The magic is always in the detail. — Theodor Fontane
A Logo is a Logo is a Logo. It should (ideally) convey a company philosophy in the most concentrated form and immediately create a basis of trust in its perfect appearance and associative power – but it is (actually) only the beginning of a good corporate design, or even the icing on the cake – depending on which side you approach it from. In any case, it is a component or even a trend-setting carrier of most corporate designs – and one of the most underestimated graphic design services: The amount of work required is between 8 and 80 hours, depending on the client and the requirements. Even a ‘traditional’ business card can mean as much work as a poster.
The Corporate Design
(i.e., the visual identity of a company) includes the design of all communication media of a company, especially logo/signet, business papers, advertising material, packaging and the internet presence. This also includes the consistent use of house fonts and company colours – for consistent visual communication (recognizability).
The demands of a large international corporation or the interior decorator around the corner are different, but the demands at least on the degree of recognition are similar. Sometimes it can be liberating to quickly conjure up something ‘reasonably useful’ for a small start-up without a large budget. But, if possible, you should not save money in the wrong place. Have a look around the competition and realize how important the ‘first impression’ and recognizability of your own brand/company is.
Of course we will also be happy to design ‘just’ a logo for you. But especially company founders should think about a comprehensive corporate design right from the start, because it also reflects the essence of their own company philosophy. Who do I want to address with which products? And why is our product/service distinctive/better and why should ‘you’ buy it? And: “We are to be taken seriously!” So it is always helpful if company founders try to understand the potential of their products and the company‘s goal as well as its growth potential. Also in order to be able to commission the then commissioned designer with a truly sustainable design solution for your corporate design. If you get it right, this is one of the most profitable investments ever.
“Pimp my Logo”
Who hasn‘t come across logos or ‘visual appearances’ where it is clear that many years ago things had to be done quickly, so the founder of the company quickly cobbled something together in MS-Word...? – But in the meantime the company has gained some reputation, e.g. through technical innovation or simply good work/products, and is now somewhat ashamed of its curly logo and appearance.
Here I can remedy this relatively easily. Just as you can‘t reinvent ‘the company’, you should simply optimize and modernize your logo and appearance as much as possible (this includes logo digitalization) – while retaining the most important recognition features. A good investment, so that you feel comfortable in your (company) ‘skin’ again and can expand with new self-confidence. The same applies to websites that were created in the 90s, but have now become ‘unreadable’ on mobile devices (see Web Design).