If you are a skeptic about the value of a good logo design then you may find this exercise in logo recognition to be intriguing. First, picture this: a royal blue, solid piece of rock in a circle. Concentrate for a moment to see if you can recall which company uses this imagery to visually represent itself. If you thought of Prudential Insurance, you were right. With the visual image in mind, you might also easily recall their tag line, "Get a piece of the rock".

If you picture a long team of horses pulling a bright red carriage, you might make the connection to Wells Fargo Bank, and two golden arches are guaranteed to register as McDonalds not only here in the U.S. but in many different countries around the world. A child as young as 18-months old can identify a McDonalds restaurant by its logo. You also might be able to visualize the symbols for NBC, Quaker Oats and Volkswagen. Though these examples are clearly of large corporations the same rules of recognition apply on a smaller scale in any given industry. Ultimately, the logo makes the sale by speaking for the company when there is no sales representative present. It delivers the message to the public that a company is unique, reputable and dependable.

It is important for a business owner to understand the basics of the logo design process, since it is his input, along with the graphic designer's creativity and talent, that will make the new mark a unique symbol that accurately speaks for their business. To design a logo for a company, a designer will first take into account who buys from the company, what they buy, and why they buy it, a marketing process called defining the target market.

The designer further develops the concepts for the logo and transforms ideas into sketches, making the ideas tangible by presenting them on paper or on a computer screen where they can be shared. The initial brainstorm exercise should have no boundaries because the production of numerous thumbnail sketches will improve the evolution and selection of the most successful design.

In the final rendering of a logo a knowledgeable graphic artist uses color and design to accurately reflect the attributes of the company and the types of products or services that it provides. For example, premium quality can be conveyed with gold tones, browns and purples, possibly in combination with pinstripes. Wide stripes and bright yellows, oranges and greens suggest action and sport whereas pastels are gentle and often feminine. Red is used in our society as a signal to stop or as an alert to danger. Though the symbolism of color and logic of design is subtle, it is inherent in the best logos.

A stimulating design may be detailed and illustrative or it may be simple, abstract, or conservative - one size does not fit all. When your new mark is complete, use it everywhere to promote your company, for it is an investment and a strategic tool for selling. Whether on a billboard, in a magazine ad or on a website, it is the ever-present, quality logo that tells of a company's presence, products and reputation.

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