Your brand’s visual identity is one of your most valuable assets. It’s what die-hard lovers of the world’s most famous brands, like Harley Davidson or Nike, will get tattooed on their bodies permanently.

No, really.

The visual language of your brand is just that – a language. If you don’t put the same time and care into developing your brand’s visual identity as you put into your preliminary branding process, your audience won’t be able to recognise and understand your brand when they see it.

Your brand identity will follow a strong branding process, which we have covered here.

But to create top-notch elements of design for your brand, you will need:

• Purpose: Why does the brand exist?
• Positioning: Where does it sit within the marketplace?
• Personality: What would it be like if you took it to the pub for a couple of drinks?

You need to get clear about why your brand matters, who it is serving, and what makes up its personality.

These three pillars must also shine through in your brand’s visual identity. And to help you do that, we’ve decided to reveal the 10 most important elements of brand design.

 

1. Logo

Your brand’s logo resides in the images, text, and shapes that help your audience identify and recognise your brand.

A logo is a key part of brand identity, but it is certainly not the only part. Indeed, we recommend against getting too obsessed with it. Pick what you like and move on.

 

2. Strapline

A strapline (often referred to as ‘tagline’), is a phrase that sums up your brand’s essence, culture, identity, and personality.

Sometimes, straplines will be used for one campaign or season and then changed, but the best straplines last for many years and become more and more recognisable over time.

Every little helps, right?

 

3. Look and feel

When you establish your brand’s look and feel, you’re creating and sticking with certain parameters and requirements around your brands logo, colours, and design.

‘Look and feel’ covers every single point of contact within your brand, from digital experiences to physical objects to in-store services and more.

 

4. Brand guidelines

Your brand guidelines serve as a map (or a ‘manual’, if you will) that details the exact colours, typefaces, logos, and design assets that must be used in accordance with the brand.

If you intend to work with any external resources, a brand guidelines document is vital, but it’s extremely useful for new employees too.

 

5. Flexibility

Flexibility refers to how much and for how long you’re willing to bend your brand guidelines, if at all.

For example, are you willing to incorporate festive colours into your social media posts or product packaging when Christmas approaches?

Or does the thought of that make you feel queasy?

Discussing flexibility of your brand with the team will help resolve these kinds of questions.

 

6. Primary colour palette

Speaking of colours, your brand’s primary palette is the small number of colours that will remain consistent across every aspect of your visual identity.

Think of the iconic red and gold of McDonald’s or the classic Ford blue. As soon as you see those colours, you know which brand you’re approaching.

 

7. Secondary colour palette

Your secondary colour palette includes any additional colours that help you build up the visual world surrounding your brand.

It’s generally a good idea not to have too many primary or secondary colours so you can remain strong in the few colours you do choose.

 

8. Typography

Typography helps the words we read on the page sing. Simply put, typography is the way text appears or is styled.

Typeface choices are a major part of the typography of a brand’s visual identity design, and it’s worth spending more time than you think on choosing the right fonts for your brand.

 

9. Brand images

Brand images are the consistent elements within your brand’s photography.

Brand images may include people, places, objects, animals, or anything else that represents your brand and shows up in the design.

Don’t skimp here. Stock photography is no substitute for stuff you’ve paid a professional snapper (or designer) to create for you.

 

10. Production and implementation

In this context, production and implementation refers to the methods by which the design elements of your brand are executed.

Sounds boring, but it is super important. The production and implementation of your brand includes the design programs you use and the steps your designers take to create brand assets.

Need more inspiration for your brand? If we’ve raised a few more questions for you above, please do not hesitate to get in touch with the Be Smart team.

We’ve all heard the phrase “less is more”, and when it comes to design this often rings true. It might seem just plain wrong to focus on what’s “empty,” but negative space plays a big role in creating impactful and visually appealing designs. Particularly now that minimalism tends to be highly favoured when it comes to icons or logos. 

What is negative space? 

It’s tempting to compare negative space to an optical illusion, but it’s far smarter and more functional than that. In design, negative space is the process of subtraction. It’s a technique designers use to apply meaning where there would otherwise be empty space. 

Negative space simply refers to the blank space that surrounds solid elements within any logo. You can also see it in the WWF logo (check out how much of the Panda isn’t really there at all), NBC (spot the peacock?), and Toblerone (look out for the bear). 

The difference between negative space and white space in logo design 

Before we dive in any deeper, let’s just quickly look at the difference between negative and white space when it comes to logos. They sound like the same thing, right? Well, here’s a super simple definition for them: 

Negative space creates a subject or meaning when two or more objects within a logo interact with one another. It’s all about the inner space between objects. 

White space is basically the space surrounding a logo or design device. It contains no content, which provides breathing space for the design itself, and helps focus the audience on what matters. 

You can use both negative space and white space independently or in conjunction with one another. Arguably, white space plays a more consistent role in all forms of design, but if you want to get really creative and smart with your logo, the addition of negative space will raise your brand’s identity considerably. 

Now we’re on the same page about exactly what negative space is, let’s take a look at a good example of it; the FedEx logo!  

Why is the FedEx logo a good example of negative space? 

Look at the FedEx logo; what do you see? 

There’s the unmistakable brand colours, sure. There’s also no form of iconography; this is a text-only logo. Or is it?

Look a little closer, and you’ll see the presence of an arrow pointing to the right, nestled within the ‘E’ and the ‘X’. This logo has won more than 40 design awards, and it’s not hard to see why. The hidden arrow is a direct reflection of FedEx’s raison d’etre (they shift stuff from A to B) and remains one of the best examples of negative space in design. 

The infamous FedEx arrow only exists because the ‘E’ and the ‘X’ have been placed so smartly together. Equally, the combination of the Univers 67 and Futura Bold fonts plays a vital role in revealing something which technically isn’t there at all. 

Why negative space takes time 

The FedEx logo was originally conceived in 1974 and now appears on tens of thousands of vehicles and aircraft across the world. Senior designer, Lindon Leader, was tasked with creating a logo that was clean and simple, while still embodying everything the company does. 

“The primary attributes of the FedEx brand are precision, service, speed, reliability,” explains Leader. “They’re the kind of attributes that you just don’t develop overnight – no pun intended, given their original tagline.” 

It took around nine months just to research ideas for the new logo. Five designs were eventually submitted, all of which intended to maximise the impact of the brand’s identity while making copious use of white space. The arrow wasn’t a happy accident, either. Leader was smart enough to know that he could make the white space work for the brand.  

We understand why he placed so much focus on that white space. Businesses are often opposed to the idea of paying for, essentially, ‘nothing’ in a logo. Why, after all, would you invest money in advertising when you’re making more use of white space than you are the elements of the logo itself? 

But the fact remains that white space draws people into the logo it surrounds. And when you combine that white space with negative space to create something entirely unique and pleasantly surprising, you’ll end up with a logo that gets more headlines than most. 

Tips for using negative space effectively 

Okay so now you’re armed with all this knowledge, how the heck do you apply it to design? Well, we’ve got a few tips to help you on your way… 

Simplicity is key: Keep it simple, sounds easy right? It can be easy to over complicate your design so try to allow negative space to highlight the essential elements of your design and avoid too much clutter. 

Purposeful placement: This one is a little trickier and may take some practice but try to intentionally consider the negative space in your layout and use it strategically. 

Experiment: Design should be fun! Let your imagination run wild and play around with negative space. Don’t be afraid to try different arrangements and observe how they impact the overall look and feel of your design. 

Understand the context: Different design projects will require different approaches to negative space, so take some time to consider the context, medium, and audience when using negative space effectively. 

 

We hope these tips help but if you need some extra expertise then we’re your people! Come say hi and find out how we can help your business to shine. 

It’s a scary thought, isn’t it?

Why on earth would you remove branding from your company?

That’s probably the first thought you had when you read the title of this blog post. And that’s entirely reasonable; the word ‘debranding’ isn’t something you see every day.

Certainly, it needs some explanation.

 

Debranding: it has two definitions, don’t you know?

Ok, so let’s cover off the first element of confusion surrounding debranding.

It has two meanings:

• debranding is the removal of elements within a brand to help it appear less corporate and more personal
• debranding is the process of reducing the branding entirely to the point where it barely has any kind of personality

The latter is most commonly seen in supermarkets’ own brand value ranges. There’s no need for a brand personality or attention-grabbing visuals; it’s all about price and drawing customers towards the value on offer.

Today, we’re looking at the first rebranding definition. This is for one very simple reason: the process of debranding corporate logos is taking place far more regularly these days.

Logos which previously featured embossed iconography, bold text, and drop shadows are being replaced with flat, simple, word-free alternatives.

This used to be most prevalent within the fashion industry, where flat logos were required for ease of reproduction on products, but debranding is now an incredibly smart move for most businesses.

 

The benefits of debranding

Debranding is a technique designed to help brands appeal to much wider audiences. But it’s also capable of instantly modernising a flagging or old-fashioned brand.

In some industries, a corporate identity is essential in order to attract the right customers and be taken seriously. But if you’re attempting to appeal to a wide audience, moving towards a more personable brand is a far better idea.

Brand managers across the world are recognising that looking like a behemoth isn’t particularly attractive these days. Increasingly, consumers are looking for brands to which they can relate. If your logo screams, “we’ve got the biggest offices in the tallest high rise building in New York!”, that’ll be an immediate turn-off for most people.

If your logo is instead simple, flat, and non-glossy, it’ll feel far more approachable and classy. In turn, your audience is more likely to think that you’re capable of understanding their concerns, interests, and challenges.

 

Examples of debranding

One of the simplest and most effective examples of debranding in recent memory was undertaken by sportswear giant, Nike.

During the 90s, they decided to move away from their branding which had always included both the ‘swoosh’ and company word mark. Instead, they opted for a flat, solid colour version of the swoosh – nothing more.

This was incredibly smart, because for virtually everyone on the planet, that swoosh embodies the brand; it doesn’t needanything else.

More recently, Burger King went full circle and reverted back to its original, flatter identity by removing the tapered blue semi-circle, embossed bun, and arching wordmark. As a result, it looks far more modern and exciting.

Perhaps the most comprehensive recent example of debranding was at the hands of Warner Bros. This is about as brave a debranding project as you’ll see.

The multinational media conglomerate decided to switch its instantly-recognisable golden shield logo for one that was narrower, solidly blue, and completely flat. Even the name ‘Warner Bros’ was removed from the front of the logo to enable use without it entirely.

 

Is debranding for you?

Ask yourself these two questions:

• Do you look at your logo and feel it’s old-fashioned or fussy?
• Do you want your brand to be more personable than corporate?

If you’ve answered “yes” to either one or both of the above, then rebranding is absolutely something you should explore.

There’s no point rebranding just for the sake of it (a trap businesses regularly fall into), but if a debrand will refresh the image of your company and ingratiate it more with your intended audience, it will be money well spent.

Fancy hearing more about debranding? Got any questions? Get in touch with the Be Smart team, today!

After spending over three years redeveloping its logo, telecoms giant, BT, could probably have done without the merciless Twitter trolling that followed.

The most brutal was, arguably, from Poundland, who suggested they’d “spent a £1” updating their logo to be just like BT’s.

Ouch.

It’s thought that the cost for BT’s rebrand (which essentially resulted in a black circle containing the letters ‘BT’) ran into hundreds of thousands.

But we’re not here today to further troll BT. Their logo is their choice, and its usefulness and application goes far beyond that simple black and white version that was universally laughed at.

Instead, we want to focus on what it probably cost them.

If you’re about to embark on a rebrand project, BT’s story is one to keep firmly in mind.

 

It’s about far more than just a logo

When BT paid its consultants, designers, and marketing gurus all of that money, it wasn’t just for the logo itself.

There is SO much that goes into a rebranding process. From the strategy to the planning, design and eventual launch, there are countless hours that need to be invested.

But it’s what happens after a rebrand that is so easily overlooked.

BT’s rebrand will have cost lots more than the bill for that new logo. Think about all the places where the logo appears; it’s on TV commercials, letterheads, marketing leaflets and brochures, installation vans, sponsored sports teams; the list is almost endless.

That’s right – the assets you need to create or modify as a result of a rebrand are numerous. It’s why so many businesses continue to find stuff that needs the logo swapping out long after the initial rebrand! And when you are the size of BT the list is even longer!

This is why it’s vital you budget for the production of that lovely new logo you’re having developed, because it’ll probably cost more than you initially think – before you start calculating all the places your logo is seen.

 

Simple rebrands with big impacts

If you’ve bought a bar of Dairy Milk recently, you’ll probably have spotted that it looks a bit different. This is thanks to Cadbury’s biggest rebrand in 50 years.

It’s quite a significant rebrand, too, because although the main Cadbury logo has only changed marginally, the branding team has also redeveloped the ‘glass and a half’ logo and all of the iconography and typography for each bar.

Just like BT, the impact of this from a production perspective is massive. Think about all the packaging alone that needs to be changed, along with the advertising assets, shop signs, and digital storefronts.

It’s probably why the roll out of the new brand has been staged, with Australia receiving it first, followed by South Africa, Malaysia, and the UK earlier this year.

BMW is another big-name brand which waited a fair amount of time before conducting a rebrand.

Last year, the German car manufacturer unveiled a ‘flat’, minimalistic new logo – the first change to the iconic brand in two decades. When you look back at the various iterations of the logo, they’re all pretty similar (indeed, the 2020 version is actually remarkably similar to the 1963 version, albeit without a black circle). But, again, one of the largest costs will relate to the post-production of the logo itself.

Unlike BT and Cadbury, BMW will need to physically reproduce that new logo at huge scale in order for it to appear on the front, rear, and interior of its vehicles – and that’s in addition to the usual digital and printed (think of all those brochures!) assets.

 

How to budget properly for a rebrand

BT, BMW, and Cadbury will have worked tirelessly to budget for their rebrands. They knew that the work required would extend far beyond the hours spent on designs, development and review meetings.

It’s why marketing budgets for projects like this will always (or, at least, should) include the costs of reproduction after the design element has been completed.

No matter the size of your business, it’s vital you undertake the same approach as these big brands. You may even need to follow Cadbury’s lead and stagger the launch of your new brand, depending on how many assets it’s going to impact.

So, when you embark on a rebrand project, think about everything to which it will be applied. This might include your:

• website;
• social media profiles;
• hard-copy and digital brochures;
• direct mail headers;
• leaflets;
• email signatures;
• business cards;
• branded merchandise;
• corporate clothing;
• adverts;
• blog images;
• eBooks;
• company vans;
• sponsorship material;
• physical products; and
• digital products.

This isn’t even a comprehensive list!

All of the items above will have an associated cost when it comes to adding your new logo. Make sure you identify those costs for each element before you bring in the branding team. It’s also essential that the integration of your new digital assets is planned so that all partners/stakeholders can apply the new branding and keep things consistent.

Obviously, if you’re ready to talk seriously about your rebrand or have any questions about what we’ve covered here, just get in touch with the Be Smart team.

The statistics relating to Apple are mind boggling. During the second quarter of 2021, their iPhone revenue alone generated $47.94 billion.

That’s just one part of their business. In fact, most of their revenue streams, from the iPad to the Mac are astronomically successful and profitable businesses in their own right.

Yet, behind this success sits what is arguably one of the simplest brands ever created – and it has barely changed over the years.

However, look closer, and you’ll discover some fascinating changes made to Apple’s brand as the company has grown. They’ve been relatively subtle and cautious, but have enabled Apple to remain at the forefront of consumer technology.

Curiously, and for as much as we usually say “branding isn’t just about logos, you know!”, you’re about to discover that the branding approach adopted by Apple is almost entirely logo-first.

Here’s how they did it.

Apple Computer Co.

Bit of a mouthful, isn’t it? But this was the company name first conceived by founders Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne in 1976.

It was joined by a logo that was about as detailed and bold as they come. Crafted by hand with India ink, the logo featured mathematician Isaac Newton sitting beneath an apple tree with the name ‘Apple Computer Co.’ wrapped around it on a fabric banner.

The logo was ridiculously detailed.

Jobs was reportedly not particularly fond of his company’s first logo, and it proved difficult to reproduce in smaller sizes. So, just one year after its inception, Jobs tasked art director Rob Janoff with redesigning the company logo.

“Don’t make it cute,” was the only direction given.

 

Hello, rainbow

The next iteration of the Apple logo looks remarkably similar to the one that adorns its products today, albeit somewhat more colourful.

Isaac Newton was swiftly shown the back door, and in his place, Janoff opted for the most illustrative example of the company’s name – an apple.

In order to distinguish it from a cherry tomato, a ‘bite’ was added to the apple – something that was also a cheeky reference to the word ‘byte’, which is a term used consistently within computing and technology.

It also featured six colours – a term which is now lovingly referred to by Apple fans and which, to this day, inspires many of the company’s product designs and colour choices.

This particular logo had real staying power. In fact, it lasted in that form for 22 years!

 

Ooh, shiny!

In 1997, Jobs re-joined Apple after a hiatus that saw him invest in motion picture company Pixar and start an entirely new venture known as NeXT. His return resulted in a number of significant overhauls for a business which was nearing financial ruin.

One of the first was a rejig of the six colour Apple logo.

Those colours were removed entirely, and replaced with a high-gloss, two-tone metal sheen. Likely a reflection (literally) of the new design direction for Apple’s personal computers, the new logo was translucent, premium, and delivered the same lust factor as a brand new iMac.

Jobs was smart enough to realise that the outgoing colourful logo would look entirely out of place with his new line of Macs, and you can guarantee there was also a keen eye placed on the future products to which it would be attached.

 

The Apple logo of today

The logo placed on the back of your iPhone, MacBook, and Apple Watch is practically identical to the one introduced in the late 90s. But the genius behind it is how adaptable the logo is.

In 1998, Apple began using a monochrome version of the logo on certain products and within specific promotional material, and it’s that variant that we see pretty much everywhere today, in either black or white form.

The colours never returned, and nor did any form of embossing or colour graduation. It’s solid, clean, simple, and immediately recognisable.

Just like Apple’s revenue, the company’s logo is envied by businesses across the globe, and a brilliant example of how a logo can carry a brand – providing it remains simple, unique, and easily reproduced in any size or format.

 

In summary

As noted at the start of this blog, Apple’s approach to branding has been simple and cautious. This is similar to their product design philosophy; find something that works, perfect it, and extract as much value from it as possible.

Has the tale of Apple’s branding success inspired you? Just get in touch with the Be Smart team to talk through your own branding plans.

Have you ever visited a business only to feel like you’ve entered the wrong building?

Something isn’t right. On their website, you were met with images of people dressed in casual gear, laughing at each other at the communal pool table, and sitting in beanbags while snacking on Doritos.

Now, in front of you, stands a serious guy in a dour grey suit, asking that you fill in a GDPR form and an NDA in triplicate before the meeting can begin.

What happened to that brand image portrayed on the website?

Where did it go?

This is such a common problem with modern businesses. They inject huge amounts of effort and creativity into their initial branding projects, only to leave it all behind when they get down to business.

This is dangerous and it’s indicative of why most small businesses don’t understand the value of their brand.

Hands up – it’s probably our fault

As a creative agency, we’re conscious that we’re often left to simply ‘get on’ with the branding process. But what if we haven’t fully explained the value that will inherently lie within the work we create?

It’s easy to be impressed by beautiful logos and a captivating website, but the substance that lies within needs to be fully embraced if there’s to be any success.

So, we’re going to use this blog post to explain why you need to get your head around brand. And we’ll start with a brilliant example.

Yeehaa! Spaghetti totally ‘get’ their brand

Head to Spaghetti Agency’s website, and you’re met with a marketing company based in the fictional town of ‘Spaghettiville’. Only, they’re not, obviously – they’re in Warwick.

But that’s the point. Their brand is so clear and fascinating that you immediately get drawn in. Who are these guys? They’re not actually cowboys, are they?

Are they?

When you meet the team behind Spaghetti, you realise that, a) they’re not actually real cowboys, and, b) they completely understand the value of their brand.

This even extends to their choice of car colour (their cars are blue, and one is liveried), and the abundance of Wild West imagery that adorns not only their website, but their exhibition stands, office, house, and social media output.

Spaghetti’s motto is “no bull, just beef”, which relates to the way in which they communicate with clients. If you approach them for online marketing services, they’ll tell you how it is (unfiltered) and ‘shoot from the hip’ with solutions they know will work. It’s about as Wild West as it gets.

Does the Wild West have anything to do with marketing? No, of course it doesn’t. But fruit doesn’t bear any relation to computing, and meerkats have never, ever been experts at insurance.

What matters here is the brand, and as you can see from Spaghetti Agency, holding on tight to everything which makes you unique is the best way to stand out in a huge crowd.

Aligning the brand with your team

To gain market share and trust, you need a brand which is woven into absolutely everything you do.

Clearly, that means the team needs to come along for the ride, too.

This is why it’s vital you align your brand with your team. It needs to fit them and become something with which they fall in love. In return, that brand image you created at the start will never evaporate and you’ll experience much lower staff turnover, to boot.

When undertaking your initial branding process, make sure the entire team gets involved. If you create a tone of voice with which they’re uncomfortable, they’ll never use it. If you ask them to deal with customers in a certain way but it goes against their principles, a conversation needs to be had.

What’s holding back your team from exuding your brand throughout their working day?

The net result of a successful brand

If you get this right, you’ll be far more Spaghetti than the dour-suited guy we met at the start of this blog.

It’s all about carrying that brand ethos, look, and feel through to everything you do. Spaghetti’s founder, Todd, starts his emails with ‘howdy’ and his voicemail signs off with an enthusiastic “yeehaa!”. Can you confidently say you’re as serious as he is about putting into action all of the promises you made in your brand guidelines document?

When you get this right, the rewards are handsome. It’s harder than ever to develop a completely unique product or service these days, which means the differentiator is often the way a brand feels.

The net result of a compelling brand which acts consistently, no matter where you encounter it, is simple: a quality stream of leads, more of the right kind of customers, and increased revenue!

This is arguably more important than ever in today’s online market. You need to get your positioning statement and branding right from the start.

We appreciate this is a lot to take in so let Be Smart help you. Get in touch to discuss growing your small business by developing your brand.

Some people will tell you that logos don’t really matter.

They say that even when they’re debated over, tweaked to within an inch of their lives, and updated over time, they’re only a small part of the brand’s overall identity.

I’m not sure I agree with that. You see, for as complex as a modern brand is, the logo remains its cornerstone.

A bad (or good) logo may well become relatively insignificant over time, but do you really want something ugly, dated, or garish attached to your business?

Why do logos matter?

Company logos do a brilliant job of stealthily making their way into your minds. Without realising it, we attach meaning to them and, as a brand becomes more important to us, we care about them.

We might even buy a mug or piece of branded clothing adorned with the logo in question.

Some branding experts will tell you that a brand belongs to its customers. It’s why we see people ferociously discussing the benefits of Android over Apple, or only ever buying one brand of trainer.

The discussion around logos goes far beyond marketing meetings and board room debates. It’s fun, too, which is why I’ve decided to pick out six of what I believe to be the best logos in the world.

1. Well, ain’t that obvious: Shell

I dread to think about how much money is needlessly spent on logo design when, sometimes, it’s best to go with the most obvious.

Take the Anglo-Dutch company, Shell, for instance. One of its founders, Marcus Samuel, started his career selling shells from a bric-a-brac shop in the East End of London in the 1830s.

When he began selling kerosine to the Far East in 1891, a simple shell echoed the name of his company. Its bright colours and bold design may look a little different today, but it’s still as intrinsically linked to the company name as it always was.

2. Just design it: Nike

Arguably one of the most recognisable logos of all time, the Nike ‘swoosh’ is a lesson in simplicity.

More interestingly, it cost just $35 back in 1971 (although the designer was later sent a gold diamond ring embedded with the swoosh as a “thank you” from founder Phillip Knight).

It has barely changed since because, well, it just doesn’t need to. The Nike swoosh is an example of a logo which contains zero frills, but which has helped sign up an army of fans with an undying loyalty towards the brand.

3. That’s comforting: Woolmark

It’s a logo which can be found in the homes of most people throughout the world, but it’s arguably given very little thought by most of us.

What’s more, it isn’t even attached to a specific brand – it simply acts as confirmation that the product you’re buying comprises 50-99% pure wool.

Originally designed in 1963, the Woolmark logo is elegant and simple, but it performs an incredibly important function: it elicits a feeling of trust and comfort.

Imagine if your logo could do that without uttering a single word.

4. Gimme a bite of that: Apple

So common is the sight of Apple’s logo these days, it’s easy to forget that it has been through so many iterations.

The initial logo for Steve Jobs’ computer company was a complex, medieval illustration of Isaac Newton. That was back in 1976, after which it slowly morphed into an apple.

That apple has been multi-coloured, encased in stainless steel, and made a silhouette. But it has never returned to the complexity of its forerunner.

The now instantly recognisable logo was designed by Rob Janoff, whose main instruction from Jobs was to ensure it wasn’t “cute”. Arguably, he did a pretty good job of that, instead creating something which was only ever conceived with one version – and that’s the version that’s found today on the back of billions of smartphones.

5. Help when you need it most: The Red Cross

The best logos are economical. That means they’re easy to reproduce but still entirely unique.

The Red Cross logo is a perfect example of this. The Red Cross stands for neutrality and impartiality, but the logo is nothing more than a Red Cross on a white background. The arms should be of equal length and the background must be white.

This makes the logo easy to display, even when the materials available to create it are limited. And for something which is designed to convey its message instantly, that means an awful lot.

6. Mind the gap: London Underground

You’ve probably noticed a bit of a running theme with the logos I’ve chosen today: they’re all bold, uncomplicated, and immediately impactful.

The London Underground logo is no different. In fact, it’s hard to picture anything simpler than a red circle, blue bar, and white, capitalised lettering.

A logo of this kind has a pretty tricky job. It needs to be instantly recognisable and customisable so that it can be attached to different services within the London transport system (and the uniforms of employees).

Over the years, the only thing that has changed is a subtle tweak to the typeface (which most people will never notice). The result? A logo which defines a city and means everything from transportation to culture, business, and travel.

I love logos, but I also know how difficult they are to conceive. That’s why we’re here; if you’re stuck with your logo design or just need to know how to get started, get in touch – we’d love to help.