TheArtOfDesigningaLogo

A document by MichaelErickson.

Read it now!

Here's a brief summary of ideas. However, don't let it substitute for the real thing.

Introduction:

Logos are about who you are.
Clean ink words are good.
Conservative style, if you want to last for a long time.
Style is important, but message is most important.

Choosing an image:

Pick an analogy or metaphor that brings the idea to life.
Tell a story with the image.

Building a logo:

Brain storm as a group.
Thumbnail sketches.
Cycle through proposals until you get the killer logo.
Make sure it converts to paper, can be photocopied, put in web pages, etc.,.
Keep file in a generic format.
Mind the color: Does it go to black & white?

Avoid:

Words.

Finally:

The message is the most important thing.

Discussion

This is so useful! We're coming up with a logo right now on the InterWiki wiki, going through the motions right now.

I wanted to ask: Can we use nifty stylized logo, if we revisit it in the future?

Say, five years in the future, you say, "Hey, let's get our energy back together again." People start getting active and furious again, moving here and there, and they say, "Let's throw out this old thing." Make a new logo.

Is that realistic?

There's something to freshness, and being timely.

I'm trying to think: "What is a good analogy or metaphor for developing standard wiki page transfer systems?"

I like the logo we've decided on right now, but I want to just, as an experiment, try it like suggested here.

I'm immediately thinking: A standard is supported by many people. So, a bunch of people holding something up. What are they holding up? The page transfer system. Perhaps it can be represented as two spheres with a pipe going between them. But we want it to represent wiki, and Inter-wiki isn't just pipes between wiki- it can also be purely social dispute resolution, and things like that.

Hmm.. Any thoughts?

-- LionKimbro 2004-04-14 19:04:50

Also, InterWiki doesn't just connect machines or abstract spheres. It connects people and communities.

So, a bunch of people holding up 2 other groups of people, and then something connecting those 2 groups ?

A bunch of people pulling up 2 elevator-cars full of other people, then letting them out of the box so they can talk to each other ?

-- DavidCary 2008-10-15 00:49:07

Interesting! I feel the need to whip out SodiPodi, but I'll need to take my daughter to pre-school soon; Maybe later.

-- LionKimbro 2004-04-15 15:47:05

How about some imagery that reflects an integrated network. Maybe like 3 or 4 little "splash" icons (to suggest dynamic energy) linked together with flow arrows or "rivers of thought" - like a little model in a postage stamp? Put some of the splashes forward (larger) and some smaller so it appears 3 dimensional - but not very complex so it will shrink down small...

-- MichaelErickson 2008-10-15 00:49:08

This has always been the big difficulty for me too: getting all the elements in there but keeping it simple enough to be a good logo. There are times when I really like complex logos. A lot of cereal boxes, manga and other comix, etc. have great, complex designs. They often don't need to shrink down very small, or have developed alternative-but-related logos for decomposition to B&W or tiny versions. -- MurrayAltheim 2008-10-15 00:49:08