Designers Perspective, Logo Design - By Matt Nuccio

Since beginning of time mankind has used symbols to stake claim on property and creations. All over the continent of Europe, family crests have come to symbolize centuries of family heritage. From these traditions evolved today's grand symbols of recognition, the modern logo.

Logos have come to define our culture. Mammoth corporations such as AT&T, Coca-Cola, IBM and Wal-Mart all have instantly recognizable logos that are so synonymous with their respective company's products and services. We, as a society, have come to incorporate logos into culture. Among the most successful of these logos are those which can identify a company without so much as one letter of the company’s name. How does a corporation achieve such a strong identity? Take the NBC peacock for example. Does it really need the “NBC” beside it? A truly successful symbol can stand on it's own. After all, we know that a rose by any other name is still a rose. But if you really think about it, change that rose to look like a zucchini and it's not quiet the same thing, is it? In this case the image means more than the words.

Designers are presented with the same problem time and time again. Companies head over to a studio to ask for a face for their corporate name. Oddly, rarely is the designer included in the name selection process. Why is that? I would imagine that perhaps new companies (especially start-ups) have a strong tendency to focus on other “more important” things such as trade marking, domain names, setting up bank accounts and other pressing legal issues. They tend to side track naming their company. When they finally arrive at a name it tends to be overly descriptive and straight-up ignores the visual appeal of the name itself. The word or words you pick need to visually hold up on their own. Words, like people, can be very attractive or extremely heinous. Finding that perfect name can be an extremely treacherous journey. Try to keep a few things in mind. Look for a word or cluster of them which look good written on paper. Personally, I write it on paper or type it out to get a feel for it's visual form and find any flow to the letters and exploit that graphic appeal. Even correct spelling can be tossed aside, depending on your service or target demographic. Sometimes inventing a word because of the way it looks can have a powerful lasting effect. Smacking a few letters together can create an individualistic characteristic that can become who you are. Think about it. You really see it everywhere. Subway taggers have been doing that for years and guess what, so do blue chip companies. When the Eastman Dry Plate and Film Company wanted to create a visual image with strong impact they relied on the owner’s (George Eastman) favorite letter: “K.” Today we call that company Kodak.

Color scheme can be the great differentiator. Sometimes having no predetermined colors for your company can be of extremely great benefit. It really can allow employees to express themselves individually. Choosing two or three color schemes can help to project a creative, proactive and diverse corporation. When introducing oneself to a prospective new client, handing over a selection of different colored business cards can be a welcomed ice breaker. Another option you may want to consider would be a limited color palette. Narrowing down the selection can work as well.

If your company is in an industry where it may be pragmatic to maintain a monochromatic color scheme you may want to explore alterative options. For instance a paper recycling company may want to have a very limited warm earthy feel for their overall image. In this instance I would say a good way to personalize business cards, folders and letterhead is to have personal statements or quotes on them. The current corporate climate allows for such personal expression. New companies or companies that are looking to give themselves a face lift should take this into consideration.

Whether designing a crest for a branding iron or some fortune 500 corporate shield, the bottom line is simple, a good logo needs to have as much personality as possible. It’s the designer’s job to create a lasting mark that can represent your client properly. Make sure to keep the product or market place in mind and to design within or on it’s boundaries. A good logo can withstand the test of time, sometimes out living the company it was created for.

Anyone recall Marx Toys?

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Matt Nuccio's Bio
matt@designedge.net

Matt Nuccio is the co-owner and creative director of Design Edge inc (www.designedge.net), a multi award-winning international design studio with office's in New York and Hong Kong. Design Edge is one of the leading toy and game design and inventing firms in the world, designing packaging, product, displays, advertising as well as engineering and manufacturing for hundreds of toy companies both big and small. With over 20 years in the toy design industry, Design Edge is a laboratory for new and creative approaches. From traditional styles to the latest trends, they can help you create and maintain a strong product and line look within a fair project budget.

In 2008 Matt Nuccio was elected co-chairman of the TIA (Toy Industry Association) associate panel representing all designers and inventors in the toy industry. He has also written columns focusing on design, inventing, engineering and manufacturing for Toy and Family Entertainment, Toy Book, Royaltie$ and Licensing Book.

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