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Graphic LESSON 6
Design LOGO DESIGN

summarynotes
The Diploma in Graphic Design Toolkit For further questions visit us online at:
www.shawacademy.com
S Lesson 6

S
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 S Lesson 6

WE BEGIN WITH THE

“ WHAT IS” OF GR APHIC
1.01 Understanding Colour 4
DE SIGN AND HOW
GR APHIC DE SIGN IS ALL
ABOUT VISUALLY COM-
1.02 Colour Trends & Codes 6
MUNIC ATING AN IDE A ,
THOUGHT, ME SSAGE OR
ME ANING BY COMBINING
1.03 Logo Design Process 9
SYMBOL S, IM AGE S AND/
OR WORDS. WE AL SO
GIVE AN OVERVIE W OF
1.04 Logo Design Principles 10
THE “HOLY TRINIT Y ”
OF GR APHIC DE SIGN
APPLIC ATIONS -

ADOBE PHOTOSHOP,
ILLUS TR ATOR &
INDE SIGN AND HOW
DE SIGNER S BE S T USE
THE SE TOOL S.
S Understanding Colour

Colour is
the most
influential
element of
our natural
senses,
followed
by Shapes,
Symbols
and lastly
Words.
 S Understanding Colour

Colour plays a major part in the correct reflection

of your brand.

This visually obvious yet subtle application has a

significant impact on the way a brand is perceived
by the public.
Graphic Design is
“the art or
profession of visual Colour does not discriminate!
communication that No matter if you’re designing a brand for yourself,
combines images, a small company, or a corporation the effects of
words and ideas to colour will not discriminate based on how much
convey information cash you have to start.
to an audience”

When looking at colour options for your brand it’s

always best to take a look at other brands to get
Design must a clear idea on how colour schemes play a part on
be interpreted the perception of brand perception.

the same way

by everyone
to function.
S Colour Trends

Colour can
increase brand
recognition
by up to 80%.
S Colour Trends

1.02
Colour Trends

A study of the world’s top 100 brands

(as determined by brand value)
analysed each brand’s logo and found
the following trends.

33% use Blue

29% use Red
27% use Black or Grayscale
11% use Yellow

95% use only 1 or 2 colours

5% use more than 2 colours
41% use text only
9% don’t feature a company name

Colour can increase brand recognition by up to 80%.

This means that colour influences how customers view
the personality of the brand.

Our brains prefer recognisable brands,

which makes colour a key factor in creating
brand identity.
 S Colour Codes

As Dainis Graveris has written once, “sketching isn’t time-consuming and is a really
good way to put ideas in your head right on paper. After that, it’s always easier to
actually design it on the computer. Sketching helps to evolve your imagination: once
you understand it, you will always start from just white paper.

Black is used by companies wishing to evoke a classic sophistication and simplicity. Black works
especially well for brands wishing to promote luxury.
Code: Prestige, Value, Timelessness, Sophistication, Formality

Red evokes a passionate and visceral response. It increases your heartrate, makes you breathe
more heavily and activates the pituitary gland.
Code: Aggression, Energy, Proactive-ness, Passion, Power

Yellow communicates hope and optimism. Yellow stimulates creativity and energy, and its
brightness is particularly useful in catching the customer’s eye.
Code: Positivity, Light, Warmth, Creativity, Motivation

Blue is the most common colour used in brand creation. It’s thought to put people at ease.
Code: Trustworthiness, Dependability, Security, Integrity, Calmness

Green is synonymous with calm, freshness and health. With great variance in shades, deeper
greens are associated with affluence, lighter shades with serenity.
Code: Wealth, Health, Serenity, Prestige, Abundance

Purple is a mysterious yet sophisticated colour. The richness of this colour tips its hat to elegance,
a colour used to symbolise royalty throughout history.
Code: Royalty, Sophistication, Nostalgia, Mystery, Spirituality

Pink is a feminine and affectionate colour, that lends itself to identifying products and services
geared towards women and young girls.
Code: Tenderness, Sensitivity, Friendship, Beauty

Orange combines the brightness and cheer of yellow with the energy and boldness of red to make
a colour that is full of life and exudes plenty of excitement.
Code: Vitality, Fun, Playfulness, Exuberance, Youthfulness Compassion
 S Misconceptions about Graphic Design

1.03
Logo Design Process

“Some wonder what’s so difficult about creating a good logo. They’re

When creating a logo, follow a
process that ensures the final small, they look easy to do, so no problem, right? When you only see
design meets the needs of the
the result of a designer’s efforts, the logo creation can look like it was
clients.
a simple task. But it’s not. A logo takes thought and creativity, and
many elements combine to make a good one.” - Harrison Mcleod
Here you see the typical
process that professional logo
designers follow.
Design Brief - Conduct a questionnaire or interview with the client to
get the design brief.
With practice, you will develop
your own. Research - Conduct research on the industry itself, its history and
competitors. Problem-solve first, design later.

Reference - Conduct research on logo designs that have been

successful and on current styles and trends that may relate to the
design brief. Follow trends not for their own sake but rather to be
aware of them: longevity in logo design is key.

Sketching and Conceptualizing - Develop the logo design

concept(s) around the brief and your research. This is the single most
important part of the design process. Get creative and be inspired.

Reflection - Take breaks throughout the design process. This helps

your ideas mature, renews your enthusiasm and allows you to solicit
feedback. It also gives you a fresh perspective on your work.

Revisions and Positioning - Whether you position yourself as

a contractor (i.e. getting instructions from the client) or build a
long-lasting relationship (i.e. guiding the client to the best solution),
revise and improve the logo as required.

Presentation - Present only your best logo designs to your client.

PDF format usually works best. You may also wish to show the logo
in context, which will help the client more clearly visualize the brand
identity. Preparing a high-quality presentation is the single most
effective way to get your clients to approve your designs.

Delivery and Support - Deliver the appropriate files to the client

and give all support that is needed. Remember to under-promise and
over-deliver.
S Principles of Effective Logo Design

A good logo
is distinctive,
appropriate,
practical, graphic
and simple in
form, and it
conveys the
owner’s intended
message.
 S Principles of Effective Logo Design

1.04
Logo Design Principles

Simple Simplicity makes a logo design easily recognizable, versatile and memorable. Good
logos feature something unexpected or unique, without being “overdrawn.”

K.I.S.S. Principle of design, which translates as: Keep It Simple, Stupid. It does convey a very
important design consideration. Simple logos are often easily recognised, incredibly memorable
and the most effective in conveying the requirements of the client.

Memorable Following closely on this principle of simplicity is that of memorability. An

effective logo design should be memorable, which is achieved by keeping it simple yet appropriate.

Timeless An effective logo should be timeless. Will yours stand the test of time? Will it still
be effective in 10, 20 or 50 years?

Versatile An effective logo works across a variety of media and applications. For this
reason, logos should be designed in vector format, to ensure that they scale to any size.

Ask yourself, is your logo still effective if it is printed. In one colour? In reverse colour (i.e. light logo
on dark background)? The size of a postage stamp? As large as a billboard?

One way to create a versatile logo is to begin designing in black and white. This allows you to focus
on the concept and shape, rather than colour, which is subjective in nature. Also keep in mind
printing costs: the more colours you use, the more expensive it will be for the business over the
long term.

Appropriate How you “position” the logo should be appropriate for its intended audience.
For example, a child-like font and colour scheme would be appropriate for a logo for a children’s toy
store, not so much for a law firm.
S