Hello readers!
Today I'm revealing all the secrets of logo design. It's a mission of the utmost precision and the end result has to be perfect! That's why every aspect has to be thought through beforehand. From the choice of colours, from forms and emotion desired. We'll finish with a podcast on the subject. Sophie Bodineau, founder and graphic designer at What'zhat design Agency, will be analysing 3 logos for us.
Now to the real subject.
THE MEANING OF COLOURS
Colour is what is noticed first, it will be connected to your brand and visible on all your products. communication media.
Every colour has a meaning, an unconscious connection in people's minds (especially in Western countries). That's why it's so important to think about your company's key words.
- Red represents paradoxeslove/anger, bravery/danger, zeal/forbidding
- Green represents renewal, growth, hope, nature and luck
- Yellow represents the lightego, knowledge, friendship and joy
- Blue represents the securitystability, loyalty, wisdom, trust and science
- Pink represents the tendernessromanticism, femininity and beauty
- Orange represents the communication, dynamism, enthusiasm and fun
- Black represents the powerthe mysteryelegancesimplicity and rigour
Please note! Each psychological association When it comes to colours, attitudes can change rapidly, depending on culture, current events, time, personal history and trends.
For more information, please visit these websites: code-couleur.com and Pantone.
THE MEANING OF SHAPES
If you use shapes in your logo (sometimes brands just use typography), this will have an impact on the perception of values and of your brand. your brand identity. For reach your target you need to know how to recognise the brain's unconscious associations with certain shapes.
Here are the most common and what they mean to most people:
- Rounded shapes welcoming, warm
- Square and rectangular shapes : serious, stable and balanced
- Triangular shapes power, hard
- Organic shapes flexibility, naturalness
- Spiral shapes : introspection, inspiration and continuity
- Vertical lines : hierarchical, superior and strong
- Horizontal lines : communication, calm and serene
The advice is to use shapes sparingly, as overdoing them can complicate understanding.. A good logo is clear and legible. You can also create shapes without actually adding them, using the positive/negative shapes technique, a few of which are described below. examples here.
AN INTELLIGENT MIX
For a logo, anything is possible, any shape and any colour, but a graphic designer will always keep in mind the company's main message and key words. The result is often a coherent mix. If your customer absolutely wants a triangle, with sharp angles, but is selling supplies for newborn babies, you can soften the whole thing by adding a very light blue, for example. It's all a question of balance.
THE PODCAST
As promised, here's a podcast on the theory of choosing colours and shapes.
Plus, the analysis of 3 logos, above, created by the What'zhat team (in French):
WHAT DO THE DIFFERENT TYPEFACES MEAN?
In the words of Wikipedia, typography refers to the various typesetting and printing processes using raised characters and shapes, as well as the art of using different types of characters to make language legible, attractive and intelligible.. In fact, these are 3 of the main factors we take into account during our meetings with our customers.
First of all, this image will help you understand the differences between typefaces:
However, I can assure you that you don't need to know all these technical words in detail - I know you don't have the time! So I suggest you read on, which focuses more on the psychological aspect of each typeface.
Each typeface doesn't go with any other. Having the right combination will allow you to create depth in your identity (this rule also applies to all your presentation materials and designs, thank me later for the tip). You'll find right here a link to a very good site that will spare you any errors of taste. You'll also need this website which lets you download your favourite typefaces.
THE IMPORTANCE OF EMOTIONS
After choosing your colors, shapes and typography you will start to get a good first vision of your future logo. However, if you stop here you'll probably miss the best part: the emotions. Nowadays we no longer buy products the way we used to. Customers are looking (unconsciously) for a relationship with the brand. They no longer buy the product only for its characteristics but also for what the brand represents and conveys.
That's why you need to concentrate all the more on your logo. Try to play on one of the 6 emotions recognised by specialists as the strongest: joy, pride, confidence, curiosity, fear and guilt.
For example:
Desigual, a leading ready-to-wear brand, has created a logo that we believe represents many of these emotions very well. Thanks to the very organic shapes that seem to form an explosion of colours, Desigual hopes to arouse the curiosity of its customers. The clarity of these same colours is an obvious invitation to a feeling of joy and celebration.
Finally, the typography, which reverses at times, shows that Desigual doesn't hesitate to go against the grain and impose its sense of pride with a very bold typeface. In this excellent example, we can see that all these elements form a coherent whole that is entirely in keeping with the brand.
YOUR LOGO IS FINISHED!
Now is the time to enjoy your logo and display it everywhere. But remember that time flies! You need to be flexible when faced with a constantly changing environment. As explained above, the meaning of colors, shapes and typos can change overnight depending on events. Don’t hesitate to change/modernize your logo when you feel it’s time. Don't be nervous! Your customers will be surprised in a good way and will talk about you during the coffee break! It is good and positive for them to see that your business is evolving and following trends. Develop your logo intelligently, follow your strategy already in place and stay in line with your your brand image and values.
For example:
Paypal, which offers online payment methods, has not only evolved its logo in line with its environment and current trends, but also in line with its own history. Back in 1999, very few people were using this service. The Internet was only two years old, so as the company has grown in importance, it has also become more confident in its approach to its logo, with fuller letters, brighter colours and an overall look more suited to a leading company.