A logo is the figure, which represents a business or its product. Its purpose is to create an unforgettable, identifiable impression on the mind of a probable client or client. A logo design is fundamentally at the heart of a corporate identity.

So what composes a "good" logo? The majority people would respond, "I just know it when I see it!" and this is not so far from the truth. A good logo catches the eye - it makes the observer curious or engaged, if only for a short moment… a moment in which an image and the existence of your company is embedded in the mind rather than filtered out with a million other daily stimuli. But even if a good logo 'just is', there are elements for making it happen … and we will look at some of those. I will also discuss some of the issues designing stationary design and brochure design which work in two distinct worlds - print and online.

There are three basic types of logos, which can be used alone or combined within one design:

• Descriptive logos (a logo which clearly illustrates what your business does)
• Graphic logos (a logo that includes a graphic, often an abstraction, of what your business does)
• Font-based logos (a text treatment which represents your business)
Designing a special logo design is always a process - though different designers have their own methods. Many designers will begin by sketching thumbnails or playing with shapes on the computer screen, until something "clicks" and they follow that path to see where it directs. One way to start is to select an outline, which represents the concept of the business, and begin playing with it. The idea is to come up with something interesting or clever, whether a viewpoint which is different, or an unusual combination of shapes. Perhaps it will be something which will require some estimation on the part of the viewer, but then be crystal clear when they look at it another way.

Many designers like better to developing logos beginning with, or consisting entirely of text. By experimenting with fonts, size, shapes they seek to find an interesting way to represent the business using the form of letters. Again, simplicity is very significant - this is not the time to use fancy enhancing fonts. Whether alone or combined with graphic elements, the text in a logo must be easily readable at small sizes.

Once a shape for the logo has been clear, color needs to be considered. Again, color for a logo should stay simple. You can always get fancy with the web version, but a good logo must work well in one color and gradients of that color. The color should enhance and support the form of the logo - for example, various shades of blue on the sides of a 3D box should be the same as they would in genuine life. Contrast is another powerful idea in the creation of logos - you can contrast size, color, fonts, and textures - to create visual interest. A logo should be simple and abstract, not be complicated or confusing, and again, all elements must be discernible when reproduced in small sizes. All above tips make your logo design portfolio valuable.