This is the final post in the
DesignCrowd Guide to Creating Great Logos.
Presenting Your Logo
Though it's the bulk of the work, creating impact with your logo isn't just about crafting a great design - it's about how you present it. After all, you are trying to win a design contest and first impressions count.
Simple touches can have a sizable impact, for example, you can significantly enhance or diminish the visual quality of your logo depending on your choice of background. Some logos look great on a simple white background, others are better showcased using complementary color schemes, on a family color background, or even on a texture.
Additional reading to help you impress every customer
4 Tips To Create Original Graphic Design Artwork
Logo Competitions - 7 Logo Competition Tips For Designers
How To Win More Design Contests
Points to Remember
- Be careful any texture on the background doesn't overpower the logo. This goes back to keeping things simple. If the pattern is distracting, then don't use it. Ask a few friends - you may need a fresh set of eyes to look at your work.
- Try the logo on a few different backgrounds. The client or contest owner will look at all the uploaded designs, and if they think one will create a better first impression, they may ask you to change it. Having more work on the page looks good and shows you have put thought and effort into the design.
- Keep it consistent. You may be able to use your DesignCrowd profile as an impromptu portfolio, showcasing the work you have created for a whole variety of contests and clients.
- You could include an additional logo design without text uploaded. It's nice to show the work you have created without relying on text to send the message for you. The design should speak to the brief, and be able to stand alone in portraying the message the client is trying to put across.
Activity - Backgrounds Made Easy
Create a template in your preferred vector program with dimensions set to the recommneded preview size for DesignCrowd (1200px x 1000px). Create four different layers, one with a white background, another with a 50% gray, a colored background, and a texture background. Add some vignetting (corner gradients) if you want. When you create a logo, you can quickly audition a range of options and see which direction might best suit your latest work.
Never Stop Learning
Learn from others. There are tons of
great logos out there. Analyze them, determine what you like, what you don't, what could have been done better, and so on. When you see a logo you love, think critically about what makes it great, and add it to a
scrapbook for inspiration. Start learning from people you admire. Observation is fundamental.
Points to Remember
We've provided a range of resources for inspiration in this section's activity, but be careful with inspiration. Sometimes it can stick in your head a little too well and before you know it, you've got a copyright problem on your hands. Avoid copying work as best you can, and never even think about doing it deliberately!
DesignCrowd has a strict policy around producting original work, and reserves the right to suspend accounts if suspected of copyright infringement.
Bookmark These Resources
If you missed any of the previous articles, here is the round up of the Designer Guide series:
Written by Josh Borja on Tuesday, January 12, 2016
Josh has worked as a graphic designer at DesignCrowd, and is currently an in-house graphic designer for two community groups - Harbour City Bears and Penrith Musical Comedy Company. He credits both groups as being important in helping shape who he is. He says graphic design is a tool getting him to where he wants to be.
