OUGD504 STUDIO BRIEF TWO: LOGO RESEARCH

I decided to do a bit of logo research before starting my designs digitally, to see how other designers have created their logos, what the finished product is like, rather than just sketched ideas.

This logo is really interesting how the two initials have been joined together using the ampersand, which was something I was struggling with in my initial sketches stage. The logo has also been paired with the name of the company, as well as just it's initials, and a pattern as well, to show the overall branding of the company. This is something I should consider when producing my logo, how it will work on certain documents and outlets, and whether it will have some sort of pattern to accompany it.

This logo design is useful as it not only is a logotype but these photographs show how it is applied to different products such as envelopes and cards. The logo is adapted for each different product, although as you can see it all still have the same aesthetic.

I really like the use of a simple border around the logo, as it gives the type something extra, making it more than a logotype which can be a little simple. Because of the small flicks on the end of the lines, this creates a much more sophisticated appearance, and also much more french when paired with the foreign language title. With each of the border's sections being their own weight, this creates a simple, minimal appearance, one that is very clean, which contrasts nicely with the serif typeface of the text. 

This logo also uses a border around serif type, only the border is leaves in the shape of a strawberry, with an actual strawberry where the stem should be. This border combined with the serif type for the text creates a very sophisticated, feminine appearance. The logo as a whole all being in the same colour, red, cuts down costs as well, and makes it appear not as complex as it could do if more colours were used as it is quite a complex design with many elements, and could easily look over crowded.

This logo comprises of both text and a very simple pattern, which has been applied to their products and uniform very easily. It is a very simple pattern and immediately I don't understand it's meaning or significance for the brand, however as a pattern the brand is recognised by it works really well as it is very eye catching and minimal. The green colour also reflects the fact that this is an environmentally friendly company, which is very clear from the photographs. The kind of message I want to show with my logo is something I must be careful with as I could accidentally send off the wrong message.

This page of logotype examples showed me how a simple logo isn't necessarily a bad thing, as long as it has something that can set itself aside as being more than just text. For example the "b" and "a" in the Banner logo are somehow joined together, which creates a very interesting quirk. 

Researching these existing logos has shown me that simple isn't necessarily a bad thing, however your logo does have to have something about it to make it memorable and stand out against others. I have also found out that logos must be crisp and clean, they must look finished rather than in progress. I have also learnt to keep my colours simple, as this way my logo won't look over complicated and will be easier to put onto different products and outlets as well.