Pavlovian Conditioning or Classical Conditioning is a psychological behavior in which the subject recognizes an object unconsciously. It is type of unconscious or automated learning process which creates a conditioned response through associations between an unconditioned stimulus and a neutral stimulus. Let’s simplify this definition with an example. Recall your childhood and imagine the ringtone of the Popsicle Bikes. As a child when you were busy playing in the park and you heard the bell ringing and you rushed towards the bicycle to get the ice cream. Without looking you understood that it was an icecream-man. How does it work? Because your unconscious understands that this particular tone belongs to the kiosk of your favorite ice cream.
Just like the bell, the logo of any brand works the same. If you see a logo of particular brand, you will instantly know that who it belongs to. A logo is usually the first piece of branding that a potential customer sees. We sense shape and colour before we read when we look at anything. Only if it is sufficient to retain our interest do we begin to read. Designers’ duty is to distil the spirit of a brand into the shape and colour that will last the longest. Designer David Airey gives his 10 golden guidelines of logo design below to assist you in doing exactly that.
01. Do your Research
One of the most interesting parts of being a designer is that you get to learn new things with each project. Every client is different, and even in the same profession, people do their jobs in different ways. Logo design should begin with some groundwork. Getting to know the client and their product well help you choose the strongest design direction and make it easier to get a consensus on your logo design further down the line.
02. Sketchpad is a good Idea
Sketching allows you to place shapes exactly where you want them – there will always be time afterwards to digitise your markings (see our sketching tips for more advice). When presenting design concepts to customers prior to digitising a mark, it might also be good to give some drawings. This allows them to visualise the end outcome without being distracted by fonts and colours, which may often cause clients to discard an entire concept. But don’t disclose too much; simply your finest ideas.
03. Black and White often Works
It’s hard to save a bad concept with an attractive colour scheme, whereas a good idea will still be great regardless of colour. When you think of a well-known sign, you usually think of the form first, followed by the palette. It’s the lines, forms, and concept that matter, whether it’s an apple bite, three parallel stripes, four connected circles in a horizontal line, or anything else. Black and White is always a safe bet. If you are confused about a colour pallet go for something that is simple and not daring.
04. It’s Best to Keep your Logo Appropriate
A logo design must be appropriate for the concepts, beliefs, and activities it symbolises. An attractive typeface will look better in a high-end restaurant than in a children’s daycare. Similarly, a colour scheme of brilliant pink and yellow is unlikely to help your message connect with male retirees. And, regardless of the sector, creating a mark that resembles a swastika isn’t going to succeed. You are aware of these things, and they may appear to be self-evident, yet appropriateness extends beyond this. The more relevant your explanation for a certain design, the easier it will be to sell the concept to a customer.
05. Make your logo design easy to recall
A good logo design is memorable, helping a company to remain in the mind of a potential buyer despite competition from other businesses for their attention. How can that be accomplished? Simplicity is the keyword here. A basic logo may frequently be remembered after only a quick glance, which is not feasible with a highly complex design.
06. But make sure your logo is Different
Be innovative. Best logo are always the ones which comes out of the box. If a company’s rivals all use the same typographic style, the same colour palette, or a symbol positioned to the left of the brand name, this is an excellent chance to differentiate your client rather than blend in. Trying something new might make your logo design stand out.
07. Consider the wider brand identity
We seldom see a logo in complete isolation. It is often shown in the context of a website, a billboard, a business card, an app icon, or a variety of other supports and applications. A client presentation should contain important touchpoints that demonstrate how the logo appears to potential customers. When you’re caught in a rut, it might help to take a step back and look at the broad picture, to see where you are and what you’re surrounded by. In terms of design, the wider picture includes every possible object on which your logo design may appear. Always analyse how the identity operates in the absence of the logo.
08. Don’t be too literal
A logo does not have to depict what a firm does. In fact, it is generally preferable if it does not. More abstract markings are frequently more durable. Historically, you’d exhibit your factory, or even a heraldic crest if it was a family-run firm, but symbols don’t tell the storey of what you do. Instead, they make it quite plain who you are. When associations can be created between what the firm does and the shape and colour of its mark, the meaning of the mark in the eyes of the public is added later.
09. Remember symbols aren’t essential
A logo does not necessarily have to be a symbol. A customised wordmark may often work effectively, especially when the firm name is distinctive – see Google, Mobil, or Pirelli. Don’t be tempted to overdo the design flair simply because the attention is on the lettering. Legibility is essential for every wordmark, and your presentations should illustrate how your ideas operate at all sizes, large and tiny. Of course, words don’t always work in extremely tiny applications, therefore adjustments may be required.
10. Make people smile
Finally, including a little wit into your logo design not only makes your job more enjoyable, but it may also help your customer become more successful. It is not suited for every brand or business (obviously not for weapons manufacturers or cigarette companies, but whether you wish to collaborate with such companies is another matter). However, organisations in the less controversial legal and financial areas are distinguished by stuffy and antiseptic branding. Including a sense of humour in such customers’ identities can help them stand out.