Logo, corporate identity symbol as it is considered, is the visual character representation of a business to differentiate its brand image from other establishments. Thus, it is expected to trigger interest and familiarity among a target market.

Designs are created not only to provide visual appeal to the name of a company. They are also created for various reasons:

Establish an Identity

In order to stand out, an art piece should project a positive brand identity and communicates the right company and marketing message. Also, in building your identity, your graphic art must be able to be noticed when placed alongside with other corporate symbols or representations.

Increasing Business Probability

A symbol increases recognition and establishes the identity of the product or business among its target market. Clients’ familiarity and recognition of a product broadens the marketability and exposure of the brand.

Project Good Impression

A strong visual message can place the business ahead of the competition. This is due to the strong, influential capacity of a well-made design that can alter or modify the perception of the product’s audience or market.

Creating an impact is not an easy task. It takes a great deal of time and research to come up with a powerful output.

There are common symbols used as a logo, corporate identity, and visual representation to make a distinction among other businesses. These include:

Shields and Crest

Shields and crests are frequently used to identify popular sports teams. Signifying tradition, aristocracy, and knighthood, the shield and crest were also used as coat-of-arms for knights, soldiers, and royalty guards.

Animals

Business uses animal in their emblems to relate its specific characteristics in the product it represents. For example, a tiger exemplifies energy and power. On the other hand, lions are perceived to show bravery, loyalty, strength, and courage. If a company wants to depict beauty and speed, they can integrate a silhouette of a horse in their design.  

Geometric Shapes

Shapes are recognizable because they convey several meanings. Combination of two different symbols can result into more complex images. Symbols that are frequently seen include stars, circles, squares, and triangles.

Arrows

Generally, arrows in designs show movement or momentum. A good trivia about arrow symbols is that you don’t see them facing downward in a design concept. They are always placed in an upright position.

Trees

When trees are used, it typically signifies an environmentally and ecologically friendly company. It is often used by nature-related businesses. Trees also symbolize strength and long existence.

Hearts

These are often used by industries that provide human services and medical fields for it indicates a sense of caring and compassion.

Logo, corporate identity, and other visual representations are important aspect of a business for distinction in branding. Another importance is that they serve as an advertisement of what the product or company wants to convey to the directed audience.

How do I say so?

To be able to have a better understanding of this idea, take a look at some of the successful stories where firms represented by the “best company logo” emerged to become famous to a large number of people. These companies now enjoy the fruits of their success.

Popularity Counts

Many of us wanted fame and fortune. However, fame is not obtained overnight. Aside from a long duration of time, it takes one to have courage to withstand the trials in order to become famous. However, this is not the usual case. Thus, business owners and budding entrepreneurs need all the help that they can get in order to be successful in their endeavor.

In business, a logo plays a vital role. It is a way to know how a particular company is being perceived by customers or by the public in general. For most of the time, it becomes the basis why there are popular companies and why there are firms that seem to be unnoticeable.

Popular corporate art pieces are those that are retained to customers’ minds and that won’t be forgotten even after so many years would have passed. Its functionality can even survive the company’s downfall, thus, resulting to a number of designs that remain memorable even if the company ceased to operate.

An example of a best company logo is the one that Coca-Cola has. Who could ever forget the cursive script designed in red ink and white background? Like its brand, the company’s emblem is acceptable and recognizable worldwide. Who agree that Coca-Cola’s success as one of the world’s most famous soft drinks can be attributed not only on its quality product but also on its corporate symbol?

What Makes it Famous?

To become famous, a company should be able to portray a nice visual identity. The following tips and pieces of advice should be taken into consideration:

• Make it attractive

People are impressed with anything that is attractive. If an emblem catches the attention of its viewers, then it is effective. Effective designs can, therefore, help in etching the company’s image in the minds of its clientele and on-lookers. Remember that an attractive emblem is characterized by a proper combination of colors, proper use of font style, a unique image, and something that is eye-catching.

• Make it memorable

You can say a corporate visual representation is already retained in people’s minds or is already “recognizable” if the image can easily be identified even if it is uncolored, blurred, merely glanced at, or just sighted from afar.

• Make it influential

This may be the hardest thing to do as far as developing an art piece is concerned. How would you know if it can influence people? We can say that it is effective and influential when it convinces the people to patronize the product or services of particular company by the time they see the visual representation.

When all these factors are considered and combined altogether, they can make a famous and best company logo that can really help in achieving the business goals.

Its immense capacity gave business competition a different name. With a vast number of people who want to be informed, entertained, and reached, the Internet is, indeed, one of the best inventions of all time.

What Makes it Good?

What makes your favorite website interesting? This question crosses my mind while staring at a site for hours, I mean long interesting hours.

Why are there sites that are too stiff and boring despite its good content? As an avid fan of Internet, it is easy to determine whether one is outstanding, fair, or not so good. But, the important question is what makes it a good type?

It is subjective to decide what a good site is. It may vary on how they leave an impact and serve its purpose to online users. Thus, it should have a website logo design to be distinct and identified.

As an online visitor, a good site should be:

• Easy to navigate. It should easily provide the necessary answers. It is easier to click “close” buttons than spend hours looking for important icons and links. Online visitors should easily find what they’re looking for and understand where they are at your page. Thus, links should be highlighted at two clicks max.

• Attractive. A good way to invite online visitor is to have a simple yet appealing website logo design. It should be able to represent your business professionally. A good choice of logo can prolong interest, convey the right message, and promote the site’s credibility. Also, too many advertisements can make a website appear cluttered and distracting.

• Content. Aside from communication and entertainment, we need the Internet to be informed. In advertising, it is equally important that your target audience understands what the business is all about. Remember that “content is king” and that all information should be properly presented online.

• Up to date. It is not enough that your online presence is well, visible, and just simply there. It won’t get you anywhere or bring any progress. Aside from having a good website logo design, informative content, and user-friendly navigation panel, it is also a challenge to keep your site updated. Each business wants to keep and promote loyalty among their clients. Keeping your site updated would mean adding blogs, asking for feedbacks, suggestions, and modifying helpful features that will ease online visitor’s task.

• Optimized. Search engine optimization is the best way to include your online presence among the top 10-20 results to attract customers to your page. Sites may be ranked according to its keywords, meta tags, and internal links. As a rule, search engines use programs and algorithms to scan and rank various sites. In addition, it is important you’re your customers easily understand your topic. Key words or key phrases should specifically correspond to your business. Minimize using general terms. 

I think what makes McDonald’s even more popular among other quick-service restaurants is its popular corporate design. The company’s unique identity in this line of business throughout the years made them distinctly recognizable. In fact, even a child who can’t read yet can easily recognize McDonald’s because of the popular golden letter “M” or the golden arches. With this, can you imagine how powerful a logo is as a form of an advertisement?

This small graphical element is highly powerful enough to impress its directed audience and to speak for the company’s brand image and trademark. It functions to successfully send message to its targeted audiences. Company emblem is part of the business marketing strategy that can leave lasting impressions on the customers.

It is noticeable that many popular corporations’ success can significantly be attributed to the fame of their designs. This is simply because it can increase business prospects since people can easily connect designs with company names. An impressive art piece can boost a brand presence, which can eventually help in the business expansion.

The graphic design creates a sense of distinctiveness from other brand names. It is so powerful that it builds unique business image and presentation on people’s mind. It projects good impression, builds brand reputation, and revolutionizes the world of businesses.

There are factors to be considered to be able to create famous corporate logos. Here are some points:

Emblems or trademarks have direct impact to audience or customers who patronize the product or brand. The more unique they are, the more identifiable they become.

Multifaceted designs can hardly be recognized and remembered, so, having a simple design is much better. Take for example the famous Nike swoosh, which is simple yet effective.

Logos have lasting impression if they strongly symbolize the companies’ corporate identity. Regular redesigning of corporate graphic representation is not advisable, though, sometimes updating it is considerable to adapt to the new trends of design.

Striking colors immediately captivate people’s attention. Most of the restaurants and cafes use yellow in their design after some studies revealed that there is a psychological perspective proving colors like yellow and red can stimulate human appetite and can attract attention. A good example of this is McDonald’s — a yellow “M” with a red background.

Listed below are some of the color meanings and symbolisms:

Black: authority or power, stability, and strength

Blue: calming, steadfastness, dependability, wisdom, and loyalty

White: purity, cleanliness, and peace

Yellow: laughter, happiness, and optimism

Green: money, nature, and fertility

It is also effective to use symbols as the saying goes “a picture can paint a thousand words.” I believe that pictures or images are effortlessly grasped and memorized by people. However, the use of inappropriate symbols can smear the identity of any business brand or it can create a catastrophic effect on the corporation’s image.

I can finally say that famous corporate logos stand the test of time, they are simple yet recognizable. However, it is vital that they are free from symbols with negative connotations because they can damage the reputation of the business.

Pawnshops offer loans with a certain rate of interest to people in exchange of valuable personal property. The loanable amount, length of time, and interest rate are all governed by law or by the pawnshop’s policies mutually agreed by borrowers.

But what intrigued me more is the symbol in pawnshop logos. It seems that it doesn’t signify the kind of service it renders. Pawnshops are often identified with their unique logo: the three spheres suspended from a bar—one of the most recognized symbols in the world. If seen at shop, most likely it refers to a merchant who buys and sells. At first I thought that the three circles are a representation of precious metals gold, silver, and diamond.

Some research proved me wrong because according to reliable references, the least known origin of the symbol is the coin issued in 68 A.D. known as the “Silver Shekel” or the “Shekel of Israel.” One side of the coin depicted three pomegranates with a common stalk. A number of researches reveal that the origin of the symbol can be attributed to the Medici family, a 15th century Italian family of bankers and lenders that established trading and banking empire in Florence.

Pawnshop banking originated from the Italian province of Lombardy and it was referred to as the Lombard banking. The Medici family, together with the “Lombard” in England, was the famous money lenders in Europe. Most of the European towns called the pawnshop as the Lombard.

Originally, the three golden spheres were visibly hanging in front of traders’ houses. During this ancient time, there was a speculation that these three golden spheres were three flat effigies of byzants in the beginning and were only converted into spheres to better catch attention.

There was also a legend telling that Emperor Charles the Great employed one of the members or the Medici family who fought a giant that killed him with three sacks of rocks. Later after the incident, the three balls or globes became part of their family crest. Since the Medicis were successful in financial, banking, and moneylending industries, other families also adopted the symbol and eventually became the sign of pawn broking.

Whatever or wherever the symbol of pawnshop logos originated may be, I can’t figure out the significance of its symbol to what really the business is all about. With technological innovations, it’s a good thing that the traditional symbol of pawnshops is now being altered with icons that can easily be identified with the industry where it belongs. Redesigning logos is normally not a wise decision because it can affect the image of the business. However, it can also be considered especially if its purpose is to adapt to new trends in design. Maybe this is the reason why most of pawn brokers are now changing the image of their logos to better associate it with the type of business they are into.

Usually, modern-time pawnshop logos are associated with the image of jewelry or diamond maybe because these precious items are the best representations of the pawnshop business. 

My logo, my style

A business emblem plays a vital role in creating an impression. It gives business an identity. Creating one involves a process that requires interest, innate artistic talent, and a keen eye because even the smallest detail matters.

Anyone can create an art piece, but to create a “remarkable” one, well, who am I to say? Each designer spends an ample amount of time for researching, planning, and designing before he can have a good result—something that is pleasing to his client’s eyes. It needs to be completely unique, interesting, and creative. Designing a logo is like a story telling but it is through colors, lines, and symbols.

For graphic designers, creating an emblem is a good way to showcase their talent. Behind every symbol is a genius designer. In this day and age, there are a lot of software applications that can be used in designing a business emblem. But only creative minds can achieve the “best” that can leave a mark to people. For instance, who can ever forget Coca-Cola’s logo (“the wave”)? It is a simple yet remarkable design created by Frank Mason Robinson, the bookkeeper of pharmacist and Coca Cola inventor John Pemberton in 1885. The “Spencerian” script, which became a famous handwriting typeface in the United States during 19^th century, was used for the art piece. Robinson’s creative idea in using the said script made the product to be easily recognized since then.

At a designer’s hands

A graphic designer’s task is more than just designing a logo because part of the future of a business relies in his hands. His innate creativity and distinctive talent reach out to everyone. Thus, the designer’s job can be tedious but fun at the same time. Since a design represents life of the business, you may consider these points:

• Like no other. What makes famous designs stand out is their distinct quality. When you see them, you can’t think of other product aside from “the product” itself. For example, the golden arches (forming a letter ‘M’) with a red background are only for Mc Donald’s.
• The “punch.” In designing a logo, it is important to come up with an output that really conveys a message to customers. Thus, at a glance, the overall design should be easily recognized and be identified with the company it represents. Consider this cliché: “Simplicity is beauty.” Can you remember a complex graphical image with mixed colors and a tag line with just a wink of an eye?
• What’s your color? For a graphic designer, the color is an important element because it gives life to his masterpiece. It draws an attention, sets an emotion, and captures interest. A colorless image will not convey a message, aside from being “lifeless.” Each color can tickle an imagination and choosing the right combination will make a big difference.
• What fonts can do? For graphic designers, different font styles can spice up a design. One can create an image through different eye-catching typefaces. Let’s go back to Coca Cola: is the font interesting? What about Ford? Or Disney? We can easily identify them even without an image of a soda bottle, a car, or a cartoon character, right? That’s what fonts can do.

Designing a logo is an artistic and strategic way of selling a product and of introducing a business. It informs customers in a subtle yet meaningful way. Next time you see one, think of the stories behind it and the message it wants to convey. It requires learning and improving your craft. Business requires creativity, thus, your creativity can be your business. What do you think? 

For clients involved in legal and financial institutions, I personally think they may probably want designs that project a conservative image, with maroon and navy blue as typical color schemes.

On the other hand, for clients involved in computer technology, visual arts, or multimedia arts, they may probably want designs that look either contemporary using a blend of colors, or abstract using unconventional shapes and symbols.

Unique and Memorable

As an image maker, a designer is in the best position to effectively change the course of his client company’s future by coming up with a unique and memorable logo. It is a simple way to build a brand name that can easily be recognized.

Unlike clip arts that are very generic, unique designs are important because they provide a visual representation of the client and the business one engages in. This means that people from all walks of life instantly associate it with nothing else and no other than but the company.

Based on my experience as a marketer, an image or typeface that appears uncommon generates a corporate identity that merits a copyright or trademark. Public relation experts advise clients to have their graphical representation modified or redesigned, especially if they look similar with other types.

Producing it, however, is admittedly not an easy task. To carry out, graphics artists will actually require the application of the best tools, such as fonts, colors, placements, sizes, pictures, and design motifs.

Simplicity matters

In the crazy world of marketing, both entrepreneurs and marketing executives are discussing a great deal about different concepts and the significance of an image maker to help develop a public perception on a certain product or service.

We all often hear the phrase: “Simplicity is beauty.” That is precisely the point. And graphic arts play their role to communicate a corporate or product image in a subtle yet continuous way. Their influence is seen through a process of repetition in television commercials, on packages, posters, flyers, and signs everywhere, and on vehicles that pass by, among others.

A simple concept makes it easier for designers to resize and recolor it for different needs and purposes. It maintains its quality even if it appears in black and white, or in small, medium, or large sizes.

Aside from this, people are much ready to register and process images into the subconscious minds than words, especially if these images bear a meaning and deliver a message from the entity they represent. Apart from factors such as leadership, innovation, dependability, honesty, and stability, it is important that images carry the value of integrity to help people recognize the company’s worth.

With a designer serving as image maker, entrepreneurs can now have the chance to pick the elements they want to use to effectively communicate an image.

Inclined Elite Entertainment (IEE)

Site URL

http://inclinedeliteent.com/ 

Project Description

Inclined Elite Entertainment (IEE) is a California-based music recording company owned- by Apollo Olango, also known as “Black Magik.” Together with his group they compose, rap, and record songs/tracks that have direct impact to the audience. Their musical ingenuity has already resulted to the release of their debut album titled AmericanEyezed.

The Challenge

Known for their highly energetic compositions and strong rhythmic beats, CEO Apollo Olango and his group want a web design that will bring out the energy of their music to every guest who visits and browses their web site. They want a web layout done with an attitude; thus, they specifically requested for a design that will reflect the word “bad” in its pages.

The Solution

To effectively address the client’s request, the web designer created a dark, animated web site for Inclined Elite Entertainment. With this, he used a dark resentful color as background, with two curtains laid down on each side of the screen. He also asked the client’s approval in adding and playing rap songs as background music. This is intended to set the upbeat mood of the site and immediately establish the kind of music that the company promotes. Moreover, to emphasize the company’s strong and vigorous image, SleekLogos created high-resolution JPEG-format animation. It was created using Adobe Flash and Adobe After Effects.

The Result

Carefully considering the clients’ requests, the web designer produced an impressive animated web site for IEE. The client was very much amazed with the layout and was specifically enthused by the animated images that instantly charm and attract visitors and web viewers. Through the creation of this site, SleekLogos once again proved that it is still the best in providing quality, effective, and professional web sites to people and companies of all types. Without a doubt, SleekLogos can design web sites that perfectly capture the company’s image and identity and create them the way they want and need them.

Your Kingdom Inheritance

Project Description

Your Kingdom Inheritance is a company established and owned by La Vonne Earl. Providing Christian life coaching, the company aims to align the lives of their clients to the works and values taught by God. It seeks to reach out to clients who are feeling stressed, have personal struggles, and are in need of guidance.

The Challenges

The main concern was how SleekLogos will be able to combine appeal and functionality in a “no scroll,” yet heavy-content web site. La Vonne wanted an inspiring and attractive web site that reflects a serene and tranquil atmosphere. This is actually great considering that her services are all about improving the perceptual and emotional capacity of an individual.

La Vonne also provided a web site sample that she really liked. However, it is Flash based. Further, she didn’t have the required high resolution images for her site’s front page. SleekLogos also had a hard time fitting the content for her web site since she specified that the site should not be scrollable. This is actually difficult especially if the site contains a number of content and is to have a blog section.

The Solution

In order to meet the client’s specifications, SleekLogos ensured to source out the best images and techniques for the web site. First, to solve the issue on “scrolling,” SleekLogos thought of using iframe. iFrame made it possible to place all the necessary content in the web site without having the main window scroll all the way down. Specifically, only the content is scrollable and not the web site itself. And since iframe is adjustable, the height was set to the standard height of any monitor. This way, the site can be viewed perfectly in any monitor size or type.

Since La Vonne was not able to provide high-resolution images for the web site, SleekLogos searched for and purchased the necessary stock photos. The best image that SleekLogos selected for the home page is a beach sunset view. Instead of having the whole web site created in Flash-based medium, the main image, particularly the beach waves, is animated. This gave the whole page a tranquil and relaxing feel.

Furthermore, through the help of SleekLogos’ programmers, the site was integrated with Paypal. This will facilitate the easy payment of La Vonne’s clientele for the services she rendered.

The Result

The final web design remarkably met the client’s specifications and requirements. Although SleekLogos’ powerhouse had experienced a bit of difficulty in creating a non-scroll, content heavy web site, the project came out impressively as the client wanted it to be.

Along with SleekLogos’ creativity and strategic take on the issue, La Vonne’s web site was, indeed, a success. Additional features of the site include a nice soothing song being played for the site’s visitors and secured business inquiry forms that clients can easily fill in.

With this web site, La Vonne will definitely gain more clientele whom she can help through Christian life coaching.

Eco Solutions Carpet Cleaning Inc.

Project Description

Based in Texas, Eco Solutions Carpet Cleaning, Inc. provides cleaning and disinfecting services for hard-to-clean-surfaces such as carpets, tile and grout, and upholstery. It uses high-technology methods to eliminate difficult-to-remove odors in absorbent surfaces such as mattresses and carpets. Moreover, the company has the equipment to extract dirty moisture at home or at the office, as well as sanitize it.

The company is part of a new breed of cleaning solution providers worldwide that are offering alternatives to traditional services that usually make use of various synthetic chemicals. These cleaning chemicals, in addition to causing dizziness and nausea in some people, are often linked to damage in internal organs and tissue. The ones use for carpet cleaning can pose threats to people’s health, especially to children who play on the carpet or floor soon after the chemicals’ application. Also, these chemicals can easily pollute the groundwater if they are not disposed properly.

The Challenge

The client wants the web site to be clean and contemporary to highlight the various cleaning solutions it provides. Testimonials from previous customers will also be displayed in the web site to emphasize the company’s professional and satisfactory service, which are expected to appeal both to existing and prospective customers.

The Solution

Basing on the web sites that the client liked, the designer was able to design a website that was able to reflect the ‘cleanliness’ that the client requested. Some of the design decisions were also based on the materials and information provided by the client.

The Result

The client was satisfied with the web site design. After small revisions regarding the background, client and designer were able to finalize the layout and five static pages were further made online.