In the process of creating a logo design for Envision Data itself, I thought I would share a few thoughts about what I think makes for a great logo. Here are a few pointers that I think are essential when creating or shopping for a logo for your new venture:

Encapsulates Your Organization

Obviously, you need your logo to reflect who and what your company is. For example, the envision data logo suggests an atom with an electron orbiting, or perhaps even an eye with the name emerging as a vision from it. The words envisionData are written in a common variable naming technique called “Camel Case”, where the first word is in lower case, while the second word is capitalized to indicate a word break without introducing a space. This suggests a digital vision.

Looks good at all sizes

One thing that people forget when judging logo designs is that it has to look good at many sizes and in many contexts. Your logo has to look great and be highly recognizable as a web header, as a tiny little favicon (the picture that appears on the tabs of your browser), as well as possibly needing to be embroidered on t-shirts and put as a huge graphic on a sign at a convention. It also needs to look good when printed on a black and white laser printer as well as in color, otherwise you are always stuck with having to use a color printer when your logo is involved. Simple shapes and a very few solid colors usually win the day with these concerns. Very complex graphics with photos or gradients or lots of colors probably will not make things easier for you in the future.

Unique

Your logo should look very distinct and different from all the other logos out there. Obviously this is easier said than done, because every garage band and grandmother out there is creating a logo for themselves. The point is, it behooves you to look at others in your business space to see what kinds of logos your business will be listed with, and to consider how much your logo stands out.

Gestalt Design

“Gestalt design” is a fancy way of saying that your eye tends to fill in missing parts of images. This allows for designs made up of simple shapes that, when arranged correctly, look like something familiar. This kind of design gives your logo simplicity, pop, and a sense of sophistication. For the Envision Data logo, the various sized dots suggest a circle in perspective going behind the letters.

Your logo

If you are just starting your venture, the right logo is a very big decision. It will end up on invoices, web sites, t-shirts, and billboards. It is not so easy to change midstream and choose a new logo. If you keep some of these guidelines in mind, you should end up with a fantastic logo that reflects your organization and serves all of your needs easily.

What are some of your favorite logos and how do you think they stack up to these ideas?