Many logos out there are designed to literally represent as many characteristics of a company as possible to signify a brand, with everything thrown into the design but the kitchen sink. Of course when so many physical elements are squeezed into what should be a simple, clean design, the message gets lost somewhere within the chaos of the logo design.
A good designer knows an effective logo conveys the essence of a brand to its audience, without the clutter of too many components attempting to encompass the entire company.
The earlier iterations, especially, of a logo design are often the most literal and complex—take for example Apple’s logo, as shown below—while as the logo evolves it usually transforms to symbolize the philosophy of a company as a whole. In an interview from the blog Creative Bits with Rob Janoff, designer of the Apple logo, he states regarding the logo, “I feel great that it’s still the same basic silhouette even though it went through lots and lots of changes. The apple shape changed slightly from my original design in the early 80’s. The design firm Landor & Associates made the changes. They brightened the colors, they made the shapes much more symmetrical, much more geometric. When I designed it I pretty much did it freehand. I often think to myself why didn’t I do that. It’s because it wasn’t where I was coming from at the time. I think they did a great job and it will be fascinating to see the next iteration and how it works out.”
The most powerful brands often have the simplest logos; those that have changed over time from being overly complicated to a more straightforward design. See, for example, the evolution of Ford’s logo below. Remaining uncomplicated allows the brand’s image to be more likely remembered as well as easier for its audience to associate the logo with that company.
Take a look at Gap’s logo design, as shown below; as the President of Gap, North America Marka Hensen stated in the Huffington Post, “The natural step for us on this journey is to see how our logo—one that we’ve had for more than 20 years—should evolve. Our brand and our clothes are changing and rethinking our logo is part of aligning with that.” The new logo was not eagerly accepted, therefore the Gap decided to revert back to its most recent, time-tested version of their logo.
A recent case study done on the Pepsi brand’s newest logo demonstrates that trying to complicate a design results in a confusing representation of the brand’s identity. For a reported fee of several millions of dollars, the Arnell Group created a painstakingly detailed 27-page document that attempts to connect the simple design of the Pepsi logo to a multitude of epic universal theories—some even biblical—including the Parthenon, the solar system and the Gutenberg Bible.
You can attribute all of the universal explanations to a company’s logo that you want, but the message is clear: make a brand’s logo simple and it will be successful.
Ask Burst Marketing about our vast logo design experience; we can design you a clean logo that portrays your company’s core values—and for a whole lot cheaper than a few million dollars. Guaranteed.
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The simple answer is yes — and not just the wording on your flyer or website. The change might require a fundamental shift in the way you view your audience and even who to target.
