What makes a successful logo

WHAT MAKES A SUCCESSFUL LOGO?

By Lydia

Does the logo need to have a clear connection with the company or the product?

Do certain shapes or colours affect how successful the logo is?

Does the logo need to be popular to mean that it is a fantastic logo?

Does the logo need to target a specific audience? Should the logo invoke an emotion in the audience? Does the logo need to portray the companies’ identity?

After carrying out both the primary and secondary research I then realised how important it was to chose the right questions to be able to gain sufficient evidence and research to answer each question. I believe some of questions allowed me to do this in-depth, however a few of them were either too vague or too broad. ‘Do certain shapes or colours affect how successful the logo is?’ was a question that I struggled to find a clear answer to because I was able to manage to find a lot do with colour, but hardly anything to do with shape. Also, question three was an unclear question because I found it hard to break this up and find out different ways I would be able to find an answer to it. The other questions I was satisfied with and they defiantly helped me find out a lot more about what it means to have a successful logo and think they helped me significantly in my research project.

Sub-Questions

My Research Methods

In-depth Interview: the first method I used was doing an interview with someone in the industry. I used the person that I had done work experience with, however I was only able to do an email interview.

Historical Research: I looked at 4 different companies and looked at how their logos have changed since the company first opened. I choose the companies I was going to look at by listening to what my focus group had to say and also companies that had not yet been mentioned.

Focus Group: another method I used was doing a focus group from my people in my class. I got their opinions on specific logos and also asked them about what logos may influence them and what logos they remember.

Questionnaire: I produced a questionnaire which I distributed via Facebook and got as many people as I could too answer it, varying the ages as much as possible. I asked them more basic questions about logos and what they think about certain logos.

Comparative Analysis: I listened to what the focus group had to say and choose what logos I was going to compare. I then created a table which had certain headings and for each logo I answered the questions.

My Research Methods

Those are the primary research methods that I choose to carry out to help me find out what makes a successful logo. I was disappointed that I was only able to do the interview via email because of time restraints because it would have been a lot better if I was able to do it in person. I was also planning on getting another interview done, however, the second person never got back to me. This is why I carried out another 4 methods, to ensure I had enough research to be able to answer the sub-questions as best as I could. The questionnaire was a major success because nearly 40 people answered it, and this enabled me a get a more accurate reading of what the public thought. Also, a wide range of people of different ages answered it and it was interesting to compare how the answers may have differed to someone who was younger or older. Both the comparative analysis and historical research were extremely interesting because it allowed me to delve a lot deeper into specific logos and look at the similarities and differences there are, but you may not realise when simply looking at them because you seem them in the media. Finally, the focus group was also a success because I was able to do deeper in certain topics about logo design and work out what people was wanting to see. However, if I had a second chance to do my primary research I would do many things differently. Firstly, I would have not only published my questionnaire on Facebook, but also made paper copies and then handed these out to people, allowing me to get a mixture of results. When it comes to the focus group I would have organised more then one, targeting different different age groups, for example people aged 0-25, 26-50, 51+. I would have then compared the answers I was given and see if the different age generations thought different things about logos and how they want to see different things. Obviously, I would have done the interviews in person and also done more then one with professionals in that field. And lastly, I would have looked at a wider number of logos and been more in-depth when it came to analyzing them and comparing to what both the similarities and difference were.

Does the logo need to have a clear connection with the company or the

product?As part of my primary research, I carried out a questionnaire and one of my questions was ‘does the logo need to have a clear connection with the company or the product to be successful?’ From the results that I collected, 49% of the people that filled out the questionnaire agreed that a logo does need to have a clear connection with the company or product. This is because our brain needs to be able to make the connection between the company and the logo, for them to recognise it the next time they come across it. Reference (1) states how the first impressions of what you see in a logo is more important and has more depth than just seeing the image used. This backs up what 49% of the questionnaire population thought because they are also making the connection of having to recognize that logo and remembering what the purpose of that logo was. Reference (2) explains how our memoriesare triggered by certain situations and personal experiences that we go through in our day to daylives. This all depends on certain emotions that we feltwhen we were entered into that situation. For example,

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From my primary research, questionnaire (38 people)

if you were to go into a shop and buy a piece of clothing, but then that clothing gets a hole in it the next day, you are automatically going to connect that clothing logo and your experience together and be less inclined to go back. Whereas, if you bought the piece of clothing and you were able to wear it a lot because it is good quality, then you are more likely to go back there again to buy something else. So our brain is constantly retrieving information from experiences and situations we have been placed in before and this suggests that companies want to ensure they give that ‘positive’ impression the first time they gain a new customer.


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Shell was one of the logo’s that I focused on while carrying out my historical research. The first logo came out in 1990 and throughout the adaptation process, the logo has always remained as a shell, and it has simply been changed to look more modern. This is one of the few logos now-a-days that are directly linked to their company and has a clear visual connection with the company name. From doing my research, this method of making the direct link seems to be becoming less popular becausecompanies are trying to do more to be unique and different in the competitive markets there are today. Another example of a company that still does this is Apple. This is a company that is recognized worldwide and when most people see the logo they instantly know that company sells the the ‘up-market’ status many people associate with them. This was also mentioned during my focus group. An 18 year old girl explained how she remembers the logo more because “Apple is directly linked to the companies name”. She then says “Apple is an expensive brand but everyone wants the products with the logo on”. However, this also contrasts with some of the other logos that I looked at. Coco-cola could possibly be said to be the most famous logo worldwide with 15 out of the 38 people who took part in my questionnaire agreeing with this. Coca-Cola doesn’t have the same concept behind the logo as both Shell and Apple do, however it is still extremely popular and successful. Reference (3) looks at the McDonald’s logo in-depth, and makes the connection between the ‘Big M’ and the golden arches. Many people don’t make that connection and simply recognize the logo for being distinctive with the bright yellow against the red background and the fast food that it provides. However, many people don’t even know what the golden arches are and how this is related to McDonalds as a company. Reference (3) then goes on to explain how the company or product logo needs to be “well-coordinated” and make sure that what they are displaying in the logo gives a positive message to their customers.


product?When I carried out my comparative analysis, one of the columns that I created was “connection with company or product”. This was so that I was able to see if any of the logos I had put into the table came out with the same output. Here are my findings:

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4 out of the 6 logos that I looked at all had the came concept behind their logo designs; having the company name written. This enables the customer to look at the logo and instantly know what the company is called and make a connection that way. Reference (4) explores how companies will often start of with a cheap logo that they haven't put much effort into to help them get recognized. However, the problem with this is that people start to associate that company with the ‘bad’ logo and when its time to rebranding their company, because they have become more successful, they have to start from scratch. This is why companies should “invest in the logo from the start” and why many companies go for simplicity and only include the name of their company. This way, if they ever want to rebrand they don’t have to then worry about getting rid of or re-designing a certain image or photo they have previously used in a logo design for their company.

From my primary research, comparative analysis (6 logos)


product?

From doing both my primary and secondary research, I think I was able to start to get an answer to this question. However, I don’t think that the research I have carried out has helped me answer it fully and I would need to go a lot more in-depth to get a clear and accurate answer. In terms of my secondary research, the questionnaire answers helped me out a lot because it enabled me to get an idea about what the consumers want. However, when I first posted the questionnaire I thought that everyone might have put the same answer for that questions. Also, with the comparative analysis I found out that I was way to brief, because even though it did help me with my findings, it was also just a description and I should have looked more into the actual logos and the design process behind them. This was have made it a lot clearer for me when it came to deciding if the logo does need to have a clear connection with the company or product. One piece of primary research that I think did help me a lot was the historical analysis. This is because I want in-depth a lot, even though I could have done more, and it helped me compare two different logos with two different concepts behind them. For the sources that I decided to use from my secondary research, I made sure I used ones that I had found that either agreed or disagreed with the evidence I had already gained from my primary research. Both reference (1) and reference (3) are published by directors who have been working the in the industry, so they are using the knowledge they have learnt over the years to give to an audience. I think that this makes it more reliable then someone simply writing a blog because they have had a chance to experience what it is like to work and how people may think and companies work. Even though I have a lot evidence to say that a logo does need to have a clear connection, there are also very little companies out there today that actually use this method. This also suggests that it is only one way of getting a consumers attention and that, because of the how the market it changing so much, that there are numerous ways a company is able to do this. If I was to go back and answer this questions again, I would actually re-phrase the question and look at not only having a direct link, like Apple, but also other ways companies make a connection between their company and the message they want to portray.


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From my primary research, comparative analysis (6

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Reference (3) states that “as a general rule, 2 colours is enough” when it comes to designing your logo. When I carried out my comparative analysis only 1 out of the 6 logos that I looked at used more than 2 colours. Reference (3) then goes on to explain that this is normally because of the expense of having to print more than 2 colours on things such as letter heads and business cards etc. In the long run, it simply isn’t worth it because that company then wont see a return when it comes to investment. Reference (5) also agrees with this by saying that it will increase the cost of production. When I first started looking into this question I thought that they said to use no more then 2 colours to help keep the logo simple, however after going more in-depth it all comes down to cost and trying to save money within the company. Only 4 people out of the 38 that answered my questionnaire thought

that colour was the most important element when it comes to designing a logo. This suggests that the public and the people behind designing the logos think differently and the public are sometimes manipulated by what they are seeing. However, despite more then one of the sources I came across saying the same thing about using no more then 2 colours, reference (6) explores a number of different logos that use more then 2 colours and the success they have experienced. They include NBC, Google and the Olympics. All of the logos displayed on the website have had some level of success within their company, however there are also some that aren’t so well known. Even though most of the logos out their stick to the rule of not using more than 2 colours, there are also many that purposely break this rule but still become extremely successful. This suggests that, even though there are rules out there about what you can and cant do when it comes to designing a logo, sometimes it can be a good thing to break these conventions and do something a little different to help get your company recognized.


The information I gained from holding my focus group was extremely interesting. I asked them what they thought was the most important part of a logo design was, giving them some options such as shape, colour, simplicity or portraying a message, and they all agreed on saying that simplicity was the most important aspect. A 18 year old girl went on to say “if every logo had the same colour or shape it would be boring”. Another 18 year old girl then said “colour is more important because it’s the thing you see first”. However reference (7) explains how a logo must be able to be successful in both black & white and colour. This is because sometimes you will come across situations where your logo, if in colour, will have to be printed in black & white and you don’t want the logo to become less powerful. This contrasts with the 18 year old’s view because she is saying how colour is what makes a logo. However, does that mean that a logo in black in white stands out less from the crowd? Reference (8) also agrees with what reference (7) is saying by clarifying the same point that was made:“If a design MUST have colour to be good – it isn’t good”

The focus group definitely helped me get a better understanding of what it was people focused on when looking at a logo and how this differs from the minds of people who actually work on producing them. A 17 year old girl then talked about how a company might want to use a colour that hasn’t been used before to not only make it more recognizable but to also help start a new ‘trend’. For example, eBay uses several colours for its logo and each of the colours are quite bright and stand out. This helps make it more recognizable.

Example from reference (7)


From doing historical analysis, I have found out that Coca-Cola is one of the logo’s is famous for the colour it uses in the logo; red. The company have used the same colour since 1958 and now, when most people see that red, they will relate it back to the Coca-Cola logo. Reference (9) is a blog that I found which looks specifically at colour and shape. It talks about the significance of colour and how companies will often use certain colours to try and sub-consciously symbolize something to their target market.

Black = authority and power, stability and strengthWhite = purity, cleanliness, neutrality and peaceRed = attention, energy, movement and excitementBlue = calming, steadfastness, dependability, wisdom and loyaltyGreen = growth, nature, money, good luck, generosity and fertilityYellow = laughter, happiness, optimism, speed up metabolismOrange = fun, happiness, energetic and ambitionPurple = Royalty, wealth, prosperity and sophistication

This is something that the customer will hardly ever notice and simply look at the logo as portraying the company. However, for every logo that is created a lot of thought is put into thinking about what colours should be used and what this portrays. Another thing that I noticed while looking at many different logos, was that circles are used a lot when it comes to designs. However reference (3) says the complete opposite and says that when it comes to designing a logo rectangles work best because our eyes find it a lot easier to work our way the shape. They then go on to say that they also work better when it comes to TV and the web. This is controversial because from simply typing ‘logos’ into Google images most of the shapes seem to be circles.


Firstly, when it comes to the question that I decided to answer, at first I thought that I had narrowed it down to quickly. However, when I started to gather all of my research together I found out that there was actually a lot and that lots of people have positive and negative things to say about colour. One problem I did come across was that it mainly focused on colour and I found it hard to find things about shape. If I was to design the question again I would have wither made it more broad so that I could look at other aspects rather than just colour and shape or narrow it down to simply shape because there is so much information. The blogs that I used for my secondary research in this question all seemed to say the same sort of thing, about using no more than 2 colours. However for both reference (5) and (6) it doesn’t tell me who wrote the articles on either website. This could mean that the source is less reliable because it isn’t allowing the public to know who wrote it and when they wrote it. For the primary methods that I used for this question, the comparative analysis definitely helped me see a trend when it came to looking at colours that many be used. However, this was not the case, and showed that all colours are used equally, and the colours that are picked for a logo depend on a number of things such as demographics, target market, product etc. The piece of research that I found helped me the most for this question was the focus group because different people said interesting things about colour and how a logo might attract their attention. However, their views and the views from the secondary research different massively, and I believe that was because, as a consumer, we don’t pay attention to things such as cost of production and how this may affect the company or business. It would have been interesting to look at this part more in-depth and possibly organize an experiment. This would be where I would get a consumer, and someone from the professional field and give them the same set of photos. I would then give them a certain amount of time and ask them to produce a mood board. I would then compare the two mood boards and see how they differ and any similarities they may have with each other.


As part of my comparative analysis, I looked at the 6 different companies and how successful the company was as a whole.

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As you can see, Apple had the biggest revenue in 2010-2011 and from the focus group they decided that Apple was the most well known logo that I showed to them. However, from the focus group also and the questionnaire, McDonalds was mentioned a lot more then Sony and Tesco. This proves that it isn’t necessarily down to how successful the company is as a whole and how well they do in a certain year to prove that their logo is successful. Reference (10) shows the popularity between two separate sports brands; Nike and Adidas. It shows that Nike is clearly Googled more then Adidas throughout the year. Nike is also more well known then Adidas and when, in my questionnaire I asked ‘what is the most well known logo’, 10 out of 38 people said they believed Nike to be the most well known. Both the graph and Google trends suggest that Nike and Apple are continuously coming out on top when it comes to deciding what makes a successful logo, and throughout my research, both primary and secondary, people seem to refer back to them when saying what they believe is a successful logo. There is some connection between the success of those two companies and how both of the logos are perceived by both the public and people in the professional field.



I interviewed a Graphic Designer who owns his own company and asked him ‘Does the popularity of a logo determine how successful the logo design is? Why?’. His response was that if it was coming from the consumer end then this wasn’t necessarily the case because the job of a logo is to act as a reminder to the consumers about what that company does. He then goes on to state that if a company is popular then will automatically make the logo more popular as well. During my focus group people seemed to think the complete opposite. Both a 18 year old girl and a 17 year old boy agreed that the logo needs to be visually interesting for it to be successful. This is because if it isn’t then you wont even give it a second look when you see it in a media form and simply ‘miss it’ altogether. Someone else then said if the company logo is bad then it wont be memorable and again, in a few minutes time they wont even remember that logo or what it stands for. It is interesting to see how the two views differ from each other, and how, during the focus group, they thought that if the logo wasn’t popular then it meant it wasn’t a good logo. Reference (11) is a video, which goes though different aspects of what makes a successful logo. One of the points that they make is that before designing a logo you should look at what is already out on the market and the brands that have already become successful. Often a logo needs to be able to send a clear and simple message quickly and efficiently to its consumer, and the logos that are able to do this are deemed as ‘fantastic’. Also, during my focus group one of the members said if they was walking down the street and they saw two shops next to each other, one that they recognize and one that they don’t, they would instantly look at the one they recognize first and are most likely to then go inside to that shop rather than the other. This proves the importance of becoming recognized as much as you can, because everyday hundreds of companies are loosing money because people don’t know who they are or what they are about. That is why logos are so important for any company out their, because first impressions are the key and you want to ensure that you grab your target audience the very first time that they look at your logo or see your brand.


Very quickly during my primary research, I found out that this was my weakest question. It is because it isn’t a great question and it was very hard to explain to people what I meant by it. I still don’t think I have an answer to this question despite the research methods I have carried out and if I was to do this project again I would definitely take this question out and replace it. It was hard to separate the logo with the company and try to figure out what made a ‘fantastic logo’ because when I asked people and looked at different secondary sources they always made a connection with the company and how successful they were. The comparative research that I done did help me a lot in understanding if there was a connection between the logo success and the company success. In conclusion my research suggests that it can be the case, however just because the the company does well, you wont ever know if that was down to the logo or how the company has gone about making sales. The interview with the graphic designed enabled me to get a different view on the question and take an understanding from his side, as someone who has made many logos for people over the years. It was also interesting to compare his professional opinion to those who took part in the focus group, because they still both related back to the company and how that logo may portray them. I found it extremely hard to find secondary sources to help me answer this question, because like I have explained, the question was sometimes hard to make sense of. The sources I did use, didn’t have a direct link with the question, however it did help me to explain what is important in a logo and how a company might be able to portray a message to their audience.

Does the logo need to target a specific audience?

For the interview I done with a graphic designer, one of the questions that I asked him was ‘Should a logo target a specific target audience to get the most success out of it or is it possible to be broader? Why?’. The response that he gave me was that it depends on the company and who they are aiming to target. A few companies, such as youth-organizations will often be specific in what they include in their logo to help catch their audience. However, what is more popular is to design a much broader logo and then when it comes to the marketing strategy, change this to target a specific audience. One example that the interviewee gave me was companies such as Nike and Adidas. Both have simple logos that don’t necessarily target a certain demographic or psychographic.

This is an example of one of the campaigns that Nike had, which you can clearly see immediately targets footballers. However, they still display the Nike logo during the campaign so that we are able to make the connections between what they are trying to sell and the company that is doing this. I think that this is extremely effective because this way many companies are able to target people of all different ages without having to worry out if there logo might make that less effective. However, there also many companies out there that only want to specific a very niche audience and in these cases, creating a logo showcasing that is the best way around that. For example a business offering to look after your pet dog when you go away isn’t going to be interested in getting the attention of people who like going to play football or who likes going shopping. This method, of targeting the audience though different campaigns and marketing strategy's are a lot more common in mainstream business, for example worldwide known companies, because this allows them to get themselves out there and ensuring they are able to get the biggest target audience possible and bringing the highest profit to their company.


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One of the questions I asked during my questionnaire was ‘what logos out there are specifically targeted at your own age group’ and I have devised a table to show you the different answers I got. This starts you give you an understanding about what different age groups are interested in, however despite these answers, 12 out of the 38 people who answered said they didn’t know, but they would like it if there were more logos that did. Reference (11) states that every logo “conveys a subliminal message that will speak volumes about your business to the subconscious mind”. This suggests that many of the consumers don’t realize when a company is always trying to target you, but when you also see their logo or hear about their business then you will be thinking about that company subconsciously. Reference (11) then goes on to say that before you start to design your logo you need to think carefully about what you want your company to become and who you want to be your target market. In many cases, this isn’t necessarily a certain demographic but instead a broader audience, where they will then go and target individual groups in different ways.

From my primary research, questionnaire (38 people)


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As part of my comparative analysis, I also looked at the different logos and who the company primarily targets. When I went on various websites I quickly found out that no mainstream companies choose their target market from age groups, but instead often use the class system. This enables the companies to target who they want to and get a good revenue for their company, but at the same time not limiting who can come and buy their products. McDonalds was the only company to say that their target market was every segment of the demography, all of the other were either middle-upper class people, or people who are looking for money off and offers. During my interview I also asked the graphic designer ‘when you look at a logo for the first time should you immediately know what the company is about and what they are tying to portray to you?’. His reply explains that this is sometimes the case, but not always. A logo shouldn’t be forced to do too much for the company and only help for the visuals as part of a company. If a company is unsuccessful overall it isn’t just down to the logo but all the other aspects that come with starting up a business. From all of the research, it suggests that many companies now go for the broader logo design so that they aren’t instantly narrowing down who they aim to target. This is not only becoming more popular with smaller independent companies, but many mainstream companies have also been using his method for years.



When I first wrote down this question, I thought that it was going to be the hardest one to answer because I didn’t think I would be able to obtain that much information about it. However, when I started to put my research together and cross-reference things, it seemed to be a lot clearer and I think this is one of the questions I have been able to get a more accurate answer too. The interviewee helped me massively because of his views and experience form working in the industry. However, if I had had the time then I would have spoken to different people in the industry, for example someone who owed their own company, someone who worked for a bigger organization or company etc. I was disappointed with the lack of secondary sources I could find to help me answer this question, because I really had to go by the research I carried out myself. This makes is less accurate because the research I done was only basic and it would have been much better if I had done more and got a better understanding. Also it could mean that it was less reliable because I don’t have anything to compare my research too. I could have asked a better question for my questionnaire to help me more with my findings because all I gained from that was knowing certain logos and companies people think are aimed at them.

Overall, my research suggests that many companies prefer to design a broad logo that doesn’t seem to have much depth to it when you first look at it. However, what most consumers don’t realize, is that when you start to look at the logo and the different aspects of it there is a lot going on, even if it is just a colour being used to make you feel a certain way. It also depends on how big the company is and who they are aiming to target, because this will depend on what sort of logo they want to connect with their company and how they want to be perceived.

Should the logo invoke an emotion in the audience?

Reference (7) talks about how using certain colours in your logo design can subconsciously make the audience feel different feelings and emotions. This is why making sure you chose the right colours for your logo can be the difference between it being a success and failure. My interviewee explains this in a different way and says that for a logo to be able to make you feel something when you look at it is a very hard thing to do. This is because often companies will try and get a logo to say too much, and during this process the logo will become over complicated. He then explains that this simply isn’t the job of a logo and that the logo is just a reminder of the company. Later on he goes on to explain that from his experience in the profession he doesn’t have any specific logos that have inspired him. However, a certain graphic designer has; Paul Rand. He designed some classic logos that are “clever but doesn’t need to be complicated”.

These are three examples of logos that Paul Rand has designed. Each one has a clever design, while still being simple and clearly displaying the name of the company on the logo. Even though they may not invoke an emotion in the audience when the consumer looks at them they are still extremely eye-catching and unique. Sometimes, that can be enough to get the audience thinking about the logo and maybe start to feel or think of a certain emotion that way.

Should the logo invoke an emotion in the audience?

This was the hardest question for me to start to get an answer for because of how little information I was able to gather. Even though there was some research I was able to analysis, it doesn’t give me a clear and accurate answer. Looking back on my questions and research methods that I chose, I could have focused more on emotions so that I would be able to get a better understanding. The interviewee did help me in some ways, however I would have liked to go more in-depth with the questions that I asked and this would have allowed me to compare answers. Again, I was disappointed in the lack of secondary research that I was able to use and I found it extremely hard to relate what I did have back to the question. If I had the chance to revisit my questions and change some I would have worded this differently so that I would be able to get a more accurate answer at the end.

From the evidence that I did gain, it suggests that there aren’t actually many logos out there that make you feel an emotion when you look at them, and instead they simply allow you to make that connection between the product and the company. However, there are still certain logos out there they do invoke an emotion in you, for example animal cruelty organizations like the RSPCA etc.

Does the logo need to portray the companies’ identity?

Reference (12) states that logo design “is not a beauty contest”. Instead, a logo needs to stand out in the market with its competitors, so rather then trying to make the prettiest logo, companies how need to make sure they portray their companies’ identity so that people will pick them over the competition. When I done my interview with a graphic designer he also agreed with this view, but explained it in a different way. He said that a logo’s job in today’s society is to primarily identify that company so that it become instantly recognizable when consumers see it.

The Nike tick identifies the brand and whenever people see the tick they automatically associate it with Nike but people also know that it symbolizes performance, athletic, ‘just do it’, sport etc. Both the secondary source, and the primary research that I done had the same view when it came to whether the logo should portray the companies identity. However, at the same time Nike has built their name up over the years with a lot of hard work and this is what

many smaller companies, that aren’t so established, struggle with because they don’t always put the time and effort into getting the logo and brand known. Reference (5) says how the logo needs to relate to the business in some sort of way. Whether that is though the colour scheme they use, the font or the image etc. This could then lead to the consumer thinking about the product or service they are offering without them even realizing it. All three of these sources agree with each other when they say the logo definitely needs to have some sort of connection. Otherwise, when it comes to remembering what that logo is about or what they are offering to you, you wont be able to remember. This same point seems to come up in every one of the questions that I have asked. That if the logo isn’t memorable then your brain is unable to make that connection between the product and the company and this is why the job of a logo is so important.


These are the example displayed on reference (13). It explains how the purpose of a logo is to serve the company and allow people to recognize it. This can be done in many different ways, for example having clear imagery, suitable colours, readable font etc. If one of these elements is taken away, then the logo starts to become unclear and this means the consumer wont be able to relate to it as much and wont make the connection of that company and what they are offering you. During the focus group, people kept mentioning the fact that Apple is directly linked and whether this is portraying the companies’ identity. However, from what I have found out, from my secondary research, is that portraying the companies’ identity isn’t so much about being directly related to it, but instead about whether it does justice for the company and allows and audience to relate to it. If I logo starts to become complicated and busy, it makes it harder to see the purpose of the logo and what they are trying to offer you. Reference (13) later goes on to state that a logo has to compress all of the information within it. For example if they have used the same font throughout their company and stores, or used a certain colour to portray a deeper meaning, or included an image which is directly connected, then they have to squeeze all of the different elements together and ensure that the logo still works at the end of it. The examples on the left are good at showing how this can be done, because they are all unique, while at the same time clearly showing the company name and also what the company is offering to you.


This was the last of my sub-questions. However, I don’t think I chose the right questions because I wasn’t able to find out what I wanted to. The overall questions is very broad and this meant it was hard for me to find certain things out, meaning I don’t think I found the answer to this question. When I started to look deeper into the question many of the same points seemed to appear one of the other sub-questions; Does the logo need to have a clear connection with the company or the product?I could have reworded the question and put the two together because I found that I seemed to be repeating myself with many of the points. However, at the same time I could have been more specific with the question that I asked to enable me to get a better understanding. I managed to find many secondary sources to help me with my findings, but struggled with finding sufficient primary research answers to help me answer it. During the focus group I didn’t talk about this as much as I would have liked to and looking back on it, if I was to carry it out again, I could have designed questions to specifically concentrate of company identity. However, the interview did help me and I was then able to cross-reference his answer the secondary sources I had already obtained. I had already used reference (5) to help me answer one of the other questions, however, I don’t think that it is completely reliable because of the fact that it doesn’t tell you who wrote the article. Contradicting this, it is on a website that is recognized by many people on the web and this could mean that it is more trusted then other sites.

Conclusion

In conclusion, I was able to find out the answers to the questions to a certain extent, however, I wasn’t able to get a accurate and reliable answer to any of the questions because I didn’t have enough evidence to support it. I ensured that I used both primary and secondary research in my final report to make sure that I had evidence to back my answers up and make them at accurate as I could have. Looking back on it, I should have spent a lot more time planning my primary research and making sure I got my interviews face-to-face as I believe this was one of my major full backs. This was because it didn’t allow me to get in-depth answers, and I would have also liked to have interviewed more then 1 person. When it came to finding my secondary sources, I done it randomly, and by typing different things into search engines. However, I was pleased that I didn’t just use the web and got a variety of sources such as books, pod cast's and quotes. If I was to carry out my secondary research again I would of defiantly done it more methodically to ensure I had a variety of sources and made sure I also had some sources to help me answer each of my questions. I think my over question; ‘what makes a logo successful?’ was way to broad because there are so many different logos out there portraying and symbolizing different companies and businesses. I should have narrowed this down to a specific category, for example food logos or retail store logos. This would have allowed me chose what logos I looked at more carefully, rather then choosing a wide range. It would have also allowed me to narrow down what I was analyzing and this would have many helped me answer the questions better. I found that the secondary sources that I found via the web all seemed to say the same thing, and this was one of the down falls when it came to looking at my findings. I also don’t think that I found enough secondary sources because when it came to writing my final report I was very limited to what I could use and would have preferred it if I was able to have a wider variety to have chosen from. One thing I made sure I done was be neutral during my focus group because I wanted to make sure I didn’t sway anyone’s opinions or answers. I think this is important because this making sure you keep your research as accurate as possible. However, if I had had the time, then I would have carried out more than one focus group, allowing me to compare the different answers.

Bibliography

Reference (8) – Source 7. Carter, DEC, published in 1998, Logo Power, Hearst Books International

Webography Reference (1) – Source 16. Daniel Boorstin, quote, online, available from

http://thinkexist.com/quotation/an_image---is_not_simply_a_trademark-a_design-a/12476.html, accessed on Monday 27th February 2012.

Reference (2) – Eren Mckay, How the Brain Remembers Things, online, available from http://www.articledashboard.com/Article/How-Does-the-Brain-Remember-Things/1294009, assessed on Sunday 13th May 2012.

Reference (3) – Source 6. Duncan McAdams, What Makes A Good Logo, online, available from http://www.marketstorm.co.nz/article_logo.htm, assessed on Tuesday 21st February 2012.

Reference (4) – Source 10. Steve Douglas, November 2009, Starting Out Right, online, available from http://www.thelogofactory.com/podcast/The-Logo-Factory-Podcast-One.mp3, assessed on Monday 27th February 2012

Reference (5) – Source19. Logo Bee Design, LogoBee’s Top 10 Logo Design Tips, online, available from http://www.logobee.com/feature22.htm, assessed on Tuesday 28th February 2012.

Reference (6) – Source 17. Admin, April 2009, online, available from http://www.famouslogos.org/8-successful-logos-that-break-the-rules, assessed on Monday 27th February 2012.

Reference (7) – Source 1. Amanda Kern, What Makes A Successful logo, online, available from http://www.valenciawebstudio.com/articles/design/logo/logo.html, assessed on Monday 20th February 2012.

Reference (9) – Source 21. Nora Reed, June 2010, What Makes a Logo Design Memorable; Colour or Symbol?, online, available from http://www.logoblog.org/wordpress/memorable-logo-design-color-or-symbol/, assessed on Tuesday 28th February 2012.

http://thinkexist.com/quotation/an_image---is_not_simply_a_trademark-a_design-a/12476.html

http://thinkexist.com/quotation/an_image---is_not_simply_a_trademark-a_design-a/12476.html

http://www.articledashboard.com/Article/How-Does-the-Brain-Remember-Things/1294009

http://www.marketstorm.co.nz/article_logo.htm

http://www.thelogofactory.com/podcast/The-Logo-Factory-Podcast-One.mp3

http://www.logobee.com/feature22.htm

http://www.famouslogos.org/8-successful-logos-that-break-the-rules

http://www.valenciawebstudio.com/articles/design/logo/logo.html

http://www.logoblog.org/wordpress/memorable-logo-design-color-or-symbol/

Reference (10) – Source 5. Google trends, January 2011, online, available from http://www.google.com/trends/?q=nike,+adidas, assessed on Tuesday 21st February 2012.

Reference (11) – Source 12. Online, available from www.omnificdesign.com.au., assessed on Monday 27th February 2012.

Reference (12) – Source 18. David Brier, August 2009, online, available from http://www.risingabovethenoise.com/leading-logo-designer/, assessed on Monday 27th February 2012.

Reference (13) – Source 22. JSB Moore, online, available from http://www.code-interactive.com/thinker/a112.html, assessed on Tuesday 28th February 2012.

Webography

http://www.google.com/trends/?q=nike,+adidas

http://www.omnificdesign.com.au/

http://www.omnificdesign.com.au/

http://www.risingabovethenoise.com/leading-logo-designer/

http://www.risingabovethenoise.com/leading-logo-designer/

http://www.code-interactive.com/thinker/a112.html

http://www.code-interactive.com/thinker/a112.html

Business

What makes a successful logo