Business marketers know brand-rendered logos are indispensable in communicating acompany’s quality and reputation, and consumers don’t need master’s degrees to recognize, or feel, that impact as well.

1. Coca-Cola

One of the most quintessentially American beverages around, Coca-Cola’s lettering hasn’t changed much since its first appearance in 1885. That gives it the air of the most reliable and trustworthy soft drink on the market.

2. BMW

BMW’s signature blue and white design has just enough highbrow appeal without overstating itself, even though the visual imagery is supposed to evoke a spinning airplane propeller (and simultaneously recall the flag of Bavaria), drivers are drawn to its simplicity.

3. LEGO

Just seeing the brightly colored LEGO logo takes you back to a time when imagination was king. The name itself comes from the Danish phrase leg godt which means “play well”, but as far as consumers are concerned it means a timeless toy that’s still going strong.

4. Metro Goldwyn Mayer

Better known as MGM, it’s one of the few companies where you’ll find a roaring lion announcing itself. The logo took shape after a group of studios got together and referred to themselves as the lion’s pride.

5. eBay

The playful look of eBay’s logo has an anything goes spirit and that’s just what you’ll find on the site. People find everything from used cars to prosthetic legs, and if you could sum up the logo in one word, it would be “possibilities.”

6. Starbucks

While you may not know what a mermaid has to do with coffee, you know the Starbucks logo when you see it. The company established itself in Seattle, Washington in 1971 and the nautical theme implied by the name has remained to this day.

7. UPS

The no-nonsense UPS logo fits perfectly into Brown’s solid all-around presentation of itself. The company’s status as the largest package delivery company in the world also makes it the first choice for guaranteed service.

8. Marlboro

No cigarette has been able to capture the mystique and character Marlboro has been able to create. The allure of the Marlboro Man may seem a little outdated to some, but it’s almost impossible to separate that ruggedly masculine image from the logo.

9. MasterCard

The two interlocking circles from the MasterCard logo started out as symbolizing businesses partnering with each other. Consumers have come to recognize them, and the slogan “priceless”, as meaning worldwide buying power.

10. Google

The great and powerful search engine has gone above and beyond in creating interest in the company’s brand. Every change to the graphic logo on the site lets web surfers have a little fun while they get the information they need.

It seems the most enduring characteristic among all of these logos is consistency. Through good times and bad, these companies demonstrate a commitment to who they are and what they stand for, which shows in their enduring logos. Their images are their good word, and that’s good business.

Dear Clients and Prospects,

You need a logo designed for your business. Which also means you have to find a graphic designer to create that ever so perfect logo for you. Perhaps you haven’t worked with a graphic designer in the past, or maybe you just need to brush-up on best practices for working with a creative professional. Regardless, there are a few things you should know when working with a designer!

Keep these tips in mind and keep your design service happy (this is very important!), and you’ll be on the road to having a great logo.

Communicate clearly – One of the biggest complaints of freelancers get is a lack of clear communication with the client. From the beginning, tell the designer what you want and need out of your logo. Remember, they can’t create something that wasn’t asked for—they aren’t mind readers.

Be specific –During the initial meeting, be sure to let the designer know which deliverable you want in the end, and be as specific as possible. Here are some common deliverable to consider:

• Primary logo and all related files
• Website banner
• Printer and/or Web logo
• Facebook and Twitter logo
• Letterhead
• Business cards

Set a reasonable deadline – Quality work takes time for creation, revisions, and client feedback. Plan accordingly from the beginning of the project and allow enough time for a great design. Rushing a project could actually have the inverse effect in the quality of work (freelancers should have an idea of their own time-frames).

Set a fair budget – Similarly, offering your designer a lower-than-market rate  (or worse) can result in poorer quality work. Often, offering price usually dictates the amount of work a designer will put into your project. Lower offer, lower amount of time spent. Quality, ideally, stays the same, but less time is put into the ideas, execution, etc.

Be available – Even after the initial meeting, your designer may run across questions that are pertinent to the final logo—and there’s nothing more frustrating than not being able to get in touch with you to learn the answer.

Don’t second-guess – Constructive criticism and positive feedback is very helpful to a designer, but don’t continually second-guess their work. You’re an expert in your industry and they’re an expert in theirs. Just remember that you hired them for their talent and creative eye—trust that they’re doing it right.

Pay on time – After your project is complete and your designer sends you the invoice, don’t sit on it for weeks. Take note of their payment terms and make sure you meet them. Plus, not paying for weeks could give you a bad reputation among other freelancers in the area. People in the industry do talk about clients they’ve worked with and who they’ve enjoyed the most.

Spread the love – If you’re particularly excited about the work your designer did, give them a “pat on the back” and let them know how happy you are. And, next time someone asks you for a recommendation for a designer, it wouldn’t hurt to mention his or her name.

Thank you for reading, client or prospect! The above advice can go a long way toward a healthy relationship with your graphic designer—and a great logo for your business.

Sincerely,
The Design Community

Since logos represent the identity of businesses, a change in design should be able to communicate any change in the company’s ideals.

Like businesses, a city may also need to build a brand identity. The logos of famous cities are used for official purposes such as tourism, events etc. Let’s take a look at the new Melbourne city logo as a successful example of a high profile logo redesign.

In the summer of 2009, the “City of Melbourne” unveiled its new logo, discarding the earlier one that had represented the city for almost two decades. The “City of Melbourne” is a Local Government Area in Victoria, Australia, located in the central city area of Melbourne. It has an area of 36 square kilometers and an estimated population of 93,105 people. The city’s motto is: “She gathers strength as she goes”. It is Australia’s finest center of culture, art, education and entertainment. It is a dynamic, progressive city, renowned internationally for its world class offerings.

This was a major makeover not only because the current logo is a complete transformation from its older counterpart but also because the cost of the redesign was about $240,000. Lord Mayor Robert Doyle introduced this new icon for Melbourne that is synonymous with modernism and progressiveness.

The old logo focused on the city’s heritage and environmental credentials, it needed a new design to suit its current cool sophistication on the world stage. The new logo design for the “City of Melbourne” was developed by the Sydney office of Landor. It is a fat block of “M” which compliments the modern and energetic vibes that the city exudes. This prismatic monogram consists of sharp edges that add striking 3-dimensional effects to the design. Furthermore, it has a great combination of style and a color palette that flatters Melbourne’s modern structures that have been constructed in the recent years like Olympic Park’s Rectangular Stadium, Federation Square, Southern Cross Station, etc. And all the different versions of “M” that we get to see make the city logo even more fascinating.

The money involved in the redesign has raised a few eyebrows as some people are of the opinion that the amount could have been used for better purposes. But this is another example showing how logos are gaining importance with every passing day. Also it is interesting to note that the new logo can prove to be cost effective in the long run by replacing the 50 different logos that were used for its various services. The “City of Melbourne” logo redesign definitely paid off because of its great brand impact and flexibility.

Some other logos that were redesigned recently are:

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This phase can be very frustrating for any creative person. If you don’t recover within a few days, a creative block can destroy your self-confidence. The fear that you will never again be able to produce good work drives you to desperation. You try harder and harder and end up exhausting your mental faculties. This makes the situation worse. Therefore, it is very important to deal with this delicate phase of creative block with a lot of patience and care. Only you can get yourself out of it.

Designers all over the world face this problem and don’t know what to do. There is actually no reason to panic. Let’s look at a few ways by which you can get rid of your creative block.

Stick to the Basics

Don’t try to do too much when you are suffering from creative block. Just stick to basics design principles. If you seek to experiment at this phase, you might have to face failure. This will dishearten you further and won’t help your situation.

Visual balance is an important aspect of design principle. Try to arrange the elements on your page in a way that no section appears heavier than the other. Your design should also maintain unity, so that the various elements used in it don’t seem disparate or out of tune from one another.

Alignment is another basic principle of design. Whether your layout will be easy or difficult to read depends on the way you align type and graphics on a page. Both consistency and contrast is equally significant to your design. Repeating design elements helps your viewers navigate your layout easily. Contrast between big and small elements, black and white text, can make your design both appealing and exciting.

White space is your design’s breathing room. So don’t cram your design with too many graphics or too much text, as it will become difficult for the clients to follow and appreciate it.

But you should never stop working. Producing mediocre designs is better than producing nothing at all. If you spend the entire time pondering over your problem, you’ll never be able to get over it. So, keep yourself busy with work and try to rediscover your potential.

Design on Paper

Try avoiding the computer and instead design on paper. This will be a welcome change for you and will also stimulate your creativity. You can play with the pencil and paper and pour your heart out on it. Try and make rough sketches of your design before working on them professionally. Doodle at will.

Check Out Other Designs

If you are unable to create anything worthwhile, just sit back and appreciate the work of others. Glance through different designs on websites or magazines. You might get motivated (not ‘inspired’) by something that you like and develop your own eye-catching graphics. And who knows, you might break out of your creative block.

Use Colors

Colors trigger the imagination and set the right mood. You can use a lot of colors in your designs and add some spirit to your work. If the work has become dull and tiresome for you, colors will give it new life.

Don’t Compare

Don’t compare your work with that of others. Every single person is unique and has original ideas. No design, however brilliant it might be, will be appreciated by all. This is because different people have different choices and opinions. So just put in your best and don’t judge your work in respect to others. Finding faults with yourself won’t help your cause.

Just Have Fun

The key to most creative block is simply having fun, even though that is possibly the last thing you feel like doing. Just getting away from your work for even a couple of hours can do wonders for your creative juices. Watch a movie, listen to music, read a book, spend time with your dog (if you have one!): The idea is to chill. Relax your mind and body and the rest will take care of itself. Believe me, this is from personal experience!

There is nothing wrong with you if you have a creative block. This problem is more common than you think and everyone finds their own way of getting over it in the end. We hope these tips help you, but you need to help yourself first. Try to be positive and never suffer from self doubt. Just remember, this is simply a passing phase and will be over soon enough.

Nike

The iconic swoosh made its first appearance in 1971 and has stuck around ever since. Originally, the word “Nike” also appeared in the logo, but being one of the most recognized symbols in the world, the swoosh now stands alone.

1978 Logo

Current Logo

Coca-Cola

Coca-Cola’s script logo has stayed relatively the same since the early 1900s. It did take a break from the cursive in 1985 when it introduced New Coke, but once the company backtracked on that poor move, it brought back the original formula as well as a tweaked take on the original logo.

1886 Logo

Current Logo

Pepsi

In comparison, Pepsi has made some drastic changes to its branding since its inception in 1898. For its first 50 years, Pepsi had the same color combination as Coca-Cola: red and white. In 1950, the company added blue, and 12 years later it did away with the script font and went with sans serif. Two years ago, Pepsi raised eyebrows when it introduced a new branding campaign that mirrored Barack Obama’s presidential campaign logo. Pepsi had changed its font again, too. Any guesses on which brand – Coca-Cola or Pepsi – is recognized more?

1973 Logo

Current Logo UPDATED: 2005 logo

Apple

The Apple logo is so simple and recognizable by any geek out there. Yet it wasn’t always that way – the original 1976 logo was a portrait of Isaac Newton beneath an apple tree. Look closely and you might see it. Thank goodness the rainbow apple logo debuted shortly after, and while the colors have evolved throughout the years – currently sporting a blue chrome finish – the apple itself has remained. How appropriate.

Original Logo

1976 Logo

Current Logo

Starbucks

The green, black and white logo is seen everywhere, sometimes on every city block. But did you know that Starbucks’ maternal-looking mermaid used to be an exhibitionist? The company, which started in 1971 in Seattle, originally used a bare-chested mermaid on its branding, but when Starbucks started expanding like crazy, it realized that the image might be too risqué for its newfound customers. In 1987, the mermaid’s hair began covering her breasts. In 1992, even her navel was covered up.

Original Logo

Current Logo

I started looking around the web for some cool NHL logos, then I thought well let’s take a look at the vintage logo’s compared to the current logo’s. I didn’t put all teams here, I just wanted to showcase some whether they were huge redesigns or just a realign. There are some classics, that will live on forever, and then there are some that make you think twice.

Vintage logos simplified

Some logos were over complicated, had to much information, having type and a logo crested in a shape was an easy way of putting the logo on a jersey, but just over-complicated the message. These teams, decided to realign their logos to be more simple, and by doing that a better brand was born.

Chicago Blackhawks – 1938 – 1955 & Since 1956

Pittsburgh Penguins – 1968 & Since 2001

Los Angeles Kings – 1968 – 1975 & Since 2003

Boston Bruins – 1927 – 1932 & Since 2008

A good logo is a classic

These are the truly classic logos, their logos have stood the test of time, the best example is the Detroit Red Wings, a logo that has been slightly changed over the last 75 years. Its impressive to see a logo go through decades of trends and still be so strong. Technology was obviously an issue with putting complicated logos on jersey’s, whether they were embroidered or put on sweaters such as the Montreal Canadians in 1918.

Detroit Red Wings – 1935 – 1948 & Since 1949

Montreal Canadians – 1918 – 1919 & Since 1953

New York Rangers – 1927 – 1935 & Since 1979

Toronto Maple Leafs – 1927 & Since 1983

Washington Capitals 1975 – 1995 & Since 2008

National Hockey League 1918 – 2005 & Since 2006

Realign in Attack Mode

Most of today’s logos are very strong and bold. The strokes are thicker, colours are stronger and have a better contrast. Looking at the Buffalo Sabres and the San Jose Sharks they have redesigned their logos to look more fierce and aggressive. These logos fit right in with today’s trends and sports brands, a lot of sports teams want to look more aggressive and stronger so they have redesign their logo with stronger strokes and bolder colours.

Buffalo Sabres – 1971 – 1996 & Since 2007

Phoenix Coyotes 1997 – 2003 & Since 2004

San Jose Sharks 1992 – 1997 & Since 2008

Tampa Bay Lightning 1992 – 2007 & Since 2007

Vancouver Canucks 1981 – 1997 & Since 2008

The Olympic brand is seen around the world, through every media stream, everywhere we look for the few weeks the games are on, so the logo is very important to the brand of the specific games. Check out how the logos have progressed throughout the years, crossing cultural boarders and design styles.

oh.. and.. GO CANADA!

Intellect, Loyalty and Justice

Liquid

This a mash up of 45 amazing logos from Logofi.com. These designers understand what a logo needs, to be unique and successful.