In this series of articles, originally featured on brandcrowd, we will explore five guidelines for how to create memorable and winning logos.

And to put each guideline into context, we'll include an activity to help you apply what you've learned.

First up in this series is understanding the number one principle in design - "Be original".

Later posts will explore color and emotion, typeface, scalable and memorable design, and presentation techniques. So let's dive in!

Hopefully you've signed up to DesignCrowd's community and you're ready to start submitting designs to our contests.

Maybe you're stuck, or need some guidance on creating logos that will stand out from the crowd and catch the eye of the client. Then this is the guide for you. We'll give you tips, inspiration and things to think about to get you on your way to creating great logos.

Principle #1 - Be Original

When you start a new project, look at the problem from as many angles as you can. Conventional thinking creates generic designs.

Though you'll always bear the hallmarks of your influences, avoid emulating the logos of other companies. A brand works best when it is a unique, memorable identifier for the company in question, so logos that resemble existing companies may do more to confuse the customer than give them an aid to remember the client you're designing for.

Don't follow - great designs lead!

Points to Remember

• Experiment - If you have two ideas for the same logo, experiment and see if there's a cohesive way to combine them. If it works, you'll probably have a pretty unique concept on your hands.


• Do your research - Business owners realize the importance of having unique branding, and will generally have a good idea of what logos are already on the market. If your design is similar to a concept that is already out there clients will spot it. Even if your logo is somewhat of an improvement on a logo, respecting the copyright of creators is important for the industry, but also your reputation. So be sure to check and double check.


• Never use free vectors - These are easy to pick out, and our community has seen so many legless men and abstract circles that it's not funny anymore. Along with the clients, our support teams run their professional eyes over entries to contests, so it's always best to provide top quality, and unique, entries to keep everyone happy.


• What values does a logo connote? - The viewer's perception is the real product of a logo - beyond how they achieve the desired result, the actual visual elements of the logo aren't that important. Imagery of food is an easy way to get your message across if you're designing a restaurant logo, but it's also a well-worn path - is there other imagery that can give the viewer a feeling of freshness or richness without overusing the same old motif?

Activity - Adjective Illustrations 1

Choose a few adjectives (stale, gigantic, ambivalent, overpowering) and try to represent them using lines and shapes in a 15 cm square (or 600px if you will be doing this on screen) using only black. It's more difficult than it sounds. Show some of your friends and ask them to guess what adjective you are trying to represent.

Want More?

Whatever skill level you're at, it never hurts to brush up on key elements that might help you win a contest. Check out our design articles for some useful tips.

Six Reasons Why Pen And Paper Still Matter In The Design Process

How Joining The DesignCrowd Community Can Help Fast-Track Your Design Career

How To Reproduce Your Logo Design in Digital Format For Presentations

Written by Josh Borja on Wednesday, December 16, 2015

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.