Firstly, for anyone who isn’t sure exactly what a logo is and does here is a short definition.
A logo design is a unique graphic used by businesses to promote instant recognition. They can be made up of graphic symbols/icons, or made up purely of type, or a combination. But a logo design is more than just a graphic. It is the cornerstone of a business. It unites the employees within a single organisation and becomes a symbol that represents everything your business sells and does. A good logo should have meaning, and it should give people a really strong idea of your business in just a matter of seconds.
So what is the difference between a logo and a brand? Well , a brand design is a bit more broad than a logo. Branding is the consistent ‘theme’ used throughout all of your marketing material, and can be made up of distinctive images, graphics, colours and words. Branding starts with the logo, but then extends the identity of the business further. A good brand design can then become recognisable in its own right, regardless of whether it is accompanied by a logo or not.
It all starts with a logo design.
So the start of a great brand is a great logo. A great logo is more than just a pretty or distinctive graphic. It is about capturing the essence and spirit of the company in a single design. This is as true for big businesses, as it is for smaller businesses and organisations. Like a badge it should mean something, and be worn with pride by those who are involved with the company.
To demonstrate what can go into a logo design, we have picked out a few of our logo design examples created by our own essex graphic designers to explain the thinking and inspiration behind the final designs.
Shipping Company Logo
This logo was created for a new commercial shipping company. The design encapsulates a number of meanings. Firstly the shape is based around the hull of a large ship as seen from the front. The thin curved lines represent sea waves, and together these create the look of a traditional shield to provide a trusted and established feel. So the shield didn’t look too traditional, we put it alongside a modern lowercase font. The strong use of gradiented yellow is taken from the ‘amber’ of the company name.
Restaurant Logo Design
This logo was designed for a new restaurant in Aldeburgh, Suffolk. It is more than just a logo design, it represents a whole story concerning the town. The name Pelican is not named directly after the bird, but after a famous ship which was built in the town and became the first ship to circumnavigate the world. The ship in the bottle logo takes all this history and puts it into a modern context of a bar-restaurant. The ship in the logo was also used to create a range of artwork to be hung in the restaurant which tells the story of the Pelican and its trek around the world.
Housing Association Logo
This logo was for a Council run housing service helping people get the housing support they needed. There were a number of values this logo had to encapsulate. It had to demonstrate instantly what the service was for. It was therefore essential to base it around a house icon. The service is also about putting together people and houses, so the puzzle analogy in the logo makes this organisational remit clear to users and employees. Another key quality was that it looked friendly and inviting. Many people using the service may be reluctant to seek support so we tried to make the logo as unthreatening as possible. The edges are the graphic are rounded and smooth, and the large ‘open door’ of the house design further emphasises the lack of barriers people will face to get the housing they need. The soft colours in the logo also help, and match the service to the council’s established colour scheme.
Finance Services Logo
This logo design was for a finance company. The design brief was to create a company identity which gave a safe, secure and trustworthy appearance. We created the icon to appear like an ‘A’ and an ‘H’, and also portraying the look of a lock or safe to give the theme of security. We wanted to balance this modern dynamic icon with a traditional values feel, so we chose a Serif font which gives the logo and company a more established feel.
Training Company Logo
The logo design started with the name. KUSAB stands for Knowledge, Understanding, Skills, Attitude and Behaviour. It is these values which are at the centre of the business, and the client was keen to develop a new logo and identity which reinforced this meaning. We therefore took the 5 initials and created a separation between each element so they become 5 different streams creating a single whole logo. The design of these 5 elements were based on an open book design to emphasis that this is an education and training company.
Looking to develop a new logo which means something?
If you think that your business is worth more than an icon taken off the internet, then our logo design service can help. We have 2 fixed price logo design packages to help businesses develop a brand new identity. Why not get in touch with our logo design team or check out even more of our logo designs in our dedicated logo portfolio.
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