Photoshop has long proven itself to be both a popular tool and a powerful force in today’s graphic marketplace. Nowadays, its name is being used as both a verb and an adjective.
Think about the images you see online nowadays, if a particular media shot seems questionable, but it looks realistic, everyone thinks it’s been photoshopped. On the other hand, if a photo doesn’t come out quite right, you can always ‘photoshop it’. But when it comes to a brand name and its image, you can’t get away with this kind of trickery and you must get this important consumer perception right the first time.
Making photos look better isn’t all this piece of software is capable of performing. This a powerful graphics tool makes the difference between dull and droll or dramatically and different when it comes to using its visual magic. It’s used in design processes across multiple industries, from simple logos to complex designs, graphic and dramatic art pieces.
Branding is a vital key for any business, a company needs an appropriate image, and this image starts with a logo. It’s why so many web designers and graphic artists create logos with Photoshop, since this is the best way to learn current graphic design tricks and trends in order to make the best first impression with today’s fickle consumers.
It’s important to get the ‘personality’ of the company into the logo design in order to connect with potential customers. Designers also use different colors to affect our psyche, along with striking images to impress us, backgrounds and subtle undertones to engage this visual audience. Then it all needs to be wrapped up into a pretty package that creates a simple logo that communicates many different points to the audience quickly.
Obviously, it isn’t as easy as you’d think. So, let’s look at some key pondering points to consider.
Top Ten Logo Design Questions
- What is the name of this company? Should this be a part of the logo or a background to the image itself?
- Is there a slogan? If it isn’t needed in the logo design, the logo should at least complement the phrase in some way.
- What about a story? Is this tale communicated through the logo or simply an afterthought that doesn’t need mentioning?
- How will the logo be used? Is this just part of an overall package or will it be encompassed in many different ways throughout the branding process?
- Who is the target audience? Are companies like KFC (reviving their ancient Colonel Sanders) and Budweiser (continuing to use their signature Clydesdales) struggling to connect with millennials and other young audiences?
- What about color choices? How does color psychology influence people and affect their reactions and perceptions when it comes to branding and logos?
- How will the logo be presented? What is the logo trying to communicate? Understanding the drive and desire of a company can greatly change your logo approach.
- What fonts should you use? Is it bold and bright, understated and imaginative, frilly and fun? Sometimes a font and the name, or even the first letter of the title is appropriate.
- How do you bring it all together? Once you have the above information, the ‘easy’ part is now complete. Now you need to combine all of that into a design concept that presents itself as a it into a simple logo. That’s right, logos should be simple in design, yet easy to understand and be memorable.
- Is it truly unique? Don’t copy and twist existing ideas, instead create something original that has the ability to be transformed if needed in the long term in order to adapt to ever-changing audiences and their perceptions.
All the aspects of learning logo design aren’t going to come overnight. However, it is worthy of the practice and some persistence. There are plenty of online courses that teach Photoshop and logo design. While these can help to guide you throughout the initial stages, it’s best to practice a bit first before seeing the project completely though. However, once you have grasped the basics, logo design will come quite naturally and ultimately a great success for the business and brand.