The Art of Logo Graphic Design

Simple is almost always is better
Research is important
Trial and error is the norm

When it comes to designing a logo graphic, simple is always best. Busy logos are hard to understand and leave a negative impression on the viewer. Since the goal of any good logo is to bring attention to a brand, you want to design a logo that will be easily recognizable when people see it. Logo graphic design is not always an exact image. Often logos are very stylistic or even symbolic. Think the Nike swoosh. In itself, it has nothing to do with shoes. But the "swoosh" is symbolic of the Greek goddess Nike (goddess of victory). So, you can see how symbolism can play an important role in coming up with ideas for a logo design. It is simple and effective.

Logo graphic design is a process. You cannot just sit down, doodle a few things and be done with it. Often a logo designer will have many, many drawings and sketches of widely varying ideas. In the end they may come back to that first one they sketched, but they explored every avenue to get there. Even then, the design still needs to be refined to the point of perfection (or at least what you feel is perfection).

There are some important things to note in logo graphic design. First, always begin designing in black and white. This helps you to better see the contrast of the design and how it works together. Later, once the form is set, you can go back and play with color. Also, don't forget to consider the negative space. This is the space not filled by graphic or text. Sometimes, the negative space can have the biggest impact on a logo design. Anyone else ever noticed the arrow between the E and the X in the FedEx logo? Sneaky, huh? The Fed Ex logo makes excellent use of negative space.