CBS logos

From an ugly CBS text-based logo to an all all seeing eye based idea is how it began. CBS has one of the most recognizable logos, and it has stood the test of time for 60 years now. We can all learn a lesson from this. The eye logo is not complicated; it is made of simple shapes that even children can recognize. The idea that you were now watching television rather than listening to radio for entertainment can be seen here. The simplicity of the design also creates a universal use in placement. You can change the color, inner content, lines, and size of the logo, and it will still look like the same recognizable design. It’s no wonder it’s gone this long with little to no change at all.

<meta name="format-detection" content="telephone=no" />

Adding a clickable phone number is very helpful though. I actually had to add one to an image before, and it worked on the iphone and android phones. Just add a line of html like you would for a link or email, but using the tel tag:

<a href="tel://123-456-7890"><img src="IMG-HERE"></a>

Simple and works well. Of course the same rule applies if you want to add the code to text. Just take out the image part and write it how you would for a link.

Great designs are more than just trendy. They are the simplified essence of your business and everything it represents. When a customer, client, and future prospects look at it, they will feel like they are investing their time, energy, and money into something they can trust. Only you can make your business become popular, and your logo helps people feel invested in that ideal. Choose your logo wisely, and if you see a logo you love, make your designer explain how they came to that decision. Make sure there is relevant meaning behind it.

With that in mind, please have a look at what I find to be, some of the most overused logos I have ever seen.

Abstract People

They are overdone and not unique in any way. If you want a person used in your design, make sure it looks unique and represents what you stand for.

Business

All businesses are interested in increasing sales and profits. Do we really need to show it for the logo?

Circles

Circles of every kind can be fun to look at, but when it comes to standing out, you’re out of luck. People can associate all circles logos as the same thing after seeing too many of them. Think about how you can stand out!

Globes/Geography

When you do something worldwide, you don’t have to show the world in your design. FedEx ships worldwide, and they don’t use a globe to prove it.

Green

The “green” scene has sprouted huge this past few years. Everyone is health conscious, and to show them you are too, you use a leaf in your logo? Going “green” is about more than leaves and twigs. Think harder and deeper about it’s meaning and how to apply this to your company goals.

Houses

Century 21 is a well known company, but just because they use a house in their logo, doesn’t mean you should. These house designs are so common, I don’t think customers remember your logo as much as you name. Try something more fun, cheerful, and exciting. It’s like buying a new home!

Medical

Yet another tragically overused concept. The plus/cross for anything medical is of course a dead giveaway as to what you do. But the ones who made that popular wasn’t you. Make a logo your own, make it unique, and make sure it stands out. Create a new normal.

Photography

We know a camera has a shutter. Why must we make thing so common and painfully obvious. Again, you want to focus on what makes your photos better than the competition. Don’t blend into the crowd, or no one will find you.

Skylines

Skylines are cool to look at, but if that’s all that makes your logo, maybe a revamp is in order. Make it look better than a blob of buildings and add some flare to it.

Swooshes

Let’s face a fact right now. Nike is the only swoosh that anybody ever sees. If you have a swoosh logo, deep down, it will most likely remind everyone of Nike. Lets just stay away from these.

Talk Bubbles

Oh my, I don’t even know where to begin. These things have been done to death. I would find a better way to say communication all together.

This is my list based on my views. Of course if you don’t think this is true, I encourage you to think for yourself and do some research on the matter. Google “swoosh logos” for instance. You will see what I mean.

Image via Wikipedia

Designing a logo has enough work and effort without having to worry about its presentation. There are many things to know and remember about designing a logo with a design program, but to me, no program can compare to Illustrator. I suppose any vector based program would be best, but Illustrator is the bee’s knees. While the excitement of getting your creation done can be fun and well… exciting, I have 10 tips that you should always think about when working on and finalizing your work in Illustrator. In case you’re wondering, I’m currently using CS4 on a Mac.

1. Make sure that all text is in outlines. You can do that by going to Type > Create Outlines, or you can use the shortcut Command+Shift+O (Ctrl+Shift+O on PC).

2. Expand and merge paths. Stroke weights can change depending on user settings, so it’s a good idea to expand them and then merge them so they form a nice shape. There are a few ways this can be done depending on if you’re working with a brush stroke or the pen stroke. For the brush stroke go to Object > Expand Appearance to expand the stroke, then open the pathfinder window by going to Window > Pathfinder (Shift+Option+F9). Inside the window you see some fun little icons. If you hover over them you can see what they are. You’ll want to hit the one that says merge. For pen tool paths, you only need to go to Object > Expand and make sure that Fill and Stroke is selected.

3. Clean up your mess. All the expanding and merging brush strokes can cause invisible shapes to form in the negative space which group with your colors. Plus with everything you’ve already done, you never know. It’s easy peasy. Just go to Object > Path > Clean Up. I usually leave everything selected, then hit okay. If something was cleaned, you won’t see a message, but if there was nothing to clean, you get something that says “no cleanup was necessary.”

4. Merge 1 color logos. This keeps things really easy. One click is all it will take to change a logo from black to white. Don’t forget to do the clean up.

5. Simplify man. After a lot of merging and expanding, you’ll probably see a lot of anchor points. This is easy to remedy. Just go to Object > Path > Simplify and adjust the settings accordingly. You’ll see how many points there are before and after the change in the dialog box. The less points there are, the better.

6. Gradients are cool, but make flat color logos too. It’s always a good idea to have simple logos along with gradients ones.

7. Group like colors. Grouping like colors makes color changing a breeze.

8. Save as an eps. This guarantees the client will be able to open it. It’s also a good idea to try and save your design as at least a CS1. I would even try to go back as far as Illustrator 8 unless you know the buyer will be using otherwise.

9. Know your convenient keyboard shortcuts. I took the liberty to learn all the shortcuts for things I did often in Illustrator so designing a logo would be as painless as possible. Some of my most commonly used shortcuts are:

• First thing I do is hit A then P for the direct select and pen tool. That way when I want to adjust an anchor point during pen tool use, when I hold down command (Ctrl on PC) I will have the direct select arrow. The same goes for if you want the normal selection tool. It will default to what you had last.

• When I use the pen tool I almost always have a finger on the option key (Alt on PC). It gives you the convert anchor point tool. This is by far my most used little shortcut.

• With text I always use the create outlines shortcut, (Mac) Command+Shift+O (PC) Ctrl+Shift+O.

• Command+R (Ctrl+R for PC) opens up the ruler, and if you Control+click (I don’t know this one for PC, sorry) the ruler, you can change the measurements.

10. Keep the client in mind. This can seem like a “well duh” sort of thing, but try going into this assuming the client doesn’t know how to use the software. Make things as easy as possible for them to do. Like I said, group like colors, merge together the 1 color logos so it’s a 1-click color change, etc. It makes things easy on everyone.

These are just some things I do, and it’s not the only way to do them. I think this might inspire a lot of you to figure out your own way to make work a lot easier on you and anyone who uses your files.

The trick here is to be good enough with your business so people will want to remember you. Then have a brand identity that helps back it all up. If it’s something we can all agree on, it’s that people love to be a part of something, a group, organization, club, whatever it is, we want to be a part of it. Your customers will proudly boast your cool logo and packaging if you deliver the goods.

Take Apple for example. They have a cool logo, fantastic packaging, innovative designs, but it would be nothing if they couldn’t back it up with quality service and inventions. Apple is expensive, and it’s not something the average person can just buy. But because of their brand, it makes it easier for all of us to stretch that dollar to get those awesome things. If Apple was terrible with customers, or their service was bad, everyone would know, and nobody would buy their overpriced gadgets. That is a good example of an overall brand.

So if you’ve provided great service for 5, 10, or even 20 years, and you never put much thought into a logo, maybe it’s time for an upgrade. If you only thought about your logo, and don’t do much to help your customers, then you need to focus on them, not the logo. Good customer service can lead to people talking, which leads to popularity, which leads to possible free magazine recognition, which could ultimately boost your reputation to new heights. Think about it.