shanahben

Stumbled upon Graphic Design

45 Rules for Creating a Great Logo Design

_{01. Do not use more than three colors.}

_{02. Get rid of everything that is not absolutely necessary.}

_{03. Type must be easy enough for your grandma to read.}

_{04. The logo must be recognizable.}

_{05. Create a unique shape or layout for the logo.}

_{06. Completely ignore what your parents and/or spouse think about the design.}

_{07. Confirm that the logo looks appealing to more than just three (3) individuals.}

_{08. Do not combine elements from popular logos and claim it as original work.}

_{09. Do not use clipart under any circumstances.}

_{10. The logo should look good in black and white.}

_{11. Make sure that the logo is recognizable when inverted.}

_{12. Make sure that the logo is recognizable when resized.}

_{13. If the logo contains an icon or symbol, as well as text, place each so that they complement one another.}

_{14. Avoid recent logo design trends. Instead, make the logo look timeless.}

_{15. Do not use special effects (including, but not limited to: gradients, drop shadows, reflections, and light bursts).}

_{16. Fit the logo into a square layout if possible, avoid obscure layouts.}

_{17. Avoid intricate details.}

_{18. Consider the different places and ways that the logo will be presented.}

_{19. Invoke feelings of being bold and confident, never dull and weak.}

_{20. Realize that you will not create a perfect logo.}

_{21. Use sharp lines for sharp businesses, smooth lines for smooth businesses.}

_{22. The logo must have some connection to what it is representing.}

_{23. A photo does not make a logo.}

_{24. You must surprise customers with presentation.}

_{25. Do not use more than two fonts.}

_{26. Each element of the logo needs to be aligned. Left, center, right, top, or bottom.}

_{27. The logo should look solid, with no trailing elements.}

_{28. Know who is going to be looking at the logo before you think of ideas for it.}

_{29. Always choose function over innovation.}

_{30. If the brand name is memorable, the brand name should be the logo.}

_{31. The logo should be recognizable when mirrored.}

_{32. Even large companies need small logos.}

_{33. Everyone should like the logo design, not just the business that will use it.}

_{34. Create variations. The more variations, the more likely you are to get it right.}

_{35. The logo must look consistent across multiple platforms.}

_{36. The logo must be easy to describe.}

_{37. Do not use taglines in the logo.}

_{38. Sketch out ideas using paper and pencil before working on a computer.}

_{39. Keep the design simple.}

_{40. Do not use any “swoosh” or “globe”symbols.}

_{41. The logo should not be distracting.}

_{42. It should be honest in its representation.}

_{43. The logo should be balanced visually.}

_{44. Avoid bright, neon colors and dark, dull colors.}

_{45. The logo must not break any of the above rules.}

_{Copyright © 2009 Tanner Christensen.}

Then again, there’s always room for bending the rules.

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