I used to think a logo had to show exactly what a company does

For years, I made logos for my own projects that were way too literal. I made a coffee shop logo with a detailed coffee cup, and a bike repair logo with a wrench and a wheel. I thought it had to be obvious. Then, about two years ago, I saw a talk from a designer in Austin. She said a logo's main job is to be a simple, easy to remember mark that people connect with a feeling, not a full picture. That hit me hard. I redid my own stuff, focusing on simple shapes and a good color instead of a full drawing. My new bike logo is just two clean lines that suggest motion, and people remember it way better. Has anyone else made this switch from literal to simple, and how did you figure out what the 'feeling' should be?

2 comments

2 Comments

susanr155d ago

Honestly, is a logo really that big of a deal? It's just a little picture on a website or a sign. People are going to care more about the actual coffee or if the bike repair is cheap. Why stress over two lines versus a wheel? Feels like making a simple thing way too hard.

terrymurray5d ago

Oh man, that old coffee cup logo phase hits close to home. My first freelance gig was for a bakery, and I gave them a hyper-detailed croissant that looked like a weird sponge. Figuring out the feeling was the tough part. For me, it meant asking what the client wanted customers to feel before they even walked in the door, like cozy or modern, and then just trying to sketch that vibe with basic shapes.