Three Examples of Consistent Logo Design

John Reeve — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 16:41:42 +0000

Oscar Wilde once said “consistency is the last refuge for the unimaginative.” While this should, and does, hold true for our most adventurous endeavors, there are times when consistency is necessary. For example, in logo design. Given all the responsibilities it must carry on its back, the logo has enormous responsibility to the company it represents and the public it speaks to. When a logo represents one branch of a larger whole, its design must be consistent, to convey relativity and permanence. Here are some examples of consistent logo design.

Pelago & Intervals

The Pelago logo was birthed, like Venus, from our love of the ocean and the metaphors it so willingly lent to our design business. When we started designing the logo for Intervals, we were challenged to come up with an idea that would illustrate the concepts of a web-based project management service, but would also relate, visually, to the Pelago logo. We approached the new logo from two perspectives. First, the logotype uses the same Trade Gothic typeface. And second, the logomark incorporates a similar line treatment. The Pelago logomark conjures up imagery of oceans and islands, while the Intervals logomark loosely represents charts, graphs, and time.

Basecamp & its Brethren

Another good example of consistency in logo design is the suite of products from 37signals. The original Basecamp logo has translated well to other services, showing that there really is no limit to what you can depict inside a snow globe.

Adobe

Adobe has continually had to rebrand itself as they acquire more companies and release new products. They’ve managed to keep things consistent, using a periodic table motif to distinguish each product. It’s a little too basic for my likes, but it works.

There are plenty of other examples of consistant logo design. If you know of some, please share them in the comments field below.

What’s in a name?

John Reeve — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 20:11:22 +0000

Coming up with a name for our web-based project management service — Intervals — was a lengthy, creative exercise. We had to whittle our way through a list of do’s and don’ts to find a name that meant something, and a logo that could capture something more than the hallmarks of a fad. Here are some tips on how to name a product and design its logo, based on how we came up with the name and logo for Intervals.

First of all, don’t use an acronym; ABC, AAA, CX1, TTT, etc. Sure, it might be an acronym for something meaningful, like Terrific Time Tracking, but neither the acronym nor it’s counterpart say anything about your product beyond a generic label. And it’s just tacky. If you are selling something to creatives, and consider yourself a creative, than you need something better than an acronym.

Second, don’t choose a name just because the domain is available. And, related to that, don’t bastardize the spelling of a word just to get the domain. It was cool when flickr did it, but it’s not cool anymore. When you give priority to available domain names, you are saying that brand is less important than an exclusive domain name. A brand should be able to transcend all mediums of communication, including the internet.

Third, don’t design your logo based on what’s trendy now. Fads come and go. Your company shouldn’t. Make sure your brand is able to withstand shifts in trends. Gradients, drop shadows, and reflections are really cool now, but they are just Photoshop filters that anyone can use with the click of a button. Be original. We all agree the swoosh is dead, but now we have a new copycat logo, the atomic swoosh (a random grid of dots with a few of them connected, ala 37signals). Do something different with your logo besides being the first one to apply a gradient, reflection, and 3D perspective to the atomic swoosh.

Finally, try to find a name that says something about your product. Your idea may be buried deep in metaphor, but at least think it through. We needed a name that would say time tracking, task tracking, invoicing, and reporting, all components of project management. We also wanted something that would tie into the meaning and image of Pelago. We chose Intervals because of its nautical connotations, but mostly because our success as a business is defined by how well we manage our time. The better we track, schedule, and prioritize moments in time, the more successful our business. This is the message we are trying to deliver with our name and logo.

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