Your logo is a symbolic representation for your company. It conveys very basic information at a glance, and if you're successful, it can become so synonymous with your company that nobody needs to see the company name at all, like the Nike swoosh.

Don't make the mistake of trying to say everything there is to know about your company with the logo, but concentrate on keeping it simple. Think of how easily readable it would be to someone driving by if it were on a small sign at the side of the road. Too much information becomes too hard to interpret.

Your product is an obvious choice and may be good if your product can be visually represented in an artistic way, but it isn't the only way to go. Consider the "feel" you want to project—strong, bold, solid shapes versus lacey, frilly foo-foo, fun versus somber, etc.

Logos can be inspired by lots of things, and can be pictorial, font manipulation, or merely symbols. It's a good plan to have a logo that translates well into black and white so that it will print well in traditionally black and white publications like newspapers. Also, black and white is almost always the least expensive option. Keep in mind that printing costs are based on the number of colors you choose, among other things, but also remember that often color really makes the difference.

I like to start with whatever idea the client has, however vague, and go from there. As always, the better you know what you want your company to be and the image you want to project, the easier it is to design a logo for you. Great things often come from very humble beginnings.

All contents are copyrighted by Charlotte Terhune.