Purpose of a Logo

A logo is an iconic graphical representation of your business, group, product, or entity that creates a memorable impression. It serves as a unique visual branding or recognizeable trademark. Just like a storefront display or vendor's sidewalk product arrangement, a logo locks in an instant assessment of many factors/characteristics about your business: formal/casual, sophisticated/down-to-earth, cultural appeal, and general emotional atmosphere. It is at the heart of corporate identity.

Logos must be identifiable in all media forms, sizes, colors, and qualities. Based on the design criteria, it can be successfully implemented as a neon sign (with tube-bending and line thickness constraints), or as video/web motion graphics. A primary goal should be that your logo is "parse-able" and appealing to your target demographic audience.

Taxonomy of a Logo

Type

Most logos contain type. A typeface must be chosen to match the goals/look/feel of the entity being represented. A typeface has many roles, of which the primary is to be readable ("parseable") in all instantiations and contexts of the logo. It also must convey the tone, reflect the style, have visual similarities, and work with (not against) the overall design and/or illustration. There are thousands and thousands of typefaces—the challenge is to find that right one for your logo.

• Description of Business/Group & Scope of Representation
• Goal for Logo: Do you have specific objectives for what your logo will accomplish? (This may be covered in some of the detailed questions below)
• Corporate/Organizational Branding: Do there exist any branding style sheets?
• Style of logo: Line Drawing, Abstract, Type-based(letters or abstract letters; emphasize initials?), Techie
• "Period" of Logo: Contemporary, New Age, Environmental, Art Deco, Woodblock, Distressed
• Demographics: Whom do you want to reach(connect with, appeal to): age, gender, cultural background, economic class,
  education, sophistication, special affiliations/target group
• Media uses: print(poster & letterhead), web, web animation(flash animation), video, video animation,
  electronic display signage (outdoor signs), "neon" signage
• Size range: small icon (ico file and web logo for web pages up to 16x20" poster to 30' sign/banner.
  Special note: Often a design variant is needed for smaller (ex: 72px) sized logo in order to display clearly on mobile devices. Definitely a reduced graphic (maybe even ONE letter only) design is needed for the tiny .ico files used for web site tabs and shortcuts.
• Color/2-color/B&W: Any limitations for colors used (e.g., will it be used in B&W Xerox copies, etc.)
• Color Scheme: Company/Organizational colors, constraints for working with other graphic elements, Marketing StyleSheet
• Variants:  Do you need variations? (example: Google's holiday/seasonal treatments)
• Topic range: How broad of a topic identification do you want to associate with? Are there any obvious image associations to cluster with; to avoid?
• Look & Feel Response: How do you want your viewer to feel/respond after seeing your logo?
• Digital format: What formats do you need (hi-res for offset printing, web graphic, animation for web and video, etc.)
• Typeface: Do you have any typeface preferences/organizational StyleSheet?

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