The Nike Swoosh, created by Carolyn Davidson

1. Don’t tell the whole story

A common error many business owners and designers make is wanting to tell the whole story at once. Logos, however, have a very, very limited window of time in which they can communicate a concept – even faster than billboards. They can rarely convey more than one, simple concept at once. A great example of this is the Nike logo which represents a very large company that does many things.  Their logo does not illustrate their retail stores or their training equipment. You don’t see any shoes or gear. Their website and iPod products are all absent. Instead we see a simple mark that quickly and simply illustrates the idea of movement. That’s the core of the Nike brand. It’s a bold concept that is simple to comprehend and is expertly illustrated in their logo.

The Fed Ex logo, created by Lindon Leader

2. Interesting Shapes

Another common error for anyone designing a logo is to focus only on the positive shapes. Many times a new layer of depth can be added to a logo by playing with the negative space. Any good designer will tell you that you need to make sure that your negative space is as interesting as your positive space, but sometimes you can take that to another level completely by using the negative space to tell an additional part of the story. Take the FedEx logo for example. Many people saw this logo for years before they noticed the negative space between the “E” and the “x.”  By tweaking the type very slightly the designer was able to “hide” a forward pointing arrow into the logo and use it as a secondary way of communicating what the brand stands for, which I would take to be something similar to “going.”

The Amazon logo

3. Hidden and Multiple Meanings

You can also hide content or secondary messages into the logo in plain sight. This can really create a subliminal suggestion in the brain and help engrain in the viewer’s mind the concepts you are trying to communicate. One logo that does this very well is the Amazon logo. On first glance you see the word Amazon and notice a little smile underneath it. Ok, so Amazon is happiness. On second glance, you notice this smile is actually an arrow that looks like it’s coming into the word. So Amazon is happiness and it brings it to me. Then, upon a very close inspection you realize the arrow goes from “a” to “z,” suggesting to the view that Amazon’s got everything from A to Z to bring me happiness.  I think it’s very clever and certainly gets the brand’s position across, whether you notice it at first or not.

4. Update

Old Science Channel Logo

Once you’ve developed your logo, you should protect it at all costs. Be very selective of how and when it’s used, since it is a graphical representation of your company and you don’t want it used and abused. However, even though I am a staunch advocate for protecting your logo from bastardization or fads, there are times when a logo update is important to keep your brand fresh and relevant.  One logo that was redesigned this year was the Science Channel. Their original logo did have a science look to it, but it was very complicated and hard to read. In the new logo, you can see that they dropped the “The” from the name, which by itself made the whole thing much simpler. They also drastically changed the whole look to appear almost as if it were an entry on the periodic table of elements. The design is very easy to read as is the concept. Overall, it was a huge improvement over what they had.

The New Science Channel Logo

The new Pepsi logo

Another example of a logo redesign is the recently released Pepsi logo. It hasn’t been quite as successful. This logo came from nowhere and seemed to instigate change for the sake of change. No real, clear definition of the brand or its position. While I don’t mind this redesign and actually kind of enjoy the asymmetry of the new logo, I can’t really argue with the following diagram. (Couldn’t find who to credit the diagram below to, but someone did post a timeline of some of the minor changes in the Coke logo here.)

Designs for the new logo were worked on by all designers at O’Neill Communications and each designer ended with a final design to present. All final designs were presented to Smith-Gilbert Gardens and then the Kennesaw City Council. And the winner is:

Smith-Gilbert Gardens New Logo, Designed by O'Neill Communications

The official press release follows:

##############

Kennesaw’s Smith-Gilbert Gardens Introduces New Look

(Kennesaw, GA) – One of Kennesaw’s most prized attractions is getting a new look.

The Smith-Gilbert Gardens is poised to unveil its new logo as the Kennesaw City Council votes on the brand image Monday, October 19 at 6 PM. The classic design was developed by O’Neill Communications, a marketing communications firm based in Atlanta.

“I am very excited to unveil the new logo of Smith-Gilbert Gardens,” said Jeff Drobney, the recreation and cultural agency director of the city of Kennesaw. “The brand identity of the Gardens is an integral part of the city’s vision for the future.”

The final logo design is a classic, antique look that clearly expresses the Gardens’ sophistication and approachability. “Smith-Gilbert Gardens has three significant strengths of history, art, and nature on 16 beautiful acres,” explained Holly Martin. Martin is the president of the Smith-Gilbert Gardens Foundation. “We have a wide variety of gardens and sculptures, along with educational opportunities for our guests.” Martin continued to explain that the Gardens is home to the Hiram Butler House, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The new logo is just the beginning of an exciting brand campaign for this hidden gem in the heart of Kennesaw. O’Neill Communications will be assisting the Foundation in promoting an entire new brand identity for the Gardens. “We’ll be involved in developing and executing promotional activities for this wonderful attraction,” said Gordon O’Neill, president and CEO of the marketing firm. “The firm is looking forward to working with the Gardens. It’s an established place in the Kennesaw-area, but is emerging in many ways as a highly regarded attraction in the southeast, especially since its expansion in 2007.”

O’Neill Communications is also the marketing firm for another highly regarded Kennesaw attraction, the Southern Museum of Civil War & Locomotive History.

The Smith-Gilbert Gardens, a public garden, is approximately 25 miles northwest of downtown Atlanta, near Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield. The Gardens, which today consists of 16 acres, contain seven acres of plantings. Except on holidays, the Gardens are open year round Monday thru Friday 9 AM to 4 PM and on Saturdays from 9 AM to 1 PM. Guided tours ($7 per person) are offered on Fridays and Saturdays at 10 AM. For more information, including directions, please contact us at 770.427.8274, ext 3249, or visit our Web site at www.kennesaw-ga.gov/sga

##############