The ‘swoosh’, a bitten apple, and a simple golden arched “M”. It is safe to say that if you were asked to match the companies to the descriptions above, you would have guessed immediately that the answers were Nike, Apple, and McDonald’s. An effective logo is important in defining your brand, your company’s philosophy, and should leave a lasting impression in the minds of your customers.
Numerous factors make for an effective logo. Below are a few examples of effective logos and why they are effective:
An Effective Logo is Simple
The logo for French Property Exhibition is simple enough on the surface but also has multiple layers of interpretation. The simple use of the French flag along with the slanted blue portion of the flag makes it appear as if the blue field is a door that is opening, or is just a 3-D effect showing the flag folded a certain way.
An Effective Logo is Memorable
The Optimistic Beverages logo was a concept logo used by a group looking to open a craft brewery in Austin, Texas. While this logo was not used in the end, the ‘half glass full’ concept is creative, memorable, and fun. This particular logo won Logo of the Year in 2010 by Just Creative :
An Effective Logo is Meaningful
Another concept logo, Invisible Agents uses negative space (background space) and repetition to help complement the company name. If you notice the middle bar is a black tie (since all secret agents seem to wear ties) that blends in with the rest of the black bars. Another excellent use of negative space is the seemingly non-descript logo for FedEx which hides a hidden arrow between the E and the x in its design.
What do you think makes a logo effective? Is it use of color or typography? Is it perception or simplicity? Let us know! If you’re starting a business and need a logo design, please contact us for a consultation.
Lastly, if you want to see how good your logo brand recognition is, you can take this logo quiz by downloading the app for Android or iPhone. See how quickly you can recognize some of most recognizable logos in the world of business.
