A Workshop on

Designing Logos and

Corporate Stationery
A Presentation by ADMEC Multimedia Institute
 What is a Logo?
A logo is often a company's first impression, one that can
impact a customer's brand perception, purchase
decisions and overall attitude towards a product.

We live in a society painted with brand logos. Even

toddlers who can't yet tie their own shoelaces recognize
many logos or are able to deduce what a company sells
just by looking at its brandmark.
 Types of Logos
We need different types
of approaches to design
a logo, especially for
small to medium
businesses.

Types of Logos:
1. Abstract 4. Descriptive 7. Woodmark
2. Emblematic 5. Illustrative
3. Letterform 6. Typographic
 1. The Abstract Logos
This type of logo is like an
abstract idea which does not
contain any specific idea in
your brain. Usually it
contains a non-descriptive
message with a particular
graphic image.
Usually, this kind of abstract
logos are good to convey a
generic idea uniquely. It is
also good to express
feelings in a deep way rather
than the facts.
 2. The Emblematic Logos
This type of logos consist of an emblem symbol with the brand
name and pictorial elements. Here, there will be no difference
between the emblem and the words. The text and the icon become
one. The peculiar difference comes when using this kind of logos
especially in small sizes because the name and the detail may
become invisible and very difficult to read.
This kind of logos are especially good to convey the value of
protection. Further, they are also recommended for package
designs and entertainment teams.
 3. The Letterform Logos
This kind of logos are usually designed
by using acronyms or one or more
letters from the brand name, product
name or business name. As a result,
the combination of two or three letters
become a symbol and gives peerless
design which acts as a “focal point” for
your product name.
This Letterform logos are usually good
for fortifying the acronym or initials of
the product and brand.
 4. The Descriptive Logos
Descriptive logos mention the name, benefits or
character of a brand indirectly with a clear image. It is
usually good for brand recognition proceeding with a very
specific message or feeling of trust when interacting with
a brand or product.
 5. The Illustrative Logos
The illustrative logos are
designed with special drawings
and characters. They are very
good to express a great deal
about the brand/product or
business.
They are designed by taking
into consideration the overall
visual identity of the business or
product.
 6. The Typographic Logos
This type of logo does not use any special characters or
symbols. It needs only letters or words to design an
image. It is very simple yet very effective. Typographic
logos are good to start up a business and labels.
 7. The Wordmark Logos
It uses the brand, business or product name as a root for
logo design.The typography logo can be designed first
either from the “scratch” or from the commercial font.
After that, images can be added into the typography logo.
It will definitely give a great look and feel.
The Wordmark logos are good to create a “mental
picture” of a business.
Establish Your Own Design Process
1. Brief
2. Research
3. Reference
4. Sketching &
Conceptualization
5. Reflection
6. Revisions
7. Presentation
8. Delivery
9. Support
Establish Your Own Design Process

Every designer has his or her own process, and it is

rarely linear, but in general this is how the branding
process is completed, which can be used as a guide to
establish your own.
Design brief: Conduct a questionnaire or interview with
the client to get the design brief.
Research: Conduct research focused on the industry
itself, its history, and its competitors.
Reference: Conduct research into logo designs that
have been successful and current styles and trends that
are related to the design brief.
Establish Your Own Design Process

Sketching and conceptualizing: Develop the logo

concepts around the brief and research.
Reflection: Take breaks throughout the design process.
This allows your ideas to mature and lets you get
renewed enthusiasm. Receive feedback.
Presentation: Choose to present only few selected logos
to the client or a whole collection. Get feedback and
repeat until completed.
 5 Principles of Logo Design
What makes a good logo? A good logo is distinctive,
appropriate, practical, graphic, simple in form and conveys
an intended message.
There are five principles that you should follow to ensure
that this is so…
An effective logo is:
● Simple
● Memorable
● Timeless
● Versatile
● Appropriate
 1. Simple
A simple logo design allows for easy recognition and
allows the logo to be memorable. Good logos feature
something unique without being overdrawn.
 2. Memorable
Following closely behind the principle of simplicity, is that
of memorability. An effective logo design should be
memorable and this is achieved by having a simple, yet,
appropriate logo.
 3. Timeless
An effective logo should be timeless – that is, it will endure
the ages. Will the logo still be effective in 10, 20, 50 years?
Probably the best example of a timeless logo is the Coca-
Cola logo… if you compare it to the Pepsi logo below, you
can see just how effective creating a timeless logo can be.
Notice how the Coca Cola logo has barely changed since
1885? That is timeless design.
 4. Versatile
An effective logo should be able to work across a variety of
mediums and applications. The logo should be functional. For this
reason a logo should be designed in vector format, to ensure that it
can be scaled to any size. The logo should be able to work both in
horizontal and vertical formats.
Ask yourself; is a logo still effective if:
● Printed in one color?
● Printed on the something the size
of a postage stamp?
● Printed on something as large as
a billboard?
● Printed in reverse (i.e. light logo
on dark background)
 5. Appropriate
How you position the logo should
be appropriate for its intended
purpose. For example, if you are
designing a logo for children toys
store, it would be appropriate to use a childish font &
color scheme. This would not be so appropriate for a law
firm.
It is also important to state that a logo doesn’t need to
show what a business sells or offers as a service i.e. car
logos don’t need to show cars, computer logos don’t
need to show computers. The Harley Davidson logo
isn’t a motorcycle, nor is the Nokia logo a mobile phone.
A logo is purely for identification.
 Branding, Identity &
Logo Design Explained
A logo is not your brand, nor is it your identity. Logo
design, identity design and branding all have different
roles, that together, form a perceived image for a
business or product.
What is brand? – The perceived emotional corporate
image as a whole.

What is identity? – The visual aspects that form part of

the overall brand.

What is a logo? – A logo identifies a business in its

simplest form via the use of a mark or icon.
Logo Design Mistakes to Avoid
1. Typography
Typography in logo design can
make or break a design, so it’s
vital you know your typographic ABC‘s. A logo should be
kept as simple as possible while still portraying the
intended message, and for this to happen, one must
consider all typographic aspects of the design.
Don’t use too many fonts or weights (two maximum).
Don’t use predictable, crazy, or ultra thin fonts. Pay close
attention to kerning, spacing, and sizing and most
importantly, ensure you’ve chosen the right font(s) for the
project.
 2. Too complex, too abstract
Simple logos are more memorable as
they allow for easier recognition;
however, for a logo to be memorable and stand apart
from the crowd, it must have something unique about it,
without being too overdrawn. Not only does simplicity
make a logo more memorable, but it also makes the logo
more versatile, meaning it can work over more mediums.
For example, a logo should work on something the size
of a postage stamp and on something as large as a
billboard.
3. Relying on special effects or color
If a logo requires color or special
effects to make it a strong logo,
it’s not a strong logo.
To get around this, work in black
and white first and then add the
special effects or color later.
This allows you to focus on the shape and concept rather
than the special effects.
Don’t use drop shadows, embossing, or other layer styles
to gloss up logos — a good logo will stand on its own.
You can also make different variations of a logo to ensure
it works in colour or grey scale.
 4. Using raster images
A logo should be designed in a vector graphics program
such as Adobe Illustrator to ensure that the final logo can
be scaled to any size, enabling the logo to be applied
easily to other media.
A vector graphic is made up of mathematically precise
points, which ensures visual consistency across all
mediums and sizes. A raster image (made out of pixels,
such as what you would find in Photoshop) can’t be
scaled to any size, which means at large sizes, the logo
would be unusable
 5. Settling for a monogram
One of the more common mistakes of the amateur logo
designer is trying to create a monogram out of the
business’ initials (e.g. Bob’s Hardware would become a
logo made out of B & H). Although this sounds like a smart
solution at first, it’s rather difficult to build credibility or
convey an intended message with just the initials of a
company. You can certainly explore this route, but don’t
settle on it unless you can create an original, creative, and
memorable solution that reflects the business’ goals.
HP, FedEx, IBM, and GM never started out as acronyms —
they became acronyms after many years of high-profile
exposure.
CORPORATE STATIONERY
 Guidelines for Corporate
Stationery Designing
Corporate stationery is a common item branded by
companies. Branding includes placing your brand name,
logo, tagline and other symbols on notepads, business
cards, letterhead and envelopes.
Although the process is a subtle way to promote your
brand and establish a professional image, stick to some
basic guidelines in branding stationery.
 1. Stay Consistent

“Consistency is key in building an

effective brand.”
This is true across all types of communication and within
specific tools, such as stationery. To deliver a consistent
image in stationery, maintain a similar color scheme,
placement and implementation with your logo, tagline
and whatever other symbols you use. You might place a
logo, name and tagline with a constant color pattern in
the upper left corner of a business card, letterhead and
envelopes,
 2. Don't Overdo It

“Stationery provides functional

purposes. “
A business card is a tool to share contact information with
people you meet. Letterheads and envelopes are used to
type memos or letters and send them to others. While
you want to brand these items, keep the branding simple
enough not to detract from the functional value.
Additionally, you want the logo and branding to mirror
what people see in other print ads, such as in
newspapers and magazines.
 3. Devise a Color Scheme
Color schemes are an important design aspect in
branded stationery. According to the International Paper
Company, standard color design for stationery is simply
black ink on white paper. If you want a highly professional
image, this is likely the way to go.
However, many companies want to present a different
image with a color scheme. Bright colors, such as red
and yellow, may align with a company's emphasis on
intensity, action or energy. You may also want to use a
color scheme that matches store colors or colors used in
other ad branding.
 4. Balance Design with Readability
On your business cards and letterhead, balance design
with readability. This is especially critical in selecting
typefaces and font sizes.

“A creative or clever-looking
typeface that people can't read isn't
effective.”
Similarly, cramming a bunch of contact details and
company information at the top of a letterhead won't work
well if the font size is too small too read without a
magnifying glass.
Few Examples
for Your Time