“Design is the silent ambassador of your brand.”, according to Paul Randall, an art director and graphic designer. Such a saying is true. A logo is a way for customers to recognize and remember a brand. From well-known brands to startups, the best logo conveys a message in an aesthetically pleasing way. So, it’s essential to stay with the trends to make a logo relevant and stand out from the crowd. To bring some inspiration, here are the top 6 creative logo designs to inspire you.
Characteristics of a Successful Logo
First, let’s discuss the characteristics of a successful logo. A successful logo design doesn’t equate to business success. But it can lay a foundation for its discovery to help them succeed.
Distinctive
There are 1.5 million brands globally. As such, there’s stiff competition to get the customers’ attention. A logo design should be distinctive to separate a brand’s identity. Make one that is not like another brand to avoid confusing your customers. It doesn’t have to be unique in its entirety. You can play with the colors, fonts, sizes, and shapes to make it exclusive. Have you ever seen a mermaid in green like that of Starbucks? How does the number 31 appear between the BR logo of Baskin Robbins? Are the chocolates of Toblerone mined from the Matterhorn Mountain?
Memorable
There are plenty of ways to make a logo design well-remembered. First, it should be distinct, relevant, and straightforward. Then, you have to consider the elements that catch the customers’ eyes. Color is the first thing people notice in a logo. Next to it is the image or shape and then the typography. Active Facebook users know that Mark Zuckerberg is color blind, and blue is the only color he could well identify. The castle of Disney makes a family remember the whimsical adventure it offers. In 2015, Google changed its logo font into product sans. This font is flexible, even in constrained spaces like that of a mobile phone.
Relevant
Every industry has a particular field or niche. Specific colors, fonts, and images related to them. Pink is a girly color, while blue is boyish. Serif fonts are formal, while squashy fonts are hip and fun. Do you think little girls would love a blue barbie doll? Will Fruit of the Loom put vegetable images on their logo? A logo design must be relevant to one’s field, industry, or niche.
Scalable
Today, scalability is the most vital characteristic of creative logo design. We display logos on different platforms. You can see them in favicons, mobile ads, social media, etc. A scalable creative logo design is clear or readable in any size. GE, HP, and Walmart’s logo stand out as very scalable. The limited colors and letters allow a clear view of these creative logo designs in different sizes.
Simple
The top 100 businesses in the world have refined and simple logo designs. It’s because a compound design is hard to understand. Think of Coca-Cola, FedEx, and Google. Their logos are aesthetic versions of their names. The same thing with f Apple, Shell, and Target; these famous brands use literal images to be recognized by their customers. Remember that a logo functions as a brand identity. Thus, it should be something easy to understand.
Companies with the Most Recognizable Logo Designs
After knowing the elements of a successful logo, here are the top 6 companies using creative logo designs that have been an inspiration for ages.
Apple
Like Isaac Newton, an influential 16th century, Apple is a prominent brand for clean and sleek machines. The brand’s original logo is a picture of Newton discovering gravity from a falling apple. Steve Jobs wanted a scalable design. So, he commissioned Rob Janoff to create a new logo. The result was the iconic bitten apple representing computer bytes.
Chanel
Coco Chanel was the first to design less-restricting clothes for women. In 1925, Chanel’s collarless jacket and slim skirt became a hit. It became the so-called Chanel’s iconic suit in white and black accents. The success of the suit was followed by Coco’s next famous design, the little black dress. Since then, Chanel became famous for minimalist fashion, making the Chanel logo distinct. The interlocking Cs represent the founder’s initials. The black color communicates the brand’s belief that less is more.
Coca-Cola
Dr. John Pemberton nailed Coca-Cola’s formula as a tonic for ailment. Initially, it’s made up of cocaine from the coca leaf and caffeine from the Kola nuts. The cocaine content was no longer used since 1903. Pemberton’s bookkeeper, Frank Robinson, suggested the logo in elaborate Spencerian script. The font is very “of the moment” in the 1800s. Robinson also noted that the two Cs work well in advertising. It made Coca-Cola the brand of brands. The font changes over the years, but the drink itself offers timeless happiness.
McDonald’s
The emblem of the Golden Arches at the McDonald’s logo has a fabulous story. The McDonald’s brothers initially opened a drive-thru in Monrovia and relocated to San Bernardino. To remodel the business, they hired Stanley Clark Meston to build a stylish restaurant design. Since then, the fast-food chain has been recognized for these golden arches globally. To make its logo relevant, they used the golden arches to form the yellow McDonald’s M-shape.
Nike
Because Greeks started the Olympics, Nike gets its name from the Greek goddess of victory. In 1971, Carolyn Davidson designed the Swoosh logo of Nike. Swoosh is the sound we hear when something zips so fast. It represents the athletic style of Nike characterized by motion and speed. Since then, the simple logo has been the brand of athletes.
Starbucks
The logo of Starbucks came from a seductive mermaid of the sea. It’s because Starbucks got its name from a nautical character. The green color is what makes it unique. It represents the freshness of the coffee beans they’re serving. The logo evolved in style since 1971, but the distinctive green color remains.
Today, you don’t need to hire a graphic designer to make a creative logo. It’s so easy to find a free logo creator no watermark included. They are easy to use and give you no cost. However, as mentioned, logo design is only the tip of the iceberg. There’s much more to do for a brand to succeed.
