Designing a Brand Logo

Note: Some research is from the following links and some search results from google:

1. https://99designs.com/blog/tips/logo-importance/ 

2. https://logogeek.uk/logo-design/why-logos-matter/

So what I decided to do is that before I start making a business card I wanted to create a logo for my own brand but I need to know which one is the most suitable design, so I have done some research online and explored some key questions, I will use McDonald's as an example:

Why does the company need a Logo? 

A logo is not just a brand, it's an identity made for people to recognize but if a logo was first created and there is no slogan or meaning behind it, it is a plain logo that not many would know about it at first, but as time goes on and when the brand becomes more successful in marketing, the brand becomes more recognizable, McDonald's is recognized today for being one of the most successful and biggest fast food restaurants.

A logo will often change throughout generations as it helps to keep it's identity but help new customers feel more familiar with the brand.     

For marketing purposes a logo must stand out especially when there is rival competition, two brands like McDonald's and burger king are very similar brands and aim with a similar purpose to serve fast food to consumers. 

Burger King's logo history

What do they have in common? 

They are both have competition because of the following reasons:

1. They're both highly recognized fast food restaurants and have eye catching logo's, they both have familiarity with their customers.

2. They're both been around for many generations although McDonald's have had been around earlier the 1930's and Burger king only Started 16 years after.

3. Similar products such as Burgers, Fries, Drinks, Chicken Nuggets and Chicken Burgers.

4. They are both accessible world wide due to being big brands, McDonald's have over 30,000 and more restaurants world wide in over 100 Countries, whilst Burger King have over more then 18,000 world wide in more then 100 Countries as well. 

How is this research relevant to my idea of designing a brand logo?

This research should give me roughly the idea of creating a logo, the two brands I mentioned are a fine example of competition in the marketing industry and bringing each their own identity, the brand logo I am making will be different and will in be the media industry instead since I am currently doing Creative Media.   

Here's some examples of media brand logos:

1. BBC Widely Recognized in Great Britain and even worldwide for news broadcasting, Tv Shows and some British films. The logo is basic but easy to recognize and the three letters stands for 'British Broadcasting Corporation'.  

2. Paramount Pictures Widely Recognized for being a production Company that releases many films, the logo shows a mountain with many stars around it. 

3. Universal Pictures It is a company that makes and produces American films it becomes so famous it even made it's own theme park and resort dedicated to the films that they have produced, it's logo represents a globe (Our planet) with the big bold letters. 

4. Netflix A Company that offers streaming services online including TV shows and many Films with special permissions for licensing, you can access these services by paying a monthly subscription to each unlimited amount of films anywhere and anytime, rather then going out to the cinemas or pay 5, 10 pounds or more for 1 film or TV show to be viewed on a DVD.    

What have I learned from this research?

After what I have learned with my research I have then made 8 different designs one of them will be chosen to be a final product, I will also show the process of creating them with some screenshots, each image shown will show some feedback and the editing process, a lot of editing was actually used on power point, the following feedback is recorded using google forms, how the responses will work is that the responses will rate each design out of 10 and then will explain which of these designs are the best and the worst out of all them and why, now time to show the designs, feedback and some editing process:

First Image: Basic with no text

Feedback Rating: Half of my audience out of 6 people rates it as mediocre (3/10), it's probably a weak design due to it being the first attempt of making my logo and with it being basic it probably deserves that rating.  

Editing Process: 

1. Inserted Circle Shape, changed size and changed it's color

2. Repeated the process until I got all 3 shapes combined.

3. Find an image that represents a camera icon once inserted, afterwards I used the Background Removal tool, it allows me to turn this image into a transparent PNG. and it can merge appropriately with my logo. (This step applies to all of my logo designs). 

And now the first image is born:

Second Image: Smaller Image but with text added

Feedback Rating: Only Two out of Six people have rated this design as good (5/10) while the rest had mixed opinions. The design is more improved now with text being added.  

 

Editing Process:

The editing is almost exactly the same as the first image, only difference is that I added text and shrunk the size image.    

Third Image: Changed the size of the image and text.

Feedback Rating: Half of my feedback gave this one an Awesome rating (7/10), this is one of my better designs. Although the text of this image had been moved slightly and the scale of the image is slightly altered to match with the text.

Editing Process: I only changed the text and then moved it in a better position, it somewhat made a change of effect with feedback.   

Fourth Image: Slapped on a splash of yellow to the text.

Feedback Rating: Half of my audience rates it as Ok (4/10) which means it might not be too bad but definitely needs some improvements, I think personally the text spoils the overall look of the logo simply because the color doesn't match.

Editing Process: Simply highlighted the text and changed the font color to be yellow.

Fifth Image: Another Basic with no text but in a different Shape.

Feedback Rating: 2 of my most popular feedback for this design is both Ok (4/10) and Mediocre (3/10), although it looks arguably better then the first design it shares a lot of similarities and the rating is barely any different, it doesn't have text so it lacks identity which would explain why aren't so very different to the first one. 

Editing Process: Like the very first design the whole image is just a layer of shapes being merged with an image strapped on to it, it is very basic and looks nearly the same, only difference is the shape itself. 

Sixth Image: Shrunk the image size and positioned the text.

Feedback Rating: This design have the highest rating and only Five out of Six people rated this as the Best Design (10/10). 

Bonus: This Logo received the most positive feedback out of all of my logos and only one person have considered it a lower rating! I would agree to the feedback because it is easy to read but it doesn't look too simple and is clean and straight to the point. Maybe the only reason someone would give this a lower rating is the simplistic colors, some people prefer bright and more colorful designs rather then gray and more dull looking ones.   

Editing Process: Added the text and positioned it, resized the image to be a little smaller to help the text stand out more.

Seventh Image: Altered the text font to be more bolder and made the image to be larger.

Feedback Rating: Design Seven had a fairly good Awesome rating (7/10), it is followed a mix of other ratings and only one of them is a negative Worst rating (0/10) which is quite a shock to me because i would at least thought that even with some flaws like maybe the color or font style, or shape it should at least get more then a rating of Very Bad (1/10).

Editing Process: I have moved and merged all the text to the bottom and made it more bolder whilst slightly resizing the image to match. 

Final Image: Same image as last time just with different text color.

Feedback Rating: This Image is the most mixed when it comes to rating since the first two people rates it as Ok (4/10), another Good (5/10) and the last two rates it as Mediocre (3/10). The reason for this might have been the poor color choice with the text. 

Editing Process: Like Image four, I simply once again highlighted the text and changed the font color to be yellow. 

After designing these images I have then successfully received more feedback from multiple students using google forms, here are some  statistics on each design that I have made.  

I then asked for the best and worst designs overall:

it just amazing

I like the black text that you use, and I like the fact it's on the top and the bottom on the sixth design.

just incredible

i like the professional look, the font and the symbol as well as the positioning of the text

it has the best positioning

Just best design

The first one was very plain

I thought it was a bit plain.

just not very interesting

I don't like the color of the font, it doesn't match with the symbol

its just a bit bland compared to the others

very plain

The most popular design is number Six Since the higher majority of the responses have selected this as the best design, each individual explains the reason why, now where all these responses helpful? 

Yes, as it helps me to discover and find the right design, it does so by allowing me identify what makes a great design, the same also goes for the worst design.     

By Identifying the best and worst designs it had allowed me to identify the differences.