Does your letterhead and fax sheet communicate the same message?
First thing first, Let me get this out of the way — I say a logo’s most important responsibility is to identify.But with that said most logos carry colour, something that contributes immensely on the message that the brand wish to communicate. We’ve all heard how professional graphic designers always advice on a logo that also works well in black and white (or one colour) version.
I agree with that. Take the ‘bp’ from the picture above and tell me if you would have thought ‘bp’ when you first saw the logo.
The human eye and brain experience colour to produce a mental and emotional response. As a result, colours themselves has meaning.
Let’s look at meanings behind some colours:
Red — passion, love, blood, battle.
Yellow — joy, intellect, youth, caution.
Green — fertility, money, success, growth.
White — perfection, wedding, virtue, purity.
Blue — knowledge, calm, peace, cool.
Purple — royalty, wisdom, spirituality, imagination.
Orange — creativity, invigoration, unique, energy.
These meanings are words which some companies usually would like their identity to communicate. So I think it’s fair to say that the second most important responsibility of a logo (if required) is to communicate a message or idea.
When applying a logo to things like fax sheets (yes, some people still do use fax), uniforms, signage etc. one is in almost all cases limited to a one colour logo.
Now we’ve seen a lot of creative rationales behind logo designs where most part of the rationale is mainly the logic behind the colour/s usage.
Is it safe to let colour communicate most of the client’s message?
If Amanda’s Wedding Planners’ logo was a wordmark that used two colours; red and white, to communicate ‘love’ and ‘wedding’ — Doesn’t her logo sort of lose meaning in mediums or instances where she has to use her logo in black and white?
Brand’s like Apple and Nike are not affected by this scenarios, not even a bit, reason is their identities doesn’t rely on colour to communicate.
Is applying your logo to a fax sheet (uniform, signage etc.) sacrificing what your identity communicates?
I have issues understanding this article: what are you saying exactly?!
1. Are you saying that designers should not create logos in colour?
2. Are you saying that companies who will be forced to use black & white versions of their logos not bother with colour versions since they will lose the colour message in black & white use?
3. Is an “identity” not inherently the “message” or “idea” of the brand?
I don’t know about you — but I found most designers don’t generically “advise” one-colour jobs, unless restricted by budget. And we’re most always restricted by budget.
NguJaz,
In short, for me a logo is more of a success when it communicates the intended client message mainly through it’s form not colour.
Let’s take Apple’s logo for example, for as long as one doesn’t temper with it’s original form — it will not lose even a bit of what it communicates.
Isn’t a logo supposed to communicate the same thing regardless of how and where it’s used?
Same with people, I expect you to be of the same character, whether you’re at home, work or church.
To answer your third question:
I don’t think an identity is the message, its core responsibility is to identify NOT communicate a message.
It just happens that some identities have a messages within them — both in, form and colour.
A simple analogy: Mokokoma might be what I’m identified with but the name communicates nothing about the person being the ‘name’ — again, identity not message.
This post A letter to my beloved potential client explains my last point best — to sum it up (should you have no time to read the article):
A logo’s responsibility is to Identify NOT explain.
Thanks for your comment!
i’ll make time to read the article
perhaps we’re speaking past each other.
my argument is simple: to identify something, is to have understood the message of something –
“A letter to my beloved potential client” was no doubt an insightful view point — thanks for that.
Although — Nike, in it’s emblem, DOES in fact suggest message of the origin its name, and connotes the “feeling” of the running shoes:
1. Nike is the name of the Greet God of Victory.
2. The god is depicted with wings on her back, or as winglets on the ankles of athletes. Erego –
The symbol depicts flight.
The symbol is a “swish” and not a “tick”
NguJaz,
Thanks for the creative rationale for Nike’s logo. I get your argument, all I’m saying is that “identity” in this context refers to a logo.
And my argument is that you don’t really have to understand a brand message to identify the brand — the more distinct the logo is the easier it is for people to identify the brand through its logo.
The thing is that most identities have a meaning behind them, but we identify the brands behind the logos by the logos NOT the story or message behind.
Thanks for sharing your views.
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