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Elements of a Successful Logo

Michi Beck is professional author and editor based in Stuttgart, Germany.

Once a company has come up with a name, a product or service, and other necessities, most of these companies also want to have a logo. If the company has a long or difficult-to-pronounce name, something that is hard to spell, something that is similar to another product, or anything else that might not catch the consumers' eye, a logo can help a customer remember the company. There are several issues to consider, however, when coming up with a successful logo.

David Airey, a UK-based graphic designer, states that there are four specific elements that a logo must have in order to give a company what it is looking for. He says that the logo must be describable, memorable, effective without color, and scalable. It is important, though, to explain what these mean and why they are so very significant. Without an understanding of why these things make a logo successful, the logo may still fail.

Describability is the most significant and important issue for a logo. If a person sees a company logo and cannot describe it to someone else, the information about the logo cannot be passed on easily. Being able to tell someone exactly what was seen in such a way that the other person can 'see' it as well is a vital aspect of this issue.

Being memorable is the second important consideration when designing and creating a logo, and it basically goes hand-in-hand with being describable. If a person is not able to remember a logo, there is virtually no way that he or she can describe it. However, even if a person is not good as descriptions in general and has trouble with that part of the equation, it is still important that the person remember the logo, so that he or she can connect it with the company the next time it is seen.

The third area of importance is to make sure that the logo is effective without color. Naturally, a person usually wants color in a logo, and it helps to attract the eye. However, there are times when it must be reproduced in black and white, and if it loses all of its effectiveness without its colors, it is not the best logo that can be found for the company. The visual impact should still be strong, even if the logo is not showing the colors it normally has.

Last, but certainly not least, the logo must be scalable. If a logo only works at a certain size, scaling it down will destroy the effectiveness that it has, thereby reducing its impact. This can harm a business for various reasons, and stop an otherwise high-quality logo from working effectively for a business.

Like David Airey and so many others who are involved in the graphic design business already know, not every logo that looks good at first design proves to be a good logo once various aspects of it have been considered in light of the four specific elements of logo design. Addressing all of these issues and considering them from the point of view of the intended customers can help any business go a long way toward success with the logo that they choose.