“I was going for the silhouette of an apple, but to make it look more like an apple and not some other round fruit, I did what one does with an apple, I took a bite out of it.”
Rob Janoff – designer of the apple logo
This simple idea of the apple is now one of the most well known logos in the world, even more than Coca Cola and Google.
What a lot of people don’t know is that the apple wasn’t the original logo. The original logo was a very detailed black and white drawing of Isaac Newton sitting under an apple tree with just a single apple hanging above him with a landscape of a farm in the background. The logo was designed by Steve Jobs and Ronald Wayne, two brilliant computer engineers and two not-so-brilliant graphic designers. They made the right call to hire a designer and the rest as they say is history.
The importance of Keeping it Simple. Seriously.
As Apple learned early on, the most important thing in logo design is simplicity. The longer the shopping list of elements that must feature in a logo, the longer the road to failure.
Harsh? Maybe. True? Almost always.
Logos need to be simple so people can remember them. The more often you see a logo the more your business will ingrain in the hearts and minds of consumers. It was no accident that the Apple logo was displayed proudly on the monitors of all of their products, helping make it a household name.
The K.I.S.S tips to a simple but effective logo design
Kerning and alignment
The distance between each letter is very important, as is the positioning of your name, having it left, right, centred or stacked can change the entire look.
Telling your story
Your story is what transforms your logo into a brand. Not only is it a good conversation piece to have when meeting new clients, but the idea behind it and what it means to you is what your internal staff and potential clients, will also engage with.
Modifying letters
A simple tweak can make a whole lot of difference. Amazon learnt this a few years ago when they made a slight curve in the ‘z’ to allow for the new arrow to fit in.
Colour
Different colours can mean different things. Red and yellow for example is used a lot for fast food while greens and blues can reflect calm and innovation. Carefully considering what colour palate to represent your brand will pay off in the long run. Check out our blog on the Role of Colour in Brand.
An icon or illustration
With Apple and Nike perfectly exemplifying the power of a brand icon we needn’t say too much more. Having a powerful icon can mean that eventually your icon becomes your logo and people recognise your brand simply by your icon and not your name.
Does your logo need a re-design?
Let’s talk.
See you next week
Darnelle
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