Basics of Logo Design

A good logo should be easily recognizable, fairly simple, and be able to be reproduced with limited colors -- including black and white.  When I taught graphic design before, I drew a whiteboard full of logos (see below) which are easily recognizable (or were at the time) and I used only one color -- black.  

Here are some color examples of logos:

Once you have a basic logo in black and white, it's easy to use Photoshop to create a variety of modifications of your logo.  The "Espresso A-Go-Go" logo (below) demonstrates that.

 Another example is the NBA logo (below) showing black and white, 2 colors, and 2 colors with an effect.  Note the differences between the heads/ears of the three examples.  Even though they are slightly different, they are still recognizable as the NBA logo.

I want you to conceive a logo that depicts you, your style, your business, etc.  Begin sketching ideas on paper for now and turn in your paper(s) on Friday.  You might think of something local (i.e. Konocti or Lake) or use your name (i.e. Griffith Enterprises, Griffith Inc., etc.).


Your logo should be describable ("It's a big golden M"), effective without color, memorable, and scalable.

Still confused about what makes a good logo?  Check out this logo design tips article or from a professional logo designer for some extra information.  

Finally, I would like you to find some examples of well-designed logos [and poorly designed logos] and bring them in to class.  Check newspapers, junk mail, catalogs, etc.  I will use the examples to showcase the differences.