A general rule of thumb in logo design is that when you have an original business / product name (ie. Sony, Kodak or Sega) you should keep the design very simple (like all logo designs) and in some cases, this means having no logo at all.
The definition of a logo without a mark / symbol, is a logotype and with a few small, appropriate modifications to a typeface (in this case Gotham Black) you can create a powerful brand identity.
Below you will find a diagram of a logotype designed for a recent client of mine – a business management consulting firm based in Brazil.
In this case, I modified the letters E & L to have angled slopes and to keep consistency, the angles are parallel with the angles found in the letter A , which also has a slight modification.
I am in the process of designing the rest of Beolchi Rangel’s marketing material but below you can see how another element has been brought into the design to help create the whole identity.
Have you ever designed a logotype? Did you find it difficult selling the idea to the client?
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September 10th, 2009 at 6:27 PM
I did modify some letters of a font to make a logotype for a uni assignment not too long ago. Lecturer didn’t say much about it, though for me the hardest part is finding a good font that would express places values. How do you go about finding the right font?
Sorry if you’ve already posted on that topic :)
September 10th, 2009 at 6:56 PM
Dainen,
It depends on the project of course – whether it be print, web, logo, etc. but most of the time it comes down to research on the needs of the client.
I actually have a post on how to choose a font? which summarises it. Thanks Dainen.
September 10th, 2009 at 9:41 PM
I never made a logo without changing the type, at least the spaces between the letters … etc
Thanks for the article and i like the logo, good work as usual.
September 10th, 2009 at 10:37 PM
Thanks Jacob, that really helps.
I will remember to take into account the end products characteristics – one important matter I’ve probably missed out a few times. The link to typies.blogpot.com is also great.
Keep the articles coming. Thanks for being a great source of information :)
September 11th, 2009 at 7:53 PM
Hi Jacob, yes I’ve done quite a few logotypes and it’s always a tricky balance. If you’re too subtle the client will wonder what you’ve done for your money (ie just typed out their name) and if you go too far the original elegance and balance of the typeface will be lost while trying to make a brand out of it. Good design is somewhere in the middle isn’t it?
September 14th, 2009 at 3:24 PM
No worries Dainen.
Mark,
Yes, balance, in combination with what you are trying to communicate is the key… though balance is not always essential.
For this particular logo, I first presented some logo concepts (not logotypes) which were valid solutions but in the end, I felt the logotype was the best decision and thankfully the client agreed (with a bit of persuasion / educating).
September 15th, 2009 at 7:09 AM
Like it, though I’m seeing quite alot of the use of Gotham around, it is a fantastic font
September 15th, 2009 at 1:58 PM
Hello, Jacob. For the short time – very short, relatively speaking- that I’ve put into identity work and graphic design, I discovered your site early on and I do appreciate your knowledge, experience and helpfulness. I’ve bookmarked and refer to some of your past posts(Ultimate List of Best Logo Design Resources, Jeff Fisher’s Interview and 99 Graphic Design Resources).
In that vein, I was pleasantly to discover Logo of the Day and just recently, this blog. And now, look what you’ve gone and done! This post, though succinct, has loads of great advice for a noob.
Thanks much and keep up the good stuff!
September 16th, 2009 at 9:53 PM
Glad to be of help Gerard, I am sure you will pass on your knowledge once the time comes.
September 23rd, 2009 at 6:17 PM
I was always under the impression that a logo is necessary to make the brand memorable. Logotypes seem to be catching on in the market, and I am quite impressed by the designs I am seeing.
September 25th, 2009 at 10:41 PM
So:
Logo = mark + logotype
Logotype = logo – mark ?
Because there’s a lot of confusion about this subject, especially for starters and even more in other languages.
For example, in italian, logo is an abbreviation of logotype, and if you are talking about more than 1 logo, you can’t say “logos” (loghi, in italian) but have to stick with “logo”.
September 26th, 2009 at 10:44 PM
Hi Alessandro,
A logotype is essentially a logo made out of type which in itself creates the logo. Check out this post on types of logos for further clarification.
January 8th, 2010 at 10:04 PM
This is depends on project for designer is going for. Thank you very informative article.
February 26th, 2010 at 4:53 PM
Nice article..I tell my friend to read this and bookmark..
March 4th, 2010 at 8:38 AM
Great typography skills and the end result looks fantastic. This was a really interesting post to read especially with the highlighted logo type changes. Thanks for sharing, great work.