Iconic logo design
“A truly enviable iconic design will also be simple, relevant, enduring, distinctive, memorable, and adaptable”. In the third chapter of Logo Design Love, David Airey explains the seven key factors of an iconic logo design.
These seven factors are:
Keep it simple Simplicity makes it easier for the audience to remember
Make it relevant The logo must be relevant to the industry it represents - however, it doesn’t need to be direct, it should always be full of meaning.
Incorporate tradition Trends are not forever - it changes like the wind blows. Therefore, to make an iconic design, tradition is key and makes the logo relevant for a much longer period of time.
Aim for distinction The logo should be easily recognizable - its shape or outline should be enough to understand it.
Commit to memory One glance it all it takes to make an impression - this time should be enough for your audience to remember it.
Think small The logo should work on the size of one inch (2,54 cm) without any loss of detail (again, simplicity is key)
Focus on one thing You should only incorporate one thing/feature of your design. That’s it.
At last, Mr. Airey points out that rules are meant to be broken - however one needs to understand the rules to know how to break them. I think that his last comment is truer than each of the factors - these exact rules apply to many logos, but not all companies need the same. Generally, rules are good to keep in mind, but rules often cancel out creativity and the ability to create new paths. Therefore it is important to know when one needs to be creative and when one needs to be practical.
