All posts from Logo Design Blog

Microsoft, in a latest series of development, has got caught up in a logo design controversy on the blogosphere. The mystery developed when a video leaked on YouTube from the Microsoft Global Exchange (MGX) conference presumably presenting Microsoft 2011 brand logos. While the original video cannot be accessed after being pulled down, some snippets are still available that reveal new conceptual logos for Windows, Windows Phone, Xbox, Bing and Office.

 

The Real Upcoming Slogan – Be What’s Next!
Apparently, the real purpose of the conference was to unveil a new slogan to go with the Microsoft logo. This was the only part of the video that the Redmond Company confirmed. Microsoft will be getting a new motto to go along with its logo design. According to the software giant the new tagline is “Be What’s Next.”  Users should expect to see this motto on Microsoft products in the near future.

 

 

New Brand Logos or Concepts?
A few months back confusion caused Apple logo design folly to surface. This video does the same for Microsoft. It shows a fast moving sequence of morphing logos, shifting from Windows logo, to Windows Phone logo, Xbox logo, Bing logo, and finally the Office logo. While Microsoft clarified that the designs shown in the MGX were merely illustrating the “flexibility” of the software giant’s brands.

 

 

Following images are quiet blur, as these are the snippets sliced from the available videos, picked them from engadget.com so you could have a quick look for each of the brand logos concept.

 

Windows Logo Design Concept:

 

Windows Phone Logo Design Concept:

 

XBOX Logo Design Concept:

 

Bing Logo Design Concept:

 

MS Office Logo Design Concept:

 

Question of the Post?

 

Regardless of the confusion, I find the concept of flexibility of Microsoft’s logo morphing into their product logos, quite creative. Do you think that these concept logos should be implemented in reality?

 

So you’ve just entered into the field of logo design and you’re trying to figure out…how much will I be earning? You’re wondering how much does an average graphic/logo designer earn in the US? Well, think no more! Recently, I came across this comprehensive and in depth survey conducted jointly by AIGA and Aquent. They have presented a detailed metropolis-wise average salary estimate of US graphic designers for 2010.
This extensive analysis will help designers of all spheres to evaluate their worth at their appropriate level and experience. You don’t really need to ascertain the cost of famous logos to calculate how much you can earn. Simply examine the salary trends that have taken place over the past 10 years and analyze your current market worth as a logo designer worth.

 

Salaries of US Designers at Various Stages:

 

Factors that determine a logo designer’s salary:

But before going to the survey part, let us first discuss the factors that are involved in estimating the real salary of a graphic/logo designer. Bear in mind that salary estimate requires an extensive research on the market and logo designers need to develop their pricing structure on the basis of various extraneous aspects as well.

The level of experience of a graphic/logo designer.

The type, scale and magnitude of the logo design project you are working on.

The location (region) you are working in.

The variable overhead expenditures incurred in the logo design project.

Will you be charging a fixed fee or on an hourly basis?

 

US Graphic/Logo Designer Salary Survey:

Following is the extensive analysis performed by AIGA and presented by Aquent. The map below shows the average salaries earned by “Solo Designers” in each region of US.

 

Following chart illustrates the average salaries that graphic/logo designers earn in major cities of US.

 

Designer compensation trend (2000–2010):

The following graph shows the trend of compensation received by graphic designers of various levels over the past 10 years.

 

You can also view the rest of the survey results along with an interactive salary calculator tool at www.designsalaries.org.

 

Do you think that the average salary surveyed is appropriate? How much do you earn as a logo designer? Did these stats help you analyze your worth?

 

 

 

 

Imagine just for a second that you weren’t a logo designer. No need to get scared folks…just visualize yourself for a minute as someone who knows nothing about the field of logo design. What would you have been then? I’m sure that many of you can’t even think of being anything other than a logo/graphics designer. This also applies to the people belonging to other professions.
Being completely honest, everyone would agree that professions are driven by the need to earn. But equally strong is the passion for the work. A person’s occupational destiny is motivated by either money or passion. Today I wish to list few absurd but probable suggestions that you could have ended up if you hadn’t been what you are right now.

 

1. Professional Footballer:

Yes, this is one of the several vague possibilities that you could have become. Imagine yourself playing with the likes of Cristiana Ronaldo, Kaka and David Beckham. Instead of designing logos on the PC, you would be designing play moves and tactics on the field. You might even make it to the FIFA World Cup 2014. But the question is…would you really want that over being a logo designer?

 

 

2. Rocket Scientist:

Now this is one place a nerdy designer could have ended up easily. Picture yourself as a rocket scientist, instead of learning the history and future of logo design, you would be studying about aeronautical engineering and the laws of aerodynamics. Notwithstanding the fact that it is one of the coolest jobs to do, but you have to ask this from yourself…are you really built for it?

 

 

3. Actor / Model:

So…you dream of starring in a movie? Or maybe desire appearing in a popular brand commercial as a model. What would your world be like had you chosen to be an actor/model and not a logo designer? While I know that the logo design world might not have much of the glitz and glamour, but it’s not always the fame and money that drive a person’s ambitions. Would you have preferred being an actor or a model over being a graphic or logo designer?

 

 

4. Frustrated Dad/Husband:

This is one place nobody would want to wind up in. This is the worst case scenario that you can think of ending up in. This is the frustrated and unemployed person who is constantly struggling to make a living and at the same time face the taunts of his wife and kids. Wouldn’t want to end up there would you? This is where you must be glad that at least you’re a logo designer.

 

 

5. Psychic Doctor:

This one tops the charts. Imagine you weren’t a logo designer and you also couldn’t find another profession to work in. You might probably end up becoming a psychic doctor. Now wouldn’t that be perfect? Far away from the logo designing mistakes, you are dealing with mental patients all day long. Talk about dealing with clients who don’t pay.

 

 

You Decide:
What would you have chosen to be if you were not a graphic/logo designer? Regardless of what you are right now and the choices I gave, what is your dream job? Does this question dread you “if you were not a logo designer, then where you would have been?”

 

Every big brand is always built on a powerful and dynamic logo design. Some of them are backed by a just a single letter while others are a product of multiple letters composed into a meticulous design. Remember the golden arched “M” logo design? How it flashes into our minds and instantly recalls the McDonalds brand? But then again, not every successful brand has a single letter logo. Other brands are supported by multiple-letter logos like the famous Coca-Cola logo or the Microsoft trademark.
Single-letter logos are more simple and effective and can cause instant brand recall if properly embedded into the hearts and minds of the customers. Moreover, they require utmost creativity on the part of a logo designer to mend and bend a single letter into a suitable and effective message within the logo design. On the other hand, logos with multiple letters give the customers an ease in memorizing the company’s full name. It also gives the logo designer the room to express his creative wisdom.
Today, I have collected an assortment of 24 single and multiple letter logos. This will demonstrate a contrast between both the types and help identify which is more useful.

 
 

Single Letter Logos:

Multiple Letter Logos:

 

Maverick’s Custom Trousers

 

Bender

 

Dol

 

Arturfo

 

ViraLabs

 

Elefont

 

Silk Skin

 

Mozaido

 

Shrink Media

 

Hipocampus

 

Urban Acres Buildcon

 

Utensil labs

 

 

Precision Networking

 

Rhymes from the Rocks

 

Playground

 

Minimum

 

Harvester

 

Chameleon

 

Hand Made Edition

 

IncExpert

 

Shout

 

FORESTAL

 

New Wave

 

Mini Museum Mürren

 

Do you think that the single letter logos are more effective? Or the logos with multiple letters more expressive?

 
 

For those of you who haven’t come through my earlier post, here is a flashback of what this post is regarding. Last week, I discussed 5 dangerous signs that your client won’t pay for your logo. As pledged, I will suggest you some practical ways on how to handle situations where your client won’t pay for your logo design.
You’ve finally completed and submitted your logo design project to your client and are eagerly awaiting your remuneration for your efforts. You wait and wait and wait…but there is no sign of anything! You’re stood up! This is a scenario many logo designers face these days. Not that every client is bad and dishonest but there are a few who can be quite chaotic on money matters.

 

1. Know your client – Is he capable of paying?
First thing you want to make completely sure is that…is your client capable of paying you for the project in the first place? Avoiding the discussion of how much logo designers charge or what are the cost of famous logos, when a client approaches you for a logo design, he must be financially capable of paying you as well. Whether you’re dealing with a large corporation or a small business owner, run a check on his financial conditions and find out his monetary strength. This will prevent you from accepting projects from any defaulter clients.

 

2. Bind your client via contract:
Long gone are the days when business deals used to be sealed through oral agreements. Nowadays, logo designers must emphasize on making contractual agreements with their clients to avoid any default in the future. Binding your clients with a contract legally secures your worries of non-payments. Logo designers must keep a contract for each project they take up with every detail incorporated in it. Set the deadline dates, complete project details, mode of payment and all other terms and conditions.

 

3. Always insist on an advance payment:
You spent the whole week working your brains out over a logo design project and half way in the middle, your client comes up to you and says…“I think I’ll get it designed by my neighbor”. Makes you want to kill yourself, doesn’t it? Hence, the best solution out of this quagmire is to insist on an advance payment before your start the project. Maybe a 10-20 % deposit would make you feel secure, even if the client decides to run away in the middle of the project.

 

4. Deal in installments:
“I don’t have the lump sum amount right now. Do you mind if I pay you later?” Regardless of the amount of truth in this statement, some clients use this bait to bail out of payment. The best thing to avoid this kind of situation is to deal in installments. Formulate a payment plan before the contractual agreement and make the client abide by it. In this way, at any stage if the client decides to abandon the project, you will still have a portion of your remuneration.

 

5. Don’t show till you get the dough!
Follow the rule of thumb; never be too quick in giving out the files to your clients before he/she makes the complete payment of your fee. You can never be too sure whom to trust. Sometimes, logo designers face shrewd clients who steal the logo design ideas on the pretext of a demo. So it’s better to be safe than sorry. Give the client little bits of the project to see until he does not pay you the whole fee. In a nut shell, don’t show till you get the dough!

 

 

I hope that these practical solutions will help you in solving your payment issues with clients. Please feel free to suggest other useful ways that you employ in handling such situations.

 

Enduring client trouble is every logo designer’s dilemma. While finding more clients is a nuisance itself but dealing with clients that won’t pay for your logo design is even more bothersome. It can be really frustrating for logo designers when they work their entire energy over a certain project and in the end don’t get compensated for their toils and troubles.
While issues over payments and remuneration are a persistent nuisance for logo designers nowadays, we can be sure of one thing…the history of logo design is filled with such cases where clients have made excessive delays in payment or simply didn’t pay the designers at all. Hence it is always better to be prepared for any wrongdoing beforehand.

 

5 Deadly Signs that tell your client won’t pay – Beware:
Although zodiac signs can help you predict your life’s future proceedings, it might not help in telling the signs that your client will not be paying you. Here are five sure shot signs that indicate your clients won’t pay you for your logo design.

 

1. Not answering your calls:
Being busy to answer a call is acceptable but when your client does not respond to your calls over several days, you can be sure that you’ve been stood up. This the most dangerous sign that indicates you’re not going to get paid by your client for your logo design. You might presume, for a few days that the client is stuck in an emergency. But when you don’t get a call or email, it shows that the client does not want to get the job done and compensate you.

 

 

2. Starts showing lack of interest in the project:
All of a sudden, you start noticing that your client isn’t keen in listening to your suggestions and has stopped taking interest in your logo design process. Voila! That’s a clear cut sign that he has lost interest in getting the logo designed and wants to just run away without paying you a penny. You can try testing your client’s enthusiasm over a few days and if it continues, then you can be sure to say good bye to your remuneration.

 

 

3. Makes delay in payments:
When you’re dealing with clients who pay in installments, you can observe some critical signals of not getting the full reimbursement. When your payments are arriving extremely late, you can be sure that your client isn’t willing to pay you the whole fee. Moreover, delay in payments when your client’s check bounces is another dangerous sign that you will not be getting compensated for your labors.

 

 

4. Continuously mocks you designs:
Client criticism is a normal thing for logo designers to bear. But when your client constantly mocks your work saying foolish things like “My 5-year-old daughter can make a better logo design than you”, you can be certain that he is seriously going to ask his daughter. Clients can come up with lame reasons of getting a logo designed even by their neighbor. Hence, the next time you hear you client coming up with silly notions, be prepared to get dumped.

 

 

5. Asks you to postpone the project for a while:
“Hey, could you just hold the logo design for a few days? Rain check! ” When you hear these words from a client, you can be most certain that he’s running away. It’s not the project that’s being held up, it’s you who is being stood up in the middle of your efforts. What happens here is that some clients spend quality time with designers and in the middle of the project, ditch them while robbing them of their remuneration and logo design ideas.

 

 

 

Have you ever faced any of the above signs from your clients? Do you have another sign that can indicate your client won’t pay?

 

With the passage of time, the logo design industry has evolved into a highly developed and organized field. Although brand identities were created way before the technological age, the new technology age tools and expertise have made designing logos extremely easier and better in quality. Although it is not easy to discover the origins and history of logo design, we can still analyze its future trends and prospects.
We have witnessed many famous logo designers in the past who have stamped their name in the logo design field. But let us focus on contemporary logo designers for a change. The modern-day logo design world is blessed with countless designers who possess immense creative talent and flair. Today’s post features 20 of the most outstanding logos created by the designers of the contemporary logo design world. Have a look at these commendable works.

 

Bop Entertainment

 

Camora

 

Colossal

 

Creative Library

 

Dai Sushi

 

Enable Holding

 

Face to Face

 

Inquiring

 

Loin Bird

 

Live at the Moment

 

 

 

Mark Edmunds Associates

 

Mini Museum Mürren

 

Namyslow Airport

 

New Wave

 

One1

 

Perfect Crowd

 

Push the Bottle

 

ThinkTank

 

Vivid Vogue

 

WYY Water

 

 

Which of the logos displayed the best contemporary work?

 
 

The all-famous Apple logo design is in no need for introductions and praises. Designed by Rob Janoff, the Apple logo design has witnessed a series of alterations. A few days back, site carrying unreal news related to Apple, published a joke piece about apple redesigning its logo. The irony was that this news is being spread on renowned blogs as well, creating heaps of confusion among the masses.

 

 

How this sardonic tale started:
The apple logo folly is another addition to the logo design controversies hitting the blogosphere. The drama started when Scoopertino.com, a site posting fake news related to Apple Inc, floated a wild story involving its logo redesign. The satirical website alleged that Jonathan Ive, Industrial Designer at Apple, decided to remove the Apple from the apple logo, leaving only a leaf in the logo design. Scoopertino goes on further satirically adding a picturing showing an unreal brand campaign with the leaf logo and a fake apple iMac carrying the spoof leaf logo.

 

 

Promoters of the misinterpretation:
The ironic part of this whole incident was that two of the most recognized logo design blogs endorsed the Apple logo redesign joke. Logolounge.com and imjustcreative.com have seemingly promoted this unreal news without prior verification. Although, Apple Inc is a very attractive subject to write about, but spreading unrealistic stories about famous brands can be misleading for the readers.

 

Unreal news trend – right or wrong?
Even though the site spreading unreal news claims to be a parody site, spreading news like these on the blogosphere can be misleading for the common people. Don’t you think that publishing fake news with such brazenness is somewhat out of the humor limits? Also, is promoting this fake news from unreliable sources without proper verification correct? You be the judge!!!

 

 

Since its inception in May 21, 2010, the US Cyber Command (USCYBERCOM) has been in the news largely because of the mystery behind its logo. Apart from its fancy logo design, the real attention getter was the strange string of characters inscribed in the inner gold ring of the logo. As it turns out, there really was a secret message inscribed in the US Cyber Command logo after all.
This was another addition to the series of logo design controversies particularly relating to US Government departments. A few months back, the US Department of Defense’s Missile Defense Agency was in the limelight for its similarities with the Islamic crescent and the Iranian Space Agency logo.

 

Where is the Secret Code?
At a first glance, it might evade the viewer, but at a closer perusal of the logo, you will find that the US Cyber Command emblem consists of 32 random characters “9ec4c12949a4f31474f299058ce2b22a” embedded in its inner gold ring. Online technology magazine Wired.com was the first to bring this to notice and launched a contest to solve the puzzling cryptogram.

 

 

What does the code mean?

9ec4c12949a4f31474f299058ce2b22a

 

As it turned out, the 32 character hexadecimal code turned out to be an encrypted form of the USCYBERCOM mission statement:

 

USCYBERCOM plans, coordinates, integrates, synchronizes and conducts activities to: direct the operations and defense of specified Department of Defense information networks and; prepare to, and when directed, conduct full spectrum military cyberspace operations in order to enable actions in all domains, ensure US/Allied freedom of action in cyberspace and deny the same to our adversaries.

 

If you enter the above mission statement into an MD5 hash generator, the 32 character string “9ec4c12949a4f31474f299058ce2b22a” inscribed on the USCYBERCOM logo is generated. An extremely perplexing logic behind a logo designed for a Cyber War Agency.

 

Do you think that it was a clever idea for USCYBERCOM to add an encrypted form of their mission statement in the logo design as most people could even not figure it out?

 

Trends are prevalent in every industry and logo design is no exception. Trends and fads enable us to forecast which logo designs will prove to be successful in the year to follow. But the intriguing thing about logos is that you cannot accurately make logo design trend predictions. As the logo design industry flourishes, more and more trends evolve each year.
One of the logo design trends of 2010 is wave logos, referred to as ‘Festoon’ by logolounge. The concept in making these designs is to use waves in such a way so as to create an overlapping and transparent effect. These logos can be used to depict a sign of joyfulness, celebration, calmness and composure.
Here are 22 inspirational logos that perfectly display this phenomenal wave or the festoon effect.

 
 

SoundWires

 

Plastic Whale

 

MediaWaves

 

Boat and Sport Expo

 

EcoFille

 

HeriCDK

 

Art Work Gwinnett

 

Luna Maya

 

SparroWave

 

WaveStage

 

Jplane

 

GoodWaves

 

PartnerShip

 

Fresh Hanger

 

Creative Waves

 

FireTail

 

io One

 

ColorWave

 

Travel World

 

Vatchr

 

The Zen Web

 

The Point

 

 
 

Do you think that the wave logo design trend will be successful in 2010?

 
 

 
 

We’ve heard of the old proverb “Too many cooks spoil the broth”, but there is a new maxim that logo designers must ponder … “Too many elements spoil the logo”. Sometimes, it is difficult to realize as to what makes a memorable logo? There is no arguing the fact that simplicity and minimalism is the key to perfection. As the great Leonardo da Vinci himself puts it…Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.
We have witnessed many logo designs fail, even though they were created by maestros. Using the design elements in disarray is the biggest reason for the downfall of many logos. Although embellished and decorated logos may look good in the mock-up version, but it doesn’t appear the same in the implemented form.

 

Absurd Symbols and Shapes:
Adding too many symbols and icons that have no pertinence to the logo always proves to be catastrophic. Recall the infamous London 2012 logo. Inspite of the fact that it was designed by the famous logo designer Wolff Olins, it proved to be a disaster. The biggest criticism it faced was its vague shapes used to denote 2012. The logo altogether became a clutter.

 

Busy and Cluttered look:  
Loading a logo with too many design elements hides its main message. A case in point is the Burnley logo design which looks nothing more than a clutter of rubber bands of various colors intermingled into a complex knot. Neither does the logo in any way signify the city, nor is it fitting for an official logo.

 

Using scribbled fonts:
Font is a critical aspect of t a logo design. Using appropriate font type is crucial in designing brand identities. Fonts in logo design signify the degree of gravity and professionalism of an entity. You might remember the France tourism logo redesign last year. Its typeface was highly censured for its informal and childish look.

 

Too vivid can be too vague:
Although it is true that colors add life to a logo design, but too vivid can become too vague. The use of color is closely associated with human psychology. That is why use of colors must be appropriate and pertinent to the brand identity. A big logo design disaster was Kraft’s new logo which contains a burst of colors at the end of a red ‘smile’. This was obviously not a suitable for a large corporation like Kraft’s and did not complement their nature of business.

 

Stick to the essentials:  
In conclusion, logo designers must never overlook the essentials of a logo design…It should be simple, recognizable, comprehendible and meaningful. The design elements should be used in balance so as to create a memorable, distinct, appealing and momentous logo.

 

Google, as we all know, is the prime search engine on the cyberspace. The all famous Google logo is recognized for its multicolored scheme and unique font type. The logo design prompts the question of whether it is the color or symbol that makes a logo unforgettable.
We have heard a lot about Google Doodle contests, but have you ever come across hilarious fake parodies of the Google logos? Many Google logo designs are tailor-made for several occasions and festive days like Christmas, Halloween and Easter. But this innovative stockpile of fake parodies of the Google logos is something that you would surely enjoy.
Although there were plenty of humorous logos to choose from, I have picked out 30 of the funniest logoogles to share with you, courtesy www.logoogle.com

 

1. Google Shrek

 

2. Goooooogle

 

3. Spoogle

 

4. Goofy Google

 

5. Gargle

 

6. “Eye Tester” Google

 

7. Google Code

 

8. Stroodle

 

9. Giggle

 

10. Yahoogle

 

11. Gbay

 

12. Ringoogle

 

13. Gargolye

 

14. Guess Whoogle

 

15. Mc Google

 

16. Google Coke

 

17. Google Pac-Man

 

18. Goggles

 

19. Gaggle

 

20. Gaygle

 

21. Google ?

 

22. Google Burn

 

23. Google Mirror

 

24. Google Stutter

 

25. Google Alert

 

26. Moogle

 

27. Screwgle

 

28. Noodle

 

29. Google Discovery

 

30.
Google Tax Day

 

 

Which of the LoGoOgle did you enjoy the most?