The Art & Science of Logo Design

In today’s visual world, your brand’s logo design can be all the difference between success and struggle of your brand. A logo is the face of your brand, if I ask you to imagine Nike what is the first thing that came to your mind? Their shoe? No, I’m sure for most of us, it's their iconic swoosh.
Such is the power of a logo!

Picture this. You are driving on a busy street and a series of cafés on either sides of the road are trying to steal your attention. How do you decide which one would you try? In addition to the logo, the larger brand identity - including facade design, café ambience, colours, use of materials, textures, lighting etc. - all should be narrating a unified story. You can make your choice in an instant, and wonder what drew you inside that café. Such is the power of branding. Logo is the face of the brand. But, it needs to be tied

to Brand’s Purpose and DNA. All of it needs to narrate a strong message about your brand. 

A logo is not only a graphical exercise.

There’s a lot of thought and research that goes into creating a logo for your brand with the right colour and your brand story. A logo needs to be simple yet elegant. It could be as small as a favicon or seen in half - it should be memorable and identifiable.

Did you know, in just 400 milliseconds, a logo can trigger emotional & behavioural responses? Neuroscience tells us that logos and brands behind them can activate parts of your brain in a much deeper manner that you may think.

A study conducted by researchers at the Amsterdam University found that logos start playing with your subconscious mind at a very early stage of life, they found that children of 2-3 years of age could easily recall a logo and the product it represents in 67% of cases. 

Have you heard of the golden ratio? The golden ratio is 1:1.16 derived by mathematical principles that is found in nature elements, space matter, and even sound waves. It has a pleasing nature and is used in art, paintings, music, architecture, and design for over thousands of years. Studies have shown that anything that contains the Golden ratio is perceived as beautiful, perfect and harmonious, even if we are unaware of it. 

Not all logos need to be designed as per “Golden Ratio”, but the logos that are, remain timeless and classic. Logo Design process is not as simple as having a team of graphic designers making some sketches or illustrating ideas. It needs to have a meaning, behind every stroke, every pixel, every curve. Meaningful brand identities can inspire trust and association. Let’s do it methodically.

Get help from a professional Branding Agency for your logo design.

Read more about Types of Logos & their uses here.

Article contributed by:

Riya Wadhwa, Brand Artisan - Marketing