Many times when companies are asked “What’s the difference between a logo and a brand,” they will respond with the question, “Isn’t a logo and a brand the same thing?” A logo and a brand are in fact two different things that must work together to sell a product. A logo is an easily recognizable, reproducible design that often includes a name, symbol, or trademark. The logo is a visual representation of the brand’s message. A well designed logo should induce emotion or memory to the viewers’ relationship with the brand. The logo is used to communicate and represent the brand. The brand is everything that differentiates and identifies one business or product from another. The brand encompasses communications, visual design, the target audience, the marketing and the experience that the audience has with the product. The logo, by itself, is a graphic element with a name and the brand is the communication strategy used to connect with the target audience. When the logo and the brand cohesively connect, the business can reach its’ target audience, share its’ values and attract more attention.
Designers often face issues when it comes to designing a logo for a business or product. Designers face an increasingly complex landscape when it comes to copyright and intellectual property. A single idea or concept can be expressed and utilized in dozens of different formats and media platforms and because of this it is difficult for designers to control ownership and usage of their work. Today, we live in a remix culture where designs can be remixed and produced back out into media platforms. Though, the work is different from the original, the ideas were sourced from the original artist. Registering a copyright is the simplest way to protect designs without someone copying or using your work without permission.
Designers use principles to help make design decisions. The principles of design are about how to communicate ideas and concepts graphically. When designing something many decisions must be made throughout the process. The designer has to decide what features to include and what not to include, what the design is trying to convey to the audience and why. Designers have to think about typeface, color, spacing, etc. An important aspect of the design principles is unity. Unity allows the designer to make sure every part of the design works together and towards the same purpose. To help make decisions about the design, the designer develops a concept to lead them down a general path of design decisions reducing an infinite amount of options. The principle of unity provides a roadmap to decisions that come after, making the design process easier on the designer.
Design principles make logo design slightly easier for the designer, however logo design is still exceptionally challenging. How do you create a simple symbol that represents an entire company? This is a large task, which requires a connection between the designer and the business. Without this connection the designer will not be able to properly convey the company through the logo. The logo also has to be different from all other logos out there and look good on all forms of media platforms and printed work. Designers commit to a challenging task when designing a logo for a business but through knowledge of the business and following the design principles, the designers task can be completed efficiently.
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