul 29, 2009 said:

    Again, an excellent post that reiterates much of what I’ve read from your past articles as well as other logo design blogs out there.

14. daphne (@dainen) on Jul 29, 2009 said:

    Another greatly clarifying article, Jacob =)
    I’m finding the quote from Paul Rand most interesting though because i’m currently thinking of ideas for an identity of an area (uni assignment) and am finding it hard to come up with something simple yet different *and* explanatory about the area…
    Eek!

15. Jacob Cass (@justcreative) on Jul 29, 2009 said:

    Luis,
    I do try to explain things in a more simple way so as that more people can understand them. I think it gets the point across a lot better.

    Harorabhjot,
    Part of our job as designers is about educating the client and if you can do this, half your job is already done.

    Daniel,
    The IBM logo is another great example, along with much of Rand’s work. His book Design, Form & Chaos is a great insight into his mind and design as a whole - I think you would find it quite interesting.

    Dame, Blue Print,
    I thought it was a great example too. You should also check out this post on coke and pepsi advertising wars.

    Prescott,
    I wasn’t meaning for any of them to be in any particular order and have since added that disclaimer in the article though what you are saying is quite correct.

    Beaulys,
    At first I thought that you were saying logo design is as easy as drawing in the sand, but after re reading it, I realised that you are referring to the simplicity of logo design - a logo should be simple enough, it can be drawn in the sand. Interesting way of looking at it, though I don’t think it could be applied in all logo designs.

    Davina,
    I believe the five principles listed all work together to form a “good” logo but yes I agree what with you are saying.

    AnnMarie,
    I actually thought of a circus when you first described Ringling and then realised there is a Ringling’s circus… but hey art is about fun too. I had a quick google of this golden rectangle you describe and from what I first see I think it works great - very dynamic and great for an art/design school though not all agree. In regards to describing a logo, it does help to have a describable logo, and those that are, are usually the most memorable which in turn means they are simple.

    Nancy,
    As I said to Harorabhjot, part of our job as designers is about educating the client and if you can do this, half your job is already done.

    Daphne,
    That is why many consider logo design as the hardest part of graphic design - it’s not easy to combine a whole businesses philosophy, values and goals together into one unique, memorable, simple, versatile, timeless and appropriate icon.

16. Andrew Kelsall (@AndrewKelsall) on Jul 30, 2009 said:

    I don’t know why there’s so many Pepsi logo updates. In my opinion, by far, the 1973 version is classic, and should have been mildly modernised, not destroyed!

17. Tracy (@tidesigns) on Jul 30, 2009 said:

    Andrew, I couldn’t agree more! I think the 1973 is not only my favorite but it can still be applied to any medium and in black and white and it would still be a good logo.

    Great article. =)

18. KaitlinMichelle on Jul 30, 2009 said:

    Love this post! I’ve just recently stumbled upon your website at work (summer job at in office in between semesters at my University where I’m studying graphic design). It’s been a few days since I’ve discovered it and I’ve already read through all the blogs! Clearly I have a lot of time on my hands. But I found them extremely helpful and very well put together.

    But just out of curosity, how did you develop such a thick skin? I’ve noticed that you’re very open to criticism, which i think is great, but it’s something I’ve been struggling with. I enjoy criticism during the process of design, I find it very necessary. But at the end of a semester we have a one-on-one critique with our professors and this past semester I took the critique too harshly. I guess it was a matter of me being too hard on myself, rather than accepting and learning from the critique itself.

    If anyone else has advice on this matter for me, it would be greatly appreciated! I love design and criticism is absolutely a part of the process, and I understand that. Hope to hear from you.

19. Kiren on Jul 30, 2009 said:

    Really good points my friend but I have to disagree with the Pepsi Vs. Coke thing. I think the reasoning behind Pepsi is change. They always advertise for new generations in their commercials(especially the most recent ones).

20. Jacob Cass (@justcreative) on Jul 30, 2009 said:

    Andrew, Tracy
    I also quite like the 1973 version, maybe without the rectangle bits on the sides so it is just the circle.

    Kaitlin,
    Developing a thick skin is just something that you need to learn - like you say, it is part of the learning process. Without criticism, how will you improve? Just take things with a grain of salt and you will be fine but remember you can’t please everyone.

    Kirin,
    I am not quite sure what you mean by “advertise for new generations” but if you had a timeless design, there would be no need change - that is the point.

21. Kiren on Jul 31, 2009 said:

    You may be too young to remember “The Taste For The New Generation” ads Pepsi had during the early nineties, if you ever watch Wayne’s World The Movie you’ll see what I’m talking about:). As for Pepsi’s logo change, I believe this is done on purpose to keep up with the current trends. Of course this goes against some of the rules in creating a logo…but rules are meant to be broken;)

22. Tim on Jul 31, 2009 said:

    Did you make that graphic of the Coke evolution? It has gone entirely viral and it is annoying because it’s a lie.

    Look up the old Coke logos. It was entirely (ENTIRELY) different in 1885.

23. Jacob Cass (@justcreative) on Jul 31, 2009 said:

    Kiren,
    I don’t recall the ads, but that would be more due to the fact that I don’t watch TV. In regards to Pepsi’s logo changes, yes this is done on purpose though if it were timeless, it wouldn’t need to be changed.

    Tim,
    No I did not create it, nor do I know the origin of the maker though I looked up the early Coke logo and it is not entirely different at all. In fact, it’s nearly exactly the same.

24. Joseph Francis on Aug 1, 2009 said:

    Paul, up top, said what I came to say. A bad client won’t recognize or buy a good logo. I wish the self evident ‘goodness’ of the logo would shine through, but for them it just doesn’t.

    Those clients are all about logo treatments, not ideas. Shiny, gold, marble, luminous, multicolored, whatever, etc… The last thing they want to hear is you are using Illustrator instead of a motion-blurred VRay render.

25. BebopDesigner (@bebopdesigner) on Aug 3, 2009 said:

    Brilliant post! Many clients often want their activity reflected on their logo. Ridiculous? yes. But no more ridiculous than trying to explain logo design to them. This article will be a great deal of help next time I encounter the same problem. Cheers!

26. Mandy (@crearegroup) on Aug 3, 2009 said:

    Thanks for the article. I would also add ‘Scalable’ to the list, as a logo also has to be able to work on lots of different formats/sizes. The logo also need to also be able to transpire well when used in black and white - which is another factor to consider when designing a logo.

27. Arwa Al Jundi on Aug 3, 2009 said:

    A great and very helpful article, no matter how much a person can read about logos there’s a lot to learn.
    But I was thinking the Timeless thing. It’s true that a never changing logo makes it more Memorable but doesn’t changing it helps in sales?
    For example everytime Pepsi change thier logo (with thier packaging of course) people seem to buy more just to make sure they still tatse the same.
    I don’t know if I made my point clear, but what i’m trying to say that changing teh logo is not always a bad thing.

28. Mike on Aug 4, 2009 said:

    Thank you for the really nice article. I’d like to add magic word 2D. It is vitally important to insist and make your client to believe you that 3D crap he/she wants is well, just crap… I bet you know what I mean. those fancy 3D letters and logos made in 3D Max … logo MUST be 2D
    one more (maybe even number 6 to your list):
    ability to draw it on the wall with a chalk

    Mercedes, VolksWagen etc….easy to remember, easy as hell to draw even if you are totally unprofessional painter . This is a must for really good logo and it fits your “SIMPLE” idea

    Best regards from Toronto
    Mike

29. Marco on Aug 4, 2009 said:

    Hi,
    just want to let you how useful is your blog; extremely informative and lively.
    I enjoy designing a lot and I have been impressed with your logos that I find intelligent, creative and original.
    Your blog is collects a number of very usefulf resources and advices.
    Many compliments and keep up the excellent work!
    Marco

30. Jake on Aug 4, 2009 said:

    Thanks for the helpful article, great quote by David and the Coca Cola vs the Pepsi timescale really works well to illustrate the point. I think sometimes designers get carried away with logos and create complex designs following the 2009 logo ‘trends’ although it will look pants in 2010.

31. Jon on Aug 7, 2009 said:

    You should check out the recent post over at Brand New to clear up the coke vs. pepsi misinformation caused by the graphic you used in your post. While the basic point is still valid the idea of Coca-Cola never changing their logo is false.

    http://www.underconsideration......dition.php

32. BlindAcreMedia (@BlindAcre) on Aug 8, 2009 said:

    I really like the time line of the pepsi logo and coca cola logo. It shows how you can create a solid logo and never have to worry about changing it to keep it ‘updated’

33. Jacob Cass (@justcreative) on Aug 10, 2009 said:

    Joseph, Bebop,
    A designer wears a lot of hats and one of them is for educating the client, helping them to see the quality of the end product and how it will benefit their business.

    Mandy,
    To me this would be under the ‘versatile’ heading. A versatile logo would have to be scalable to be versatile and yes most logos do need to be able to work in just one colour.

    Arwa,
    Companies often rebrand to reflect changes in the market - often it does good for the company, but not always, as has been proved many times this year (think Tropicana). Changing the logo is not always a bad thing - I agree with you.

    Mike,
    In most cases a logo should be able to work in just 2D, though you can have different versions to ensure that it works across all mediums. KISS = Keep it simple, stupid.

    Marco,
    Thank you for your kind words.

    Jake, BlindAcreMedia,
    Please do see the post on Under Consideration (in Jon’s comment). It seems the time line was not entirely correct.

34. craig stodola on Aug 11, 2009 said:

    I love the timeless timeline because it shows how a company like Pepsi can remain relevant and incredibly successful even when they change their identity. And in some ways, Pepsico, the parent company is beyond widely successuful, as they’re one of the biggest food/bev manufacturers in the world.

    Kinda reminds me of Fossil Watches. How many different logos and tins did they have? a TON!

    there is so much more to managing your business’s success than getting wrapped up in whether or not your logo is timeless. And with that, you need to look at point 5, “appropriate”. What are you selling? How are you selling? Who is your customer? It might be more appropriate for your business to update your logo as your customers and your brands shift.

    If you haven’t read it yet, you should pick up the Brand Gap by Marty Neumeier. ….great book.

    c

35. Matt on Aug 14, 2009 said:

    I can’t remember how I came across your site- but after reading this, I’ll bookmark your site and read more when I have some more time.
    This is a great article and as well as I think I may be able to make a logo, this article points out things I tend to forget.
    AWESOME MAN.

36. Adham (@cre8ivecommando) on Aug 19, 2009 said:

    Great post … It’s a shame that a lot of businesses these days are going for the cheap logo alternatives … It’s their loss I guess.

    Here are some tips on designing a logo on a tight deadline.

37. euonymous (@euonymous) on Aug 21, 2009 said:

    Great post. I am not graphically gifted, but in my experience one of the most important rules is your #4 - has to work in B&W and color, all sizes. I’ve written marketing guides that explain how corporate logos can be used. Some just aren’t versatile enough to do a variety of jobs. Meanwhile, that list of 100 great logos is a hard hitting demonstration. In my personal list of great logos, the old Digital Equipment Corporation logo is right up there.

38. Martin Leblanc (@iconfinder) on Aug 23, 2009 said:

    I think many of these old rules don’t apply when the logo is used mainly on the web. You can have much more details and colors than on print and the logo will still “work”.

39. Douglas Bonneville (@dbonneville) on Sep 8, 2009 said:

    “I think many of these old rules don’t apply…”

    If you try and reinvent a hammer, you’ll end up with a hammer that just doesn’t work right.

    The fundamentals of good logo design are a known quantity and fixed permanently. The closer one adheres to these well established rules, the better your work will be received by the public. Deviating from the formula - and you can if you wish - simply results in logos that communicate something negative to the extent of the deviation you might make. All one has to do is go look up some “bad logos” posts to see some of these deviations.

40. Shailaja (@shailajabhagwat) on Sep 9, 2009 said:

    Good post Jacob. I agree to all design principles mentioned above, but I strongly feel that understanding client breif and what exactly is the requirement is the key to a good logo design.
    Offcourse the simple the design the more the IMPACT… secret of branding.
    keep posting good articles.

    Thanks
    Shailaja

41. Alex Frew on Sep 9, 2009 said:

    Hey Great article!, im studing Graphic Design at the moment and this article puts the logo design side of things in great perspective. The comparison of Pepsi and coke realy gets the msg across nice work

42. Anny on Sep 11, 2009 said:

    I’m currently in the process of creating a logo for a person that is not paying what its really worthy in comparison with the work and time that I’m investing. But at least I’m taking this opportunity to practice and use it as part of my experience, even though I feel so frustrated and stock, I have several days researching and making sketches but still feeling that I’m not going anyway with this ideas and I feel stock.

    I’m really sad to see how people do not really value the work that as professional graphic designers we have to do to create an unique and professional logo. Thanks Jacob for this articles, I’m glad to find a community of graphic designers, I feel supported. If you have some articles about what to do when you feel stock creating, I will appreciate it..
    Thanks

43. Steph on Sep 21, 2009 said:

    I’m in the process of creating a logo for a school project and can’t decide whether i want to place it inside a coloured square or just have the symbol on it’s own on a white background with the company name underneath. What’s more versatile? Box or no box?

44. xprowebwise on Sep 30, 2009 said:

    A good design is never an accident. It is created …

45. Alex (@moonape) on Oct 23, 2009 said:

    Really interesting post, Jacob. Those points are spot on, and the detail you go into is very useful. I wish more clients knew this sort of stuff, and the challenge it is in meeting all of these elements in designing a good logo.

    Alex

46. sabz (@sabrinasabino) on Oct 30, 2009 said:

    Haha, I like the Coca Cola & Pepsi comparison. Good one. Your site is very resourceful btw.

47. EqualToYou*ABey on Nov 15, 2009 said:

    This is some very helpful information. I’m researching some ideas and “how-to’s” on billboards since I will be designing one for a college practice.

    Thanks~

48. kevin (@noonewebdesign) on Nov 19, 2009 said:

    thanks for share , I like it!

49. Laurent JOUVIN (@migratedesign) on Nov 20, 2009 said:

    Very useful and informative post. I love your blog! Thank you.

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