Logo Design Blog

A Tricky Comparision - Black and White Logos VS Colorful Logos

Nora Reed — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 13:18:35 +0000

These days the internet is packed with the finest logo design galleries, providing a strong platform for graphic designers to share their talent with the world. With this wide exposure of skilled designers, we get to see ample amounts of terrific logos on the net. However, looking at latest logo styles, I think designers have stopped believing there is any rhyme or reason for making a successful logo. In the past, designers typically believed that colorful logos were hard to ignore, so very few companies approved of black and white logos.

Well, now times have changed….Finding some of the most inventive logos in “Black & White” I couldn’t agree more with the beauty of these color free logos. Being a logo designer, have you ever asked yourself, which logos are more appealing to the viewer: Black & White Logos OR Colorful Logos?

Yes, my friends….with this thought, I decided to put some of the best “Black & White Logos” and “Colorful Logos” on comparison. Looking at this showcase of 40 amazingly imaginative logos (with 20 in each section), I want you to tell which logos you think clients find more captivating and impressive…Black White Logos VS Colorful Logos?

Black & white Logos

VS

Colorful Logos

A Plus:

American Architects:

Wire:

Urban Chic:

Underground:

Unocu:

Attack:

Yoga Australia:

Egg N Spoon:

Pause:

Peace Rebels:

Jose Aguilo :

The Little Big Company:

In Out:

Lost:

Hug a Panda:

I Hate You:

TASC (Stolen Children):

Great White:

Blue Eagle :

Concealed:

Black Castle:

Rainbow Panda:

Home Theater :

Alcedo Media :

Discrete Idea:

Art Hive:

CMYK Garden:

Color Swirl :

Condi Marker :

Colorative:

DOD:

Go Play:

Doo PHP:

Gourmet Goodies :

Humming Bird:

Live Tree :

Metroplex:

Swirl:

Print Click :

My Stock Logo.com:

Talkonomics:

Rain Bows :

Tube:

C Is For Cookie: Sesame Street Google Logos

Nora Reed — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 19:16:18 +0000

Sesame Street turns 40! The widely known children’s program has come a long way in 40 years, so it deserves a celebration. The show began on November 10th 1969 and is the longest running children’s television program on US TV. Google has proudly modified its logo to commemorate the joyous event with characters from the show. Jim Henson’s Muppet characters bring the educational series to life, adding personality and entertainment to the educational program.

Today was Cookie Monster and yesterday was Big Bird. What other characters will Google feature? Most likely the very popular Elmo will make an appearance.

It’s hard to keep a child’s attention span for very long, but Sesame Street has done a great job keeping kids both entertained and educated. Since the show has been around for so long, even adults have fond memories and favorite characters. The adults have passed on the tradition and perhaps Sesame Street will have another 40 yrs to go! Happy Birthday Sesame Street!

-Nora Reed

Can a Logo Encourage Obesity?

Nora Reed — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 19:02:37 +0000

Are we being mislead? Since so much of the food that we eat is processed and full of salts, sugars, preservatives and ingredients that we can’t even pronounce, we tend to eat a surplus of things that our bodies don’t need. Generally, if you put aside most habits of overeating, there really isn’t much out there that has good nutritional value.The Food and Drug Administration now believes that “Smart Choices” nutritional logos from food manufacturers may be misleading consumers about the health benefits of processed foods.

The program came out last year, when concern grew more and more over high obesity rates. The logos are slapped on food containers to help the consumer decide what is a better choice when grocery shopping. The labels appear on boxes of foods that meet certain standards for calories per serving and fat content, but the problem is that the labeling system doesn’t take into consideration the extreme amounts of sugar that may be present within the food.

The FDA is stepping in and developing new nutritional standards that would have to be met before manufacturers place such claims on their packages. It won’t help obesity rates if people just think they are eating healthy, although is still is and always has been a responsibility of the consumer to read the side labels and have a real understanding of what is truly healthy.

-Nora Reed

Logos That Will Make You Scream This Halloween

Nora Reed — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 17:10:00 +0000

Halloween is such a fun holiday. It’s an opportunity to dress up, eat chocolate and have a scare fest. The Holiday usually means parties, food and friends and it is a fun little break from the ordinary everyday. Like most holidays, Halloween is also a booming market for retail sales and opportunities to create themes for amusement parks, stores or online sites. This is also a great opportunity for fun and frightful Halloween logos!

Of course the pumpkin is a great, classic symbol for Halloween, Thanksgiving and the Fall season in general. It’s one of the first things anyone thinks of when this time of year rolls around. They symbol is used in many logos to show their festive side and it is a great image for artistic creations. Here, YouTube replaces their known TV symbol with a square shaped pumpkin for that perfect Fall season feel.

Apple’s logo transforms from an apple to a pumpkin pretty easily, although I only think the stem should have been green or brown. Apple does traditionally use one color for their logo, so I guess they were staying consistent to their theme and brand identity.

How can there be a Halloween without the constant replaying of one of the many Halloween movies? The buildup to Halloween is one of the best parts of the holiday. It’s fun to look forward to a month or week of scary movies, decorated houses and stores overstocked with candy. The movies have always been my favorite part. When it comes to great horror films, new titles are always fun and refreshing, but on that particular night, tradition is always the better way to go.

I personally enjoy when candy companies create Halloween themes for their candy wrappers. This is the biggest day of the year for them so it would make sense for them to go all out.

Every year, it seems like new Halloween stores pop up, but since costumes are expensive, some competition is a good thing.

Google, being known for its constantly changing logo, also participates every year in showing off a great Halloween design. These are a few nice ones from the past, but I am looking forward to seeing what they come up with for this year.

Have a fun and safe Halloween!

-Nora Reed

Pumpkin Carved Logos for the Halloween Season

Nora Reed — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 16:27:08 +0000

Pumpkin carving is a great afternoon activity during the autumn season and since Halloween is quickly approaching, it’s the time to get carving to display your creation on that enjoyable night. Pumpkin carving isn’t about just cutting out a face or your traditional jack-o-lantern anymore. Over the past few years, stencils for pumpkin carving have become a huge hit. After the the idea caught on, it seems many people have become creative and made stencils of their own, which include some popular logos!

It seems to be a given that President Obama’s logo would make it to pumpkin carving popularity. I’m sure many doorsteps will have this one on display this Halloween.

Mickey on a pumpkin in a common site around this time. Disney theme parks have their own Halloween celebration, in which their logo has a mickey face made out of pumpkins on advertisements for their attraction.

This carving required some skill, mostly because the frog’s hand is standing up on it’s own. I have attempted these kind of pumpkin carving designs and the unsupported piece of pumpkin always seems to sink in or collapse from the heat of the candle inside. I assumed it was the famous WB frog, isn’t it?

The Starbucks logo looks great this way and there are no actual cuts made into the pumpkin. It’s an interesting technique.

I think it’s scary that the Twitter site crashes so much that the image of the flying whale from their “over capacity” page is this well known that someone carved it into a pumpkin. You would think Twitter would have fixed that by now, considering how often it is used.

Out of dedication to all you bloggers out there, I am happy to the throw the wordpress logo into this mix. With so many great ideas, pumpkin carving takes a whole new turn this season, bringing so many famous logos to light. I can’t wait to see them all displayed! Happy Carving!

-Nora Reed

Artistic Sidewalk Chalk Illusions

Nora Reed — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 16:59:59 +0000

Art can really be found or formed anywhere. It just takes the right artist to have a vision and run with it. Here at Logo Blog, we strive to share fascinating stories and news about logos, but I came across these amazing photos and felt the incredible artwork was well worth sharing.

Sidewalk chalk art is usually referred to as street painting, which started throughout Europe during the 16th century. During that time, original street painters created religious images during festivals or in front of churches. Even the movie “Mary Poppins” brought light to this form of artwork when the characters jump into the designs on the street before the rain washes them away.

The chalk drawings below are the great works of Julian Beever and Kurt Wenner. Although both artists have different styles, together they create these beautiful 3D illusions. It’s pretty hard to tell what’s real and what isn’t, but take a look for yourself. They are truly an inspiration.

This is a great image of an old fashioned Coca-Cola bottle. Too bad that the shine covers up most of the logo!

This is great advertising for Sony. They must’ve sponsored this design, bringing advertising to another level. You can’t possibly ignore a giant computer hand drawn at your feet.

It’s all about the perspective. You just need to see it at the right angle. Below is a series of photos in which Julian Beever creates different scenarios to show progression …I can’t even imagine how long this must have taken.

Now you can see how it’s done! It looks so odd to see it at the wrong angle. Notice the Coca-Cola product placement all over the above images.

I think the Batman and Spiderman creations are the most creative of them all. It really takes your breath away and is extremely believable.

What an amazing talent. I couldn’t imagine working so hard on something that the rain will wash away. Sidewalk art is a truly inspirational art form. Enjoy!

-Nora Reed

Kelloggs, Flaking Out Over Logo Design

Nora Reed — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 21:22:13 +0000

When does a company take its branding a step too far? The American cereal company’s British division of Kelloggs, announced the development of laser technology that will burn its logo, or any other image, onto individual flakes of their cereal. The new technology uses a focused beam of light, where the light’s density is enough to burn an image on the surface of the flake. According to Kellogg’s representatives, the company wants consumers to be “under absolutely no illusion that Kellogg’s does not make cereal for anyone else”.

Kellogg’s will begin testing the new laser technology first with corn flakes, and if the effort is successful, it will be extended to their other cereal types, which include Special K, bran flakes and so many more. Kellogg’s reports that 128 billion bowls of its corn flakes are eaten worldwide each year. That is a lot of cereal and it seems the company wants to reinforce that those consuming the cereal, know where it came from. With a cereal that is so iconic, I would think that there would be no doubt in anyone’s mind of what brand name owns the famous breakfast food.

The main reason for this extreme form of branding is because there’s been a high number of similarly-packaged Corn flakes knockoffs lately. I’m sure it’s tough to keep competition away when you have a cereal that has been so popular for so long, but is this really the right way to go about it? I don’t think I would want to eat cereal with tiny writing on it.

-Nora Reed

Blog Logos and Headers that Inspire

Nora Reed — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 21:19:25 +0000

I’ve spent a lot of time perusing the blogs of others and trying to get a feel for what the blogging community has to offer. After my searching, a bunch of question began to arise and I began to wonder what makes a blog popular? Is it the content or the amount of friends the blogger has? Or perhaps, a well established blog that has been around longer draws more attention. I’m still stumped as to what exactly it is, but thought that maybe it was the design of the site or even the logo or header that was the sole attraction. Most blogs are simple when it comes to the design, but having recently redesigned my own blog, it brought on the thought of how others have their blogs set up. How important is the header or logo of a blog? Does that bring in traffic and attract attention, or is just a pretty label that serves little purpose?

Abduzeedo

Abduzeedo has a great neon sign approach, which adds a lot of character. Other than the header, the design is simply a black background but nicely done and elegant.

Creative Nerds

The red background brings out the warm colors of the fire design. I think the fire is a great indicator of creative thinking.

Logo Design Love

I love how the blog name is set up as one word, but separated by a color difference rather than spaces. The logo covers the entire top of the page like a newspaper headline. The additional heart is the perfect way to tie it all together and add a bright color to the black and gray.

Noupe

Noupe has a great color scheme, in which the accents of pink really bring out the design, although they recently changed their look, to a pale blue background with navy lettering. The pink is still present and still ties the logo together nicely. Without the pink, it would be much more lifeless. I do think that all of the lettering should have a background shadow, it would help it jump off the page.

Outlaw Design Blog

This look is perfect for the name. Outlaw Design Blog has the great stencil look of the old west. It reminds me of lettering that would be painted on the wall of an old saloon. I like the new design a lot better now. It is much more creative and works great with the letting, although it would look nice if there was an added lasso or horse somewhere within the lettering or alongside it. It’s just such a great theme that there are so many interesting ways to take it and run with it.

Web Design Ledger

I love the wrinkled background with the subtle stripes, but I think that the lettering would benefit from some color or shadow. It just seems too plain for the interesting start going on in the background. The actual site does have a lot going on, so something plain is more beneficial to the design.

Blog. Spoon Graphics

This is such a busy logo but it works well. It demonstrates what it promises: good graphics!

Pro Blogger

Pro Blogger has a very bold design, in which the letters stand out and seem to shout at you. The “P” symbol on the side is an innovative and modern concept.

Techguy Tales

I’m not sure how they can get away with this one. Are they ignoring copyright laws? I’m surprised that the representation for Family Guy has not shut this down for stealing their angry monkey image, but it makes sense nonetheless and works for the theme.

Celebrity Gossip

This design works perfect for its purpose. The large pink star in the logo is reminiscent of the celebrity walk of fame and the fashionists in front of the star represent typical gossiping girls. Good gossip is always fun!

Little Box of Ideas

The thought bubble emerging from the “i” in “ideas” is a fantastic little touch to this logo design, however I don’t fully know what the face represents. Is this the author in cartoon form? The design concept is very clever and demonstrates exactly what it is, a release of thoughts and ideas!

Crazy Leaf Design Blog

I would be disappointed if there were not a leaf somewhere in this logo, although it somewhat resembles a feather. I love how the background and lettering have a shaded effect and don’t just look like solid colors.

Design O’ Blog

I like how the mouse is interpreted within the logo, considering it seems to be Niki Brown’s mascot. It’s cute and inviting and follows a fun, freehand text.

Cats Who Code

Simple and creative. Cats who code has a fun cartoon cat figure typing on a mac. I’m surprised Apple hasn’t forced them to change it with their paranoia over logo theft, although it seems there are many blog headers that include macs in their design.

The Design Mag

The coloring of the word “design” is what sets this concept apart from others. It looks to me like the sunset on a flat horizon and delivers a comforting feeling, yet appears professional.

Smashing Magazine

Smashing magazine is anther great example of an interesting logo. You can’t miss that giant “S” as soon as you see it.

When I search other blogs, I generally search by article and go after what is most compelling, no matter what blogger wrote it. Others often check specific sites everyday in search of more content. I don’t know which method is more common. With so many great logo and header designs, it’s hard to tell if those are the sole attraction to blog sites or if there is much more to it and the logo or header are just part of the entire package. What do you think?

-Nora Reed

National Geographic’s Best Photos of the Year

Nora Reed — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 17:33:50 +0000

Although the year is not over yet, National Geographic has picked their best photos of 2009. I have to admit, they are pretty incredible. I thought they would be fun to share, so please enjoy and let me know what you think of these amazing and inspirational images.

Do you agree that these are the best?

-Nora Reed

Apple Fighting to Keep it’s Logo Identity

Nora Reed — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 18:10:12 +0000

It’s easy to steal a logo, even if you don’t always intend to. Some logos are so ingrained in our subconscious that even if we try to think up an original concept, it is usually spawned by some sort of inspiration from another famous logo. What is the difference between logo theft and being inspired by someone else’s design? That is a very fine line, which gives lawyers a field day when dealing with copyright infringement.

A recent case of a possible stolen logo identity is between the well known Australian super store Woolworth’s redesign and the ever so popular, Apple logo. The recent redesign of the Woolworth’s logo, which is a peeled apple in the shape of a “W,” has created a stir since it slightly resembles Apple’s famous icon. Apple has pleaded with the government agency in charge of Australian trademarks to deny Woolworth’s application for the logo change. The decision has not yet been made, but if Woolworths wins, they will have the right to put the logo on all their products, even their electronics.

Is this really a case of theft or does Apple just want to trademark anything that has the do with the popular fruit? What do you think?

-Nora Reed