- [Narrator] Logo design is arguably
the most well-known aspect of graphic arts.
If you asked a non-designer what a graphic design is,
more than likely, their response would include
a reference to logo design and rightly so.
Visual communication is one term used to classify
what our industry does
and logo design is all about communicating through an image
that will represent a company,
a product, a service
or even an individual.
But this idea of relating a visual image
to a person, place or thing
has been around since the dawn of time.
One could easily argue that the ancient culture of Egypt
in essence, branded their rulers in god-like manifestations
such as the sphinx.
Native cultures all around the globe
have applied tattoo designs to their bodies
in order to communicate positions of power
within their sphere of tribal influence.
Early Christians used a fish symbol
to associate and fellowship with like-minded people
during times of persecution.
The Roman Empire stamped coinage with the emperors profile
to denote the rule and ownership.
And heraldry is all about branding of family
with the unique code of arms
that represents and distinguishes them from others.
But the origin of the term branding
is derived from American culture
specifically, the open range cattle drives
in the United States in the late 1800s.
Open ranges meant cattle could sometimes wander
into other herds.
So to help avoid confusion
ranchers design their own unique brand marks,
logos that they would then sear into the hide of the cattle
to claim their ownership of it
and thus in the truest historical sense, branding was born.
All of these historical attributes have led
to our modern analogy and practice of branding.
The popularized phrase brand
and its association with logo design
and commercial oriented art however,
was originally coined by advertising legend
David Ogilvy in the 1950s.
But brand logos aren't anything new.
There are commercial oriented brands
that have been around for a very long time
and predate the modern analogy.
Baker's Chocolate is the oldest American brand
founded in 1780 and is now owned by Kraft Heinz.
Coca Cola established their famous logo type brand in 1886
and advertise their products moving forward
using many of the same methodologies put forward
by David Ogilvy.
The term branding is thrown around a lot
when discussing logo design
but a logo should never be confused with the brand.
A logo puts a face on a brand
serving as the chief visual identifier
but will never define the totality of what
a company, product or service is.
Take LinkedIn for example,
their audience will judge them based off
of their brand experience as it relates
to the use of their products or services,
website, print collateral, social media,
marketing campaigns, customer service or their policies.
Their logo represents their brand
but it has almost nothing to do
with shaping their brand experience.
And most of these channels that communication
will come after a logo is already designed.
A logo exists in the midst of all of it,
but it's not the brand,
it just represents the company, business or service.
It's part of the brand story,
but it doesn't tell the full story on its own
nor should it.
Therefore, a logo is not a brand
but a logo is most definitely the capstone
in the arch of any brand.
Logo design is all about developing
and creating an engaging personality
through visual identity.
When done well, it will effectively represent
and help communicate your client's brand to their audience.