Let’s try and unpack 2 logos to identify the characteristics that make them work.  Starting off with the Olympic logo.  The Olympic logo has circles.  Seems kind of basic right?  It is more complex than that.  Circles often present the concept of completeness and cohesion (more than using a square or triangle).  Triangles are aggressive shapes.  Squares are very straightforward – honestly kind of boring.  

So, just for fun, let’s see what the Olympic logo looks like if it was made out of a square…

Another great logo includes the IBM logo.  This logo uses rhythm to really make the logo dynamic.  This sense of rhythm can be seen anytime you see a photo of a long picket fence or a grove of trees strewn along a roadway.  Or a dashed line in the middle of a road that almost seems to continue into infinity.  So, the broken separate shapes tied together with the successful use of proximity seems more interesting than simple lettering.  Moreover, it carries the idea that the whole is made up of many little parts; this logo is in itself another great, sophisticated logo.

So you see, great logos (often) offer more of a story than what you ordinarily see by using simple typography.  Spend time with your design and explore numerous concepts.  Get your friends together, order pizza and ask them for their opinion!  For more assistance on logo development send us an email at  sales@trainingcastle.com – have a great day!

Alignment: This may seem overly simple but, aligning content makes your designs look more organized.  Largely, alignment comes down to making sure that your text and graphics are left aligned (because we read from left to right).  Alignment also includes cross alignment, which means that you ensure that multiple paragraphs or images across your design align with each other.

Contrast: This is a crucial concept!  Having contrast in your designs ensures that something on the page really pops.  Contrast can be found by bringing in a bright color, a bold section of text, or a contradictory theme/concept that stands out from the crowd – there are other ways to provide contrast but off the top of my head these are the three most accessible features of contrast.

Color Palate: Picking the right colors to go with your work is VERY important.  The wrong colors can make your designs look cheesy and inappropriate.  Personally, I will never forget when I went to a funeral and wore the wrong brightly colored clothes.  Colors matter in society, and they matter in design work too!  However, picking a good color palate has never been easier.  I advise that you use Kuler by Adobe and just use the off-the-shelf selections that look good together.  Here is the link to Adobe Kuler:

https://color.adobe.com/create/color-wheel/?base=2&rule=Analogous&selected=3&name=My%20Color%20Theme&mode=rgb&rgbvalues=1,0.06283536828007852,0.05837730165569566,0.12095435161954833,0.91,0.34789409387048,1,0,0,0.08116179501233699,0.91,0.31193089932405177,0.5607843137254902,0.04300269715117378,0.051407537425571005&swatchOrder=0,1,2,3,4

Circus Animals Not Included, Modernformations, April, 2015.  Prints, Instillation, video production and paintings.
http://www.pghcitypaper.com/pittsburgh/short-list-april-1-8/Content?oid=1815792

www.thaddachille.com/oldart.html

Bored? Visit Johnstown this next weekend!

THE SUNNY DAY