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MEMORABLE LOGO DESIGN

A Senior Scholars Thesis

by

LORI DIANE LAMPE

Submitted to the Office of Undergraduate Research


Texas A&M University
in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the designation as

UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH SCHOLAR

April 2011

Major: Environmental Design


MEMORABLE LOGO DESIGN

A Senior Scholars Thesis

by

LORI DIANE LAMPE

Submitted to the Office of Undergraduate Research


Texas A&M University
in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the designation as

UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH SCHOLAR

Approved by:

Research Advisor: Rodney Hill


Director for Honors and Undergraduate Research: Suma Datta

April 2011

Major: Environmental Design


iii

ABSTRACT

Memorable Logo Design. (April 2011)

Lori Diane Lampe


Department of Architecture
Texas A&M University

Research Advisor: Prof. Rodney Hill


Department of Architecture

The primary purpose of this research is to look into the design of successful logos and

determine what design characteristics make them so easily recognizable and memorable.

From research thus far, I have found that a business‟s success can be credited to the

strength of their brand and logo. While an identity can be costly, it is crucial to all

businesses and organizations in their beginning years. Newly-formed nonprofit

organizations usually do not have the resources to create well-designed identities

because graphic designers are a costly investment that they cannot afford to include in

their budget. The research began with an extensive literature review looking into the

importance of logos, specific design characteristics, and case studies. From there, I

created a survey testing participants‟ memory of logos and specific design characteristics

that stood out the most to them and left a lasting impression in their minds. The results

of this survey were then used to create a general list of principles for designing logos

which can be used by any business or organization. I then put the list of design principles

to the test myself by designing the logo for a fairly-new nonprofit organization based out
iv

of the United Kingdom called Ripple Africa. My hope is that this information will help

every kind of nonprofit organization create an impactful identity for them and improve

the communication of their cause to the public.


v

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

ABSTRACT ....................................................................................................................... iii

TABLE OF CONTENTS .................................................................................................... v

LIST OF FIGURES ............................................................................................................ vi

CHAPTER

I INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................... 1

Introduction to literature .................................................................. 1


The next step ................................................................................. 22

II METHODS ……………………………………………………………..24

The logistics ……………………………………………………..24


Question inspiration ……………………………………………..26
Closing …………………………………………………………..30

III RESULTS ……………………………………………………………….31

Demographics and numbers …………………...………………..31


Questions and comments ………………………………………..43

IV LOGO DESIGN..………………………………………………………..45

List of characteristics…………………………………….............45
Nonprofit logo design………….…………………………...........46

V CONCLUSIONS ………..………………………………………………49

Analysis …………….……………………………………………49
Summary ………………………………………………………...50

REFERENCES .................................................................................................................. 52

CONTACT INFORMATION ........................................................................................... 53


vi

LIST OF FIGURES

FIGURE Page

1 The Bahamas logo ............................................................................................... 19

2 Project 7 logo and packaging .............................................................................. 21

3 “Better ATM Services” logo ............................................................................... 27

4 “How to Crack an Egg” logo ................................................................................ 28

5 Demographic pie charts ……………………………………………………….. 32

6 “Better ATM Services” logo results ……………………………………………33

7 “A-Town” logo results ………………………………………………………….34

8 “Pocono Modern” logo results ………………………………………………….36

9 “KAUST” logo results ………………………………………………………….37

10 “Ideapark” logo results …………………………………………………………38

11 “How to Crack an Egg” logo results ……………………………………………39

12 “Ticklefish” logo results ………………………………………………………..41

13 Ultimate memory results ………………………………………………………..42

14 Ripple Africa logo ……………………………………………………………...48


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CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

“Let‟s all admit that the number of impressions we make is far less important than the

quality of impression we make (Duffy, 2005).” Joe Duffy‟s explanation of the

importance of good design for branding and logos is the primary subject matter of this

research. It is obvious that the design of a logo is highly important to the overall

appearance of a business or organization, but what characterizes a successful,

memorable logo? The primary purpose of this research is to look into this question and

determine specific design characteristics of effective logos. From previous observation, I

believe a business‟s success can be attributed to the strength of their identity. Nonprofit

organizations typically do not have the resources to create well-designed identities

because graphic designers are a business expense that newly formed nonprofit

organizations cannot afford to include in their budget. To help solve this problem, I will

be conducting research to produce basic design principles for successful logos. This will

help nonprofit organizations improve the communication of their cause to the public.

Introduction to literature

An extensive literature analysis has included themes on successful logo and brand

_______________
This thesis follows the style of Art, Design, and Communication in Higher Education.
2

design, colors and symbols as important elements in graphic design, case studies on

specific logos, and graphic design for nonprofit organizations. I have also looked into

successful logo and brand design from the perspective of key people in the world of

graphic design. This research has exposed several design aspects that aid in the

recognition of particular logos, two of which I will be investigating on a deeper level.

The color of a logo highly influences a person‟s perception of a particular company or

organization, based on emotional and psychological effects associated with that color.

The symbol used in a logo is also extremely significant in the memory it sparks and the

lasting impression it leaves on a person. Two case studies have furthered my knowledge

in the realm of graphic design. The logos for The Bahamas and Project 7 are successful

identities that have been created in the late twentieth century and twenty-first century. A

deep analysis of these logos will assist me in my research for successful logo design

characteristics. I have also looked into the graphic design of nonprofit organizations to

find that a successful logo design can truly help the nonprofit influence their community

and inform them on specific issues around them.

Significant authors and designers on branding

Mark Gobé is a major author on the subject of brand design and how important it is to

connect the identity of a company to the people. He is President, Chief Executive

Officer, and Executive Creative Director of d/g* worldwide, which is one of the world‟s

top ten brand image creation firms. Overtime, Gobé has created breakthrough,

emotionally charged brand design strategies for big-name clients, such as Coca-Cola,
3

IBM, and Ann Taylor. In addition to design work, he serves on the board of the Brand

Design Association, has taught at the prestigious Ecole Superieure de Dessin Industriel

in Paris, and regularly speaks at Columbia University and conferences worldwide.

In his book, Emotional Branding, Gobé noted that ideas and creativity are a new kind of

currency, more powerful than money. “One single idea - especially if it involves a great

brand concept - can change a company‟s entire future”. He believed that what constitutes

a great brand identity is one that emotionally connects with the consumers and comes to

life, building a lasting, deeper connection (Gobe, 2001). “Emotional branding is about

crafting an intimate and reassuring experience for each customer” (Gobe, 2001). He

states that a well-designed identity is unforgettable and emotionally charged, much like

the Apple logo. It has vision, visualization, and emotional connection, which has been

successfully conveyed to the world.

A company‟s first impression is often made by their identity – a single mark, symbol,

emblem, or text representing the entire company and its people. Gobé suggests that “a

logo by itself is not necessarily a communication tool but it can most definitely act as a

symbol of what a company represents (or hopes to represent) and the resulting consumer

perceptions” (Gobe, 2001). He has found that in today‟s society, corporate identities are

becoming more consumer-driven with expressions of how a company wants to be

perceived by the people and how they want people to interact with the company or

product (Gobe, 2001). It must be a “multidimensional expression of a brand vision

brought to life in the most imaginative way” (Gobe, 2001). Gobé has found that
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“companies are just now beginning to explore how a logo can become a living, breathing

creature that can foster a great deal of awareness for a brand in a very positive way”

(Gobe, 2001). Target is a great example of this in the way that their creative

advertisements communicate their innovative approach and overall commitment to

change (Gobe, 2001). The mark of a company is incredibly important to the personality

they give off to consumers. Gobé describes it like this: “a logo without „heart‟ is like a

person without „heart‟: cold, uninteresting, a robot” (Gobe, 2001). No one wants to trust

a robot who cannot relate to them - they want friendly, personal service.

Erik Abbing and Christa van Gessel are two more dominant authors on branding,

particularly on brand-driven innovation. Erik Abbing is the founder and owner of Zilver

Brand Driven Innovation, a creative consultancy in the Netherlands, and also teaches at

the Delft University of Technology and at Eurib in Rotterdam. He has been the project

manager at Axys Innovation and Flex, the innovation lab, which educated him in the

realm of product design. Christa van Gessel obtained a master‟s degree in industrial

design engineering through a research project at Philips. She was Erik Abbing‟s first

employee at Zilver Brand Driven Innovation, where she brings a creative level of

curiosity and strong research skills to the company.

In Design Thinking, the two authors wrote a chapter on brand-driven innovation, in

which they note that “the concept of brand has moved from being thought of as merely

an addition to the offering (the logo on the product) to its acceptance as a representation
5

of the culture, knowledge, and vision that inspires and strategically guides that offering”

(Abbing & Gessel, 2010). The identity of a company is often their first impression,

which needs to be an excellent representation of who they are. Abbing and Gessel

observe that it appears that design is taking a leading role in the convergence of branding

and innovation: brands need innovation to fulfill their promise, while innovation needs

the brand to provide vision, focus, and direction (Abbing & Gessel, 2010). The two

authors agree that within this “dance” of branding and innovation, design is the music

that bonds the two together in “a shared understanding and a common goal” (Abbing &

Gessel, 2010).

Abbing and Gessel created a four-step method for brand-driven innovation: brand

usability, innovation strategy, design strategy, and touch-point orchestration. The first

step, known as brand usability, leads to a usable brand that stimulates innovation and

design. It is about making a brand format that is “rich, uncut, highly visual, and

authentic” (Abbing & Gessel, 2010). Innovation strategy is the second step and leads to

a strategic plan for action, understanding the brand‟s promise. It becomes a way to

constantly think about where the company is going and consider future touch-points of

the brand. The third step is design strategy, which translates the entire plan into concrete

design decisions. It focuses on turning the brand into a tangible experience for the

customer. Abbing and Gessel defined design as “the creation of carriers for meaningful

interaction”, considering aesthetic appeal as merely “one of the pillars of effective

design” (Abbing & Gessel, 2010). They illustrated five layers corresponding to the way
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people come into contact with and experience brand touch-points, the first of which are

the sensorial aspects, such as color, shape, and texture (Abbing & Gessel, 2010). While

this is particularly referring to a product, the same can be applied to a logo or brand

identity. People are first introduced to a company or business by the logo they see when

they walk in the door, the brochure they receive in the mail, or the advertisement they

see on television. Finally, the fourth step to brand driven innovation is touch-point

orchestration. This step makes sure all brand touch-points are in tune with each other

and the brand. It strives for touch-point harmony, each one conveying its own version of

the brand story. This is employed by using the design skills of various branches in a

company in an inspiring way, which brings the brand to life (Abbing & Gessel, 2010).

Abbing and Gessel no doubt believe that the branding of a company is a major aspect of

who the company is and what they are trying to promote, but also have confidence in

incorporating ideas from other departments within the company.

Joe Duffy is a prominent designer in the realm of logos and branding. He is the chairman

of Duffy and Partners, a branding and identity design firm that strives to “design to make

a difference”. When the firm was founded, he broke new ground for the integration of

branding and design with advertising. Duffy has worked on brand identity programs for

major companies, such as BMW, Starbucks, and Sony. In addition to working at Duffy

and Partners, he has served as a chairperson of an AIGA Environmental Committee and

served on the boards of AIGA, the professional associate for design.


7

In Duffy‟s book Brand Apart, he agrees with Gobé when he says that “brands, like

people need to build relationships, to elicit emotions, engage in dialog, have a

personality, a voice and a language” (Duffy, 2005). Duffy explains the idea of having

one voice for a brand is important so it can hold together and stand out from other

brands. However, sometimes the drive for unity can become so deceptive that nobody is

talking honorably. “To be truly effective, we all need to speak from our hearts” (Duffy,

2005). The “one voice” idea can also be “described as a brand language that can speak in

many voices in order to keep it interesting and refreshing” (Duffy, 2005). The main

concept of “one voice” is to create a completely open feeling so that consumers can

actually hear the brand and understand what it stands for. Duffy demonstrates this theory

as he talks about developing a brand language for Nike – “the voice that would speak to

a young kid playing basketball at Rutger‟s Park is entirely different from the voice that

would speak to a kid playing tennis in the Hamptons, or one playing football in Brazil”

(Duffy, 2005). The central goal of the design team was to make the athlete‟s say, “Wow,

those people understand me; they understand my sport in a way no one else does”

(Duffy, 2005). Duffy believes that it is about making a deep, personal connection

between the brand identity and the people of the community.

The importance of color in design

Color is one major aspect of design that greatly influences customer‟s perceptions of the

company or product. Think of particular businesses that have a distinct color that defines

them: the golden arches of McDonalds, red Coca-Cola label, or blue AT&T globe. “In
8

each instance the associations of color enable identification and prompt particular

images and emotions” (Gobe, 2001). Mark Gobé‟s research produced the theory of

Emotional Branding, which is “the conduit by which people connect subliminally with

companies and their products in an emotionally profound way”. One particular aspect of

his findings revealed that color, among other features, is a crucial vehicle of the

experience of a brand or logo. He reveals that “colors trigger very specific responses in

the central nervous system and cerebral cortex, which can then activate thoughts,

memories, and particular modes of perception.” Like people, brands are not static; they

have many facets to their personality, and color is just one of these (Gobe, 2001).

Stephen Bleicher agrees that color is crucial to design: “when companies are successful,

they no longer need to have their names in their logo-the shape and color are all that are

required” (Bleicher, 2005).

In his book Contemporary Color Theory and Use Steven Bleicher established that “color

plays a vital role in culture and daily life and may be the single most important aspect of

a painting, product, or design… the simple act of choosing a color can make or break a

product” (Bleicher, 2005). A great amount of research has been conducted on the

psychological effect of colors, revealing that red typically increases skin temperature and

raises blood pressure while blue is more calming and reduces blood pressure. Color and

appetite is another important study, leading to the use of bright hues of red, orange and

yellow in fast-food restaurant chains. “These colors increase the appetite, so not only do
9

you order and eat more under the influence of these hues, you eat faster” (Bleicher,

2005).

Bleicher also found that “in market research studies it has been determined that 60

percent of acceptance or rejection of a product is based on it color. Within 90 seconds a

person will make a choice to accept or reject a purchase” (Bleicher, 2005). This same

conclusion can be applied to the logo of a business – upon seeing the particular color of

a business‟ icon, one might draw overly dramatic conclusions, either steering them away

or pulling them in. “Whether it is the brain or the psyche that determines personal

preference, understanding the cultural and psychological implications of our color

choices is vital in creating viable artwork and designs” (Bleicher, 2005).

Capsule Design firm disagrees with the above authors on how color should be used.

They have found it important to make people think about color rationally so that they do

not automatically relate colors to emotions and memories (Capsule, 2007). They believe

that “the color is not what should distinguish the logo in the marketplace” (Capsule,

2007). While color is highly effective in design, it should not relate to a particular

memory or type of emotion. Capsule Design firm believes that color is a great tool that

can help communicate a message to consumers, but it should not be the driving force

behind the design. The importance of color in the design of a logo is evident in the fact

that it “can give clear direction when language fails to translate” (Capsule, 2007).
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In Color Design Workbook, Terry Stone documented that “the human eye and brain

experience color physically, mentally, and emotionally. As a result, colors themselves

have meanings” (Stone, 2006). Stone‟s research has revealed several interesting facts

about specific colors: red is the most visually dominant color; yellow is the first color

that the human eye notices and is brighter than white; blue food is rare in nature and thus

suppresses hunger; green is the easiest color on the eyes and aids in digestion; purple is

said to enhance imagination and is thus used in decorating children‟s rooms; orange is an

appetite stimulant and is used for visibility enhancement; black is supposed to boost self-

confidence and strength; white is the perfectly balanced color and can sometime give

people headaches for being so bright; gray seldom evokes strong emotions and is its own

complement (Stone, 2006).

Stone further explains that “color has the ability to evoke a response, create a mood,

symbolize an idea, and express an emotion” (Stone, 2006). Therefore, it becomes a very

powerful tool in design, especially with logos portraying a company‟s personality. It is

important to note that color meanings are often influenced by a variety of factors,

including age, gender, personal experience, mood, ethnic identity, history, and tradition

(Stone, 2006). Stone states that “color meanings are held deep in our subconscious” and

quotes Carl Jung in saying that “colors are the mother tongue of the subconscious”

(Stone, 2006). Color “has biological, psychological, social, and cultural dimensions, all

of which give it meaning and convey information” (Stone, 2006). Stone also exposes

that color is memorable – often seeing or thinking about a specific color produces certain
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reactions in people. “Marketing research indicates that more than 80 percent of visual

information is related to color” (Stone, 2006). The memory trigger that color pulls, is

what I hope to gain a better understanding of in my research.

L.K. Peterson specialized in global color meanings and associations in his book Global

Graphics: Color. He found that Americans (and Canadians, too) “display a preference

for subdued, traditional, safe colors on items that are expensive or intended to last and

brighter colors are reserved for accents” (Peterson, 2000). He also notes that context

means everything when it comes to using color in the United States. For women, red

high-heeled shoes, red lipstick, or a red dress often portray sexiness and passion. For

men, a red sports car serves the same purpose of making him extra “cool” and exciting

(Peterson, 2000). Yellow has been distinguished as a cautionary color, being used for

road signs and tape for police investigations. Blue has become a color that is popular

among companies and businesses wanting to convey their honesty and trustworthiness

(Peterson, 2000). “Green is the color of money and nature, two things close to the hearts

of Americans” (Peterson, 2000). As it gets paler and more yellow or gray, it becomes

less appealing to a general audience. Peterson found that “Americans claim a strong

dislike of orange, and yet the hue is everywhere” (Peterson, 2000). For many people,

orange road construction signs do not indicate danger, but inconvenience and delay.

However, more recently, Peterson has established that “orange has gained popularity

because it is seen as a refreshing and invigorating change from the norm” (Peterson,

2000). While purple is still linked to nobility, it can also “signal an excess of something
12

better done in small portions; purple prose for example is embarrassingly melodramatic”

(Peterson, 2000). While black is “not exclusively linked to death, black does have

decidedly somber associations, implying morbidity, despair, evil, sin, and negation”

(Peterson, 2000). Black also commands respect and is meant to be taken seriously; it is

sophisticated, dignified, dramatic, and extremely formal. White can mean clean,

sanitary, pure, elegant, and perfect, as well as cold, antiseptic, empty, ghostly, boring,

and unfinished (Peterson, 2000).

Peterson further describes specific uses of color in wearing it, food and food packaging,

and traditions of blue. “Yellow ribbons have been tokens of remembrance for absent

loved ones since the nineteenth century, when the wives of U.S. Cavalry officers on duty

in the Western frontier wore scarves of their husband‟s regimental colors” (Peterson,

2000). Now they are regularly displayed as signs representing hope for the safe return of

soldiers fighting abroad. Peterson discovered that “in food and food packaging, the

overall rule is the deeper or darker the color, the stronger the flavor” (Peterson, 2000).

The colors on the packaging of food are just as important as the image or symbol. “Black

and gold indicate luxury, a premium product; bright multi-colored packages mean fun,

probably snack food; earthy tones imply heartiness and health; while green has come to

mean not only vegetables but anything that is healthy and eco-friendly” (Peterson,

2000). The origins of the favored faded blue color come from the Royal Navy. Naval

uniforms were dyed blue and ultimately, “a sailor‟s length of service could be read by

how faded his uniform had become” (Peterson, 2000). Therefore, young recruits didn‟t
13

want to look even more like inexperienced sailors, so they would quickly scrub their

uniforms to make them a paler blue.

Shapes and symbols as key ingredients

Maggie Macnab is a significant author on shapes and symbols and documents the

various meanings they denote in her book Decoding Design. “Visual communications

that tap into the dynamic energy of the collective psyche makes a powerful and direct

connection that is expansive on many levels” (Macnab, 2008). Macnab states that

“interpreting the qualitative aspects of number and shape is an alternate approach to the

literal, assembly-line communications so prevalent with today‟s technology”. Symbolic

design and intuitive connections inspires an intimate meaning, something which is “quite

attractive to a thinking species” (Macnab, 2008). If you look around, many common

symbols used in design revolve around numbers, and may have a more significant

meaning than one might expect. I have only looked into the numbers one through five

for the purpose of gaining a general understanding for this paper.

The number one denotes wholeness and completion and is illustrated by a circle. The

circle is all-encompassing and is the visual pattern of energy (Macnab, 2008). The circle

is known to be extraordinarily simple and mysterious, holy and sacred, and gives birth to

all other geometric constructions (Macnab, 2008). Target‟s bull‟s-eye logo embodies

success and implies hitting the mark. The latest logo design is a simpler version that is

“closely aligned to the archetypal symbol of the strength of all for one and one for all”
14

(Macnab, 2008). The Fashion Center logo is another example of design that uses a

simple circle, representing the center of the fashion universe.

The number two is completely opposite of the number one, suggesting “separation and

the compelling desire to return to wholeness” (Macnab, 2008). Macnab states that

duality is about opposites that create conflict, which then look for resolution. Carl Jung

is referenced for his term of “‟individuation‟, a concept that addresses the separation and

reintegration of the individual in a cyclical metamorphosis that continues throughout

life” (Macnab, 2008). The yin yang symbol is probably the most common symbol that

demonstrates the principle of duality. However, the opposed balance actually occurs

within the mold of the circular shape representing “one”. Macnab says that “the principle

of separation is the first act of becoming, the first venture into the illusion of „separate‟”

(Macnab, 2008).

Thankfully, the number three “brings solution to the conflict of division by presenting a

third point of balance” (Macnab, 2008). Color is one example of the number three,

represented by the primary colors, red, blue, and yellow, which when combined make

white. The number three is often referred to as the holy number, reflecting the Trinity of

the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Three is also apparent in the fact that there is always a

beginning, middle, and an end to everything we do, much like past, present, and future.

A communal superstition arises from the number the three – “not walking under a ladder

comes from an Egyptian warning not to break a triangle” (Macnab, 2008). The Radio
15

Free Europe logo applies the number three in the fact that the triangle is the alchemical

symbol for fire. It becomes a metaphor “for transforming destiny into choice, or

repression into freedom” (Macnab, 2008).

Macnab relates the number four as the “perfect fit for the world”, expressing the four

corners of the earth, four cardinal directions, and four seasons (Macnab, 2008). The

common two-dimensional shape to represent this number is the square. The square is

rigid with right angles, symbolically describing the earth, and is also one of the least

interesting shapes, relating to mundane aspects of reality (Macnab, 2008). A prominent

example of the number four used in design is the logo for H&R Block. Filling out tax

forms is tedious, boring, and painful. Therefore, the logo is so dreadfully simple that it‟s

boring. H&R Block takes care of the monotonous tax returns so you don‟t have to. The

symbolic nature of their logo communicates their purpose.

Macnab refers to the number five as the “keystone in the exploration of number as

quality” (Macnab, 2008). It symbolizes man, health, love, and the energy of movement

acting upon matter – also known as magic. There were originally just four elements of

creation until Aristotle added a fifth one: air, fire, water, earth, and ether. The fifth

element “defines an element so rare that it can‟t be seen or felt but is pervasive in

everything created and everything we do” (Macnab, 2008). The number five also

symbolized the unseen force of regeneration. It is often represented by the pentagon

shape, which is frequently transcribed into a star. Within every pentagonal star is a not-
16

too-obvious spiral. The Seed Media Group logo is a great example of the number five,

evoking “the dynamic grace of the spiral and the beauty of resolved balance between

opposing forces out of which something new is born” (Macnab, 2008).

While Macnab is an expert on relating shapes and symbols, Anistatia Miller and Jared

Brown have conducted research defining the meaning behind particular symbols and

images of various countries and cultures. In their book Global Graphics: Symbols, they

identify that the bald eagle is one of the more prominent animal symbols used in the

United States, as it is the national emblem. The eagle is also seen as a global image,

representing royalty, power, authority, and victory for ancient Greeks, the perceptive and

contemplative nature of the evangelist St. John, and the eternal contest between the sun

and the clouds for ruler-ship of the skies in Mexico (Miller & Brown, 2000). An

example of the eagle used in a logo is Eagle Speakers, a speaker company wanting to

convey power and authority in that particular industry. Another significant symbol in our

culture is the bear, which actually takes on two different connotations. While it is a sign

of despair for adults, depicting depressed stock market prices, it is a safe, nurturing

animal for children to play with, such as Winnie the Pooh (Miller & Brown, 2000).

Miller and Brown have also pointed out specific plant images that symbolize the

American culture. “Even though the United States is not the world‟s only producer of

corn and wheat, these two plant symbols are often used in American design to convey

the concepts of abundance, harvest, and food” (Miller & Brown, 2000). Shafts of wheat

are seen in the logo for Progressive Baker Packaging, signifying an abundant harvest
17

because “wheat is often referred to as the staff of life” (Miller & Brown, 2000).

Mountains are another global symbol which has slightly different meanings for each

culture. Many people groups believed that the mountaintops were the home of the gods

and goddesses and were symbolic of heaven (Miller & Brown, 2000). The image often

represents that something or someone has reached the highest peak of achievement. In

America, mountains describe the strength, grandeur, and beauty of the American

wilderness.

The sun is another major symbol used in many graphic illustrations. Miller and Brown

note that it typically symbolizes life and humankind‟s victory over darkness. “Early

Christians associated the sun with Christ, immortality, and resurrection” (Miller &

Brown, 2000). The Vision Group used a sun in their logo as a metaphor for

enlightenment and leadership. The moon symbol as a passive, nurturing, feminine side

of nature is frequently juxtaposed with the aggressive, powerful, masculine sun (Miller

& Brown, 2000). The moon has been known to signify wisdom in many cultures. Today,

many people associate the moon with the nocturnal world, afterlife, and fertility. The

star is often connected with departed human spirits and heavenly occurrences,

suggesting the “light of the spirit” (Miller & Brown, 2000). The crescent moon, such as

the one in the Dreamworks logo, denotes victory over hostile forces, and is often a

symbol of prosperity and growth.


18

Case study #1: The Bahamas logo

In 1996, The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism began working with Duffy Worldwide to

design a new identity for the island country. “While The Bahamas does offer the

tantalizing promise of a sensory, emotional, and physical vacation, they are perceived to

be a „stereotypical paradise‟” (Logo Lounge, Inc., 2007). This was the challenge:

designing a logo that was unique to this specific vacation destination, which would make

it stand out from all the other tropical locations, such as Mexico, Jamaica, or other

Caribbean islands. In Brand Apart, Vanderpool-Wallace noted that it was vital to “give

each individual island its own identity”, thus highlighting the exclusivity of The

Bahamas (Duffy, 2005). When questioned about designing a logo for a country rather

than a particular business, Olson, another designer on the team, stated that “‟it‟s about

trying to find tangible ways to bring the intangible to life. It‟s about taking all the words

and all the visuals, and marrying them up in a way that becomes symbolic and

telegraphic‟” (Duffy, 2005). The final design would have to expresses the “breadth of

the offerings of The Bahamas”, because no other tropical location is made up of 700

islands, 17 of which are popular tourist destination (Logo Lounge, Inc., 2007).

After visiting the islands and immersing themselves in the culture and location, the team

of designers had many positive, strong impressions of colors and shapes. The forms that
19

Figure 1: The Bahamas logo. It was designed by Duffy and Partners in 1996. The
colorful shapes brilliantly portray the best qualities of the popular tourist destination.
Image from: http://www.bahamas.com/

make up the islands in the logo are organic, rounded forms, which are anything but

expected. They were mainly inspired by the flora and fauna of the tropical paradise,

particularly the birds, shells, and flowers (Logo Lounge, Inc., 2007). The final design of

the logo can be seen in Figure 1. “The beauty of the identity is that it sets in motion an

entire brand language that is endlessly adaptable- in signage, in patterning for clothing

and interiors, in iconography.” (Logo Lounge, Inc., 2007). The forms are great for

accenting specific islands in a magazine or on the tourism website. By graying out the

rest of the logo and having one particular island represented in a bright color, it makes it

easy for one to graphically pinpoint the island they want to visit (Logo Lounge, Inc.,

2007). The shapes are also great for highlighting pictures from a specific island in any

realm of media. The color was also an extremely significant part of the design, as it
20

mimicked the “turquoise blue waters, pink flamingos, and pastel sands” (Logo Lounge,

Inc., 2007). While the color palette may feel natural for a tropical destination, “its

complexity makes it special to the diverse nature of The Bahamas”. The vast array of

tropical colors all work together to create a very relaxing, peaceful, yet exciting logo for

such a fascinating destination. Duffy could not have stated better the purpose of a well-

designed logo: “Strong branding elegantly and simply captures what is unique, special,

and enduring about the product” (Logo Lounge, Inc., 2007).

Case study #2: Project 7 logo

Tyler Merrick founded Project 7 in 2008. It is a cause-related company that makes

everyday consumer goods, such as bio-bottled water, gum, and mints (Merrick, 2008).

He took the seven deadly sins to heart and turned them upside down. “For example, it‟s

not about the glutton, but rather the person who is hungry Focus on peace, not wrath”

(Top & Cleveland, 2010). For every product that is sold, some good is done in one of the

seven areas of global need: hunger, sickness, peace, homelessness, thirst, education, and

saving the Earth. Their goal is to change the score- make a significant, measurable

difference in lives all over the world (Merrick, 2008). “We wanted to create a brand that

could communicate seven areas of needs. We took bottles of water and turned them into

t-shirts, with fifty percent organic cotton and five bottles of water” (Top & Cleveland,

2010). From this goal, came the gritty, honest design of their identity, communicating

seven areas of need by altering the common tally mark system used to keep score. The
21

Figure 2: Project 7 logo and packaging. The intimate and personal feel was designed by
the owner of the company, Tyler Merrick. Image from: http://www.project7.com/

whole look of the brand illustrates the messed up world we live in: brown backgrounds

with muted tones of color, hand-written imperfect lettering, and very simple, shy

packaging methods. The Project 7 logo and packaging can be seen above in Figure 2.

What makes this company stand out from others is the personal and intimate feel of their

identity. Consumers can get a sense of what the company stands for just by looking at

their logo.

Graphic design and nonprofit organizations

In his forward to Designing for the Greater Good, David Hessekiel stated that “after

nearly a decade of studying cause marketing campaigns, I know that strong design is

absolutely crucial to success. A good design team can breathe life and power into work
22

that might otherwise be lost in the twister of advertising messages that swirls around us

from morning to night” (Top & Cleveland, 2010). Hessekiel further explains the

importance of good graphic design for nonprofit organizations because the media

budgets behind it are often very small. “A cause-related effort relying primarily on

donated media must jump off the page, handbill or screen to grab the attention of every

consumer that sees it” (Top & Cleveland, 2010). Good graphic design is vital for

nonprofit organizations because it helps them communicate their message and make

their organization heard in the chaos of everyday life.

Conclusions of literary review

After researching important authors on brand and logo design, important aspects of logo

design, two case studies, and graphic design for nonprofit organizations, I affirm that a

well-designed and identifiable logo is a key ingredient for the success of a particular

business or organization. Mark Gobé, Erik Abbing, Christa van Gessel, and Joe Duffy

all relate that a company‟s identity needs to personally connect with each consumer in an

invigorating way. People need to understand what the company or organization

represents and need to be able to trust them. All this can be done with the power of a

simple logo.

The next step

From these conclusions thus far, my research methods will begin with a survey

determining what particular aspects of a logo make it identifiable and memorable. The
23

survey will deal with original logos and ask participants to determine what the most

important design characteristic is for each one. On the next few questions, I will show

participants slightly altered versions of the original logos and see how easily they are

able to remember them. Alterations will be done to the font, color, symbol, and form of

the logo. At the end of the survey, all the logos will appear and participants will have to

decide which ones are original and which ones are altered. This will once again test the

impact the logo had on their memory. All the data from the surveys will then be

collected and analyzed to determine which specific features of the logos tested will

always remain clear and identifiable, which might be the color, form, symbol, or font.

Using the information gained from the survey responses, I will then create a general list

of design characteristics for logos. The list will be used to design the logo and brand

identity for a newly-formed nonprofit organization, helping them better inform people in

the community about their cause.


24

CHAPTER II

METHODS

The logistics

After reading several books on successful logo and brand design, I found that the best

way to determine the memorability of a logo was to use a correlational data collection

method. To invite people to take the survey, an email was sent out to friends and family

as well as a message on a social network site, called Facebook. The message stated a

simple briefing of this research project with some general information about the survey,

such as the fact that it dealt with logo design and the length of it. At the end of the

message, there was a link that participants could click on, taking them to the website of

the survey. Once the window opened, participants had one more chance to agree or

decline whether they would take the following survey. Once the survey started, there

were optional questions regarding the participants‟ race, ethnicity, and gender, which

were recorded to help vary the results. By surveying as many people as possible from all

different ages, ethnicities, and backgrounds, an overall consensus was generated.

Everyone receiving the email or social network message was also asked to pass it along

to their friends and family, particularly ones of different ages, ethnicities, and

backgrounds. Although the message was sent to a majority of college-aged students, this

was the only means available to invite a large number and variety of participants. Giving

out a physical, paper survey was the immediate thought; after reconsidering, the ease and

efficiency of an online survey would be the best for the environment. The survey was
25

created and distributed using Survey Monkey, a website that can be used for research,

event planning, customer feedback, and other survey needs. It has been very helpful to

professors and students who use surveys in their research projects. After creating a

personal account and paying the first month of use, thoughts about how to word the

questions for the surveys was next on the agenda.

Participant thoughts

To begin the questions for a specific logo, the participants were asked to determine what

they think is the most defining characteristic of the logo. In other words, what made this

particular logo memorable? The participants had six choices: color (of the font or

symbol), font (type style), form (arrangement of symbol and text), symbol (picture,

image, or graphic), and other, where they could write out what they thought was the

most defining characteristic. These questions were used for two purposes – to get a very

clear idea of what the participants thought was the most important characteristic (this

could be different than what the overall results show) and to show the participants a first

glimpse of the original logo before altering it on the next page of the survey. This

question was also designed to spur the thinking of participants and the idea of first

impressions. Most, if not all, of the logos used for this survey had never been seen by the

participants. Therefore, when Joe Duffy said “that the number of impressions we make is

far less important than the quality of impression we make (Duffy, 2005)”, one can relay

that a good quality impression triggers the memory. The test of the memorability of

these never-before-seen logos was based on the first impression that they left with the
26

participants. As noted from the literature review, Mark Gobé believed that a well-

designed identity is unforgettable and emotionally charged. Participants were asked to

determine what it is about each particular logo that makes it unforgettable and

emotionally charged, choosing between font, symbol, color, or form.

Question inspiration

Inspiration was acquired from a website that a professor introduced to me. It‟s called

Guess the Logo – an online guessing game to test your memory of logos you see several

times throughout each day. There is a running timer at the bottom of the screen while it

displays around 8 versions of the same logo. Each logo tests a different aspect of design,

and each alteration is very subtle. For example, the “Google” logo tests your memory of

the order of the colors of the letters. The “IMDB” logo tests your memory of the shape

of the ticket behind the letters. It is amazing to take the test and see how certain design

characteristics of logos stand out more than others.

Where’s Waldo?

A similar “test” was incorporated into a part of the survey, which was called “Where‟s

Waldo”. A few logos were chosen for me to manipulate so that participants would see

other versions of it. The logos were opened with Adobe Photoshop, an image editing

software that allows you to make subtle or drastic alterations to pictures. For the “Better

ATM Services, Inc.” logo, subtle changes were made to the symbol by changing the
27

Figure 3: “Better ATM Services” logo. The original logo on the left was shown in the
survey on a separate page before the series of altered logos. Participants had to choose
the original logo out of the mix of altered logos on the right. Image from:
http://www.betteratmservices.com/

placement of the black bar on the wing of the butterfly. This can be seen in Figure 3 –

the original logo is a larger size on the left and participants were asked to pick which one

of the logos on the right was the original one. Please note that in the survey, the original

logo was shown on a separate page before the series of altered logos; however, here they

are shown side by side so the reader can see the subtle alterations. This same method

was used with the “How to Crack an Egg” logo. In Adobe Photoshop, the order of the

colors of the letters was altered, which can also be seen in Figure 4. The format of this

figure is just like Figure 4 in that the original logo is a larger size on the left so that the

reader can compare the alterations to it more easily. The question in the survey had the
28

Figure 4: “How to Crack an Egg” logo. The original logo on the top was shown in the
survey on a separate page before the series of altered logos. Participants had to choose
the original logo out of the mix of altered logos on the bottom. Image from:
http://www.howtocrackanegg.com/home/

original logo mixed in with the altered logos, causing participants to really examine the

choices in order to see the differences.

Memory game

Another question for testing characteristics of a memorable logo was making alterations

for that specific logo in each area of design: color, font, symbol, and form. For example,

one color alteration, one font alteration, one symbol alteration, and one form alteration

was made for the “A-Town” logo. Participants were asked to determine how each of the

altered logos was different than the original. It was basically a game of memory because
29

they saw the original logo just a moment before and then had to remember exactly what

it looked like. Mark Gobé revealed that “colors trigger very specific responses… which

can then activate thoughts, memories, and particular modes of perception” (Gobe, 2001).

Each colored logo can prompt a variety of memories, aiding the first impression of it. By

slightly shifting the colors of some logos, this survey question hoped to change those

original memories and confuse the participant. This whole idea was applied towards the

other design characteristics that were transformed (font, symbol, and form). Participants

were also asked how subtle the differences were and how easily recognizable they were.

These questions were used for personal purposes – to possibly reveal areas in the survey

where changes to logos were not effective in tampering with the participants‟ memory.

Ultimate memory

At the very end of the survey, the impact of each logo was put to test on the highest

level. On the last page, one image of each of the logos the participants had seen

throughout the survey was displayed; however, some were originals and some were

altered versions. Participants then had to decide whether each logo was an altered

version or the original. After a few questions into the survey, participants may have

gotten the hint to pay close attention to each logo and its characteristics, but I doubt they

expected to see each one again at the very end. This final question tested the

individuality of each logo compared to others. As stated from the literature review,

“strong branding elegantly and simply captures what is unique, special, and enduring

about the product” (Logo Lounge, Inc., 2007). Each logo needs to stand apart,
30

highlighting the unique characteristics of that particular company or product. This whole

survey was designed to determine what the most important characteristic of a logo is.

Closing

The survey was created in the middle of November and was then available online

towards the end of that month. It was going to be left open until responses were crucial

to continue this research project; however, it was only open for one month, as the

participation slowly declined. It was officially closed at the end of December because

enough responses were received to validate the survey – one hundred and two people

had partaken in this survey.


31

CHAPTER III
RESULTS

Demographics and numbers

When the survey was completed by a large number of participants, the results were not

entirely as reliable as I had hoped they would be. The first potentially harmful issue is

the lack of variety of the participants which took this survey. The survey was sent out to

friends and family, asking them to also forward it along to their friends and family, in

hopes of achieving variety in participant age, ethnicity, and gender. The results showed

that while there were more participants in the 18-30 year old range, the age distribution

was pretty well attained. However, the same cannot be said for the ethnicity of

participants. The vast majority were Caucasian, with very little participants of other

ethnicities. The gender distribution was 69.1% female to 30.9% male, which can be seen

on the next page in Figure 5 with the age and ethnicity charts as well. While these results

were not as varied as I had hoped, I believe there was a great enough distribution to still

provide accurate results for this research.

The initial logo participants saw was for Better ATM Services. Results of the survey

revealed that 68.2% of participants thought the symbol was the most important

characteristic of the logo. Specific aspects that some participants noticed were the 3D

nature of the logo and the way the image was breaking out of the barriers that enclosed

it. All other answer choices were split between color, form, combination, and other. The
32

Figure 5: Demographic pie charts. The participant diversity in age, ethnicity, and
gender can be clearly seen in these pie charts, taken directly from the survey results.

only characteristic that was altered for this logo was the symbol. When asked to pick out

the original logo from the mix of altered logos, 44.2% of participants guessed correctly

and 34.9% had a pretty good idea that they were right. It would have been interesting to

see which of the participants that guessed right knew that they had a good guess, as

opposed to those that honestly had no idea and just happened to guess the right answer. I

believe this was a successful logo alteration due to the distribution of responses, which

can be seen on the following page in Figure 6.


33

Figure 6: “Better ATM Services” logo results. The bar graph shows the distribution of
responses for which logos participants thought was the original. The image used in the
survey is to the right of this bar graph to relate to the numbers on the left side of the bar
graph. The table shows the various responses towards the degree of difficulty.

A-Town was the second logo that participants were introduced to in this survey. The

majority of participants (38.4%) chose symbol as the most defining characteristic of this

logo. However, the second highest pick, a combination, was not far behind with 27.9%.

The first alteration of this logo dealt with color, and more specifically, the arrangement

of color. Although 60.5% of participants were not fooled this easily and answered

correctly, there were still 39.5% that answered incorrectly. This color alteration received

the most varied results in answer choices for this particular logo. Color was also the
34

characteristic that participants had the hardest time recognizing a change in, thus making

it the most subtle – only 32.6% of participants had a good guess. These results can be

seen below in Figure 7. Symbol was the easiest characteristic for participants to notice a

change in. 95.3% chose symbol with 70.9% of participants knowing that they were

exactly right. However, these results could be invalid due to the fact that the majority of

participants answered that this alteration was not subtle at all. The form and font

Original
vs.
Altered

Figure 7: “A-Town” logo results. The top bar graph shows the distribution of responses
for what participants thought was altered. The original logo is compared with the
altered logo on the left. Below these images is a table, representing how difficult it was
to identify the transformation. Image from: http://mattsoncreative.com/#/work
35

alterations were similar in results, with the majority of participants knowing that they

were exactly right and answering that the change was not subtle at all.

The third logo that participants saw was Pocono Modern. Results of the survey revealed

that 55.3% of participants thought the symbol was the most important characteristic of

the logo. However, the second highest pick, a combination, was not far behind with

22.4%. The first alteration of this logo dealt with form. Although 84.7% of participants

answered correctly, there were still 15.3% that answered incorrectly. 62.4% of

participants knew exactly what was altered, which could be due to the fact that the

alteration was not subtle at all (40.0% answered this way). The symbol was the second

aspect of the logo that was altered. Although the answers were split between symbol and

form, 77.6% of participants knew exactly what was changed and 57.6% said that it was

not subtle at all. Symbol received the highest recognition level and lowest degree of

subtlety for this logo. Although these are very interesting results for a split between what

was altered, a bar graph of the answer choices next to the degree of subtlety can be seen

on the next page in Figure 8. The font alteration received the highest percent of correct

answers with color coming in second. However, the color change was the hardest to

recognize with an even distribution of answers for recognition and subtlety levels.

KASUT was the fourth logo that participants saw in this survey. The majority of

participants (52.4%) chose symbol as the most defining characteristic. However, the
36

Original
vs.
Altered

Figure 8: “Pocono Modern” logo results. The top bar graph shows the close split of
responses for what participants thought was altered. The original logo is compared with
the altered one on the right. A table depicting the subtlety level of this logo
transformation is directly above. Image from: http://www.poconomodern.com/

second highest pick, a combination, was not far behind with 24.4%. Two participants

specifically noted that the name and description of the logo is what caught their

attention. The sole characteristic that was altered for this logo was symbol. 74.4% of

participants chose the correct answer from the mix of logos with all other choices

coming in at 11.0% and below. Although the majority of participants guessed the correct
37

Figure 9: “KAUST” logo results. The bar graph shows the distribution of responses for
which logos participants thought was the original. The image used in the survey is to the
right of this bar graph to relate to the numbers on the left side of the bar graph. The
table shows the various responses towards the degree of difficulty. Image from:
http://www.kaust.edu.sa/

answer, I believe this was a successful logo alteration due to distribution of responses for

the recognition level, which can be seen above in Figure 9.

The fifth logo that participants were introduced to was Ideapark. Symbol was once again

chosen as the most defining characteristic of this logo (61.7%). However, a combination

of choices came in second place with 23.5% of participants‟ votes. The first alteration of

this logo dealt with color, and more specifically, the various shades of color. Although
38

80.2% of participants answered correctly, there were still 19.8% that answered

incorrectly. I would consider this another successful logo alteration because of the

distribution of responses for the recognition and subtlety levels. A mere 23.5% of

participants knew exactly what was changed, and only 28.4% thought the transformation

was kind of subtle. These specific results can be seen below in Figure 10. Although the

symbol alteration received the second highest percent of correct answers, it was also the

Original
vs.
Altered

Figure 10: “Ideapark” logo results. The top bar graph shows the large number of
correct responses for what participants thought was altered. The original logo is
compared with the altered one on the right. A table depicting the distribution of
responses for the subtlety level of this logo is directly above. Image from:
http://www.ideapark.fi/
39

easiest recognizable change and the least subtle. I would not characterize this as a

successful logo alteration. The majority of participants knew they were exactly right on

the form alteration even though the change was not subtle at all. The font alteration was

a little more varied with 34.6% of participants knowing they were exactly right and

17.3% having a good guess. There was also a wide distribution of answers on the

subtlety level, revealing that this alteration was semi-successful.

Figure 11: “How to Crack an Egg” logo results. The bar graph shows the distribution
of responses for which logos participants thought was the original. The image used in
the survey is to the right of this bar graph to relate to the numbers on the left side of the
bar graph. The table shows the various responses towards the degree of difficulty. Image
from: http://www.howtocrackanegg.com/home/
40

How to Crack an Egg was the sixth logo that participants saw in this survey. Results of

the survey revealed that 42.0% of participants thought the combination of elements was

the most important characteristic of the logo. Symbol came in second place with 30.9%

participants‟ votes while all others were split between the remaining four choices. Three

participants specifically noted that the name, phrase, and symbol immediately caught

their attention. The only characteristic that was altered for this logo was color. Only

33.3% of participants chose the correct answer from the mix of logos with all other

choices very close in rank. This most closely matches the degree of recognition with all

participants being evenly distributed over the scale. It is also important to point out that

this is where the first and only tie occurred in the results of the survey – 19.8% of

participants had no idea which logo was correct, while another 19.8% had a good guess.

These results can be seen on the previous page in Figure 11. I would consider this one of

the most successful logo alterations due to the varied responses from participants.

The seventh and final logo participants were introduced to was Ticklefish. Although the

majority of participants (38.3%) chose symbol as the most defining characteristic, a

combination of elements was very close behind with 37.0% of participants‟ votes. This

can be seen on the following page in Figure 12. The sole characteristic that was altered

for this logo was font. 87.7% of participants chose the correct answer from the mix of

logos with 23.5% knowing they were exactly right and 18.5% having a good guess.
41

Figure 12: “Ticklefish” logo results. The bar graph shows the distribution of responses
for what participants thought the most defining characteristic was. The image on the
right is the original logo. Image from:
http://www.yiustudio.com/portfolio/ticklefish/index.html

The last question of the survey dealing with logos was an ultimate memory game, which

included all the logos participants had seen on this survey. The four highest votes were

Ideapark with 97.5%, A-Town with 86.4%, Ticklefish with 82.7%, and KAUST with

81.3%. The only one of these that was an altered version of the original logo was

Ticklefish, which was a font change. The second highest score for altered logos was

Better ATM Services, symbol change, with 76.3%. For both of these altered logos,

participants felt they had a good idea of what was changed. An interesting fact should be

noted: the two altered logos that participants remember the best were the first and last

logos participants saw in the survey. I also did not expect that participants would find the

logos that were altered several different ways easier to identify at the very end. The two
42

highest ranking logos, Ideapark and A-Town, were altered four different ways (symbol,

color, form, and font). A chart of these results is depicted below in Figure 13.

Figure 13: Ultimate memory results. The table directly above shows the percentage of
participants that remembered each of the logos as original or altered. The logos shown
for this question are depicted above the chart. Images cited previously.
43

Questions and comments

The final question of the survey asked participants to question or comment on anything

about the survey they had just taken. I want to include some of these in my results

because I believe they are important to take note of because some of them are things I

would like to address. The quoted question or comment is italicized and in quotation

marks, followed by my personal comments.

“It was really hard to notice the color differences between the symbols.” It is always

hard to alter logos with the same degree of subtlety. This comment shows that the color

alterations were quite successful, at least to this one person.

“This was fun. It shows that we really don’t memorize what we have seen.” This

comment brings me back to the importance of a well-designed identity. Mark Gobe

stated that a well-designed identity is unforgettable and emotionally charged, much like

the Apple logo. It has vision, visualization, and emotional connection, which has been

successfully conveyed to the world.

“Noting that I am red/green color blind – the color differences sometimes escape my

attention!” Color-blindness is something I definitely should have considered when

altering the colors of logos. My goal was to make them very subtle; however, this is not

entirely fair for people who are color-blind. I believe this is also something that should
44

be considered when designing a logo. The shades and tones of colors really do make a

difference.

“I wonder why you didn't randomly select your participants on your own rather than

going through a third party. In any case, all good fortune to you!” I selected participants

that I knew would take my survey. There are only so many people I know of various

ages, ethnicities, and genders. Therefore, I asked some of them to pass the survey on to

others that would take it. This was the only way available to me of diversifying the

results.

“I loved all the logos! Did you design them yourself?” No, I did not design these logos.

Although that would have fully clarified that none of the participants had seen the logo

before, I simply did not have the time to do so. After scouring the internet, I believe I

found logos that none, if not most, of the participants had never seen before.
45

CHAPTER IV
LOGO DESIGN

List of characteristics

After an intense analysis of the survey results, I created a list of characteristics that

nonprofit organizations can use as a guide when designing a memorable logo.

The first characteristic is symbol. It needs to be bold and easily recognizable. The

symbol should set the logo apart, such as having a 3-dimensional look to it. A great idea

for a symbol is to represent something in an abstract way. This gives it personality and

originality.

The second characteristic is detail. It should not have small, intricate details. Instead, use

bold, simple details to make the logo really stand out. Think about the typeface being

used, symbolism of a word or image, and the meaning of the name. One must also work

with everything as one unit. The form and how pieces of a logo are arranged is highly

important. All these details make a huge impact in the realm of design.

The third characteristic is color. It is very important to have a unique color palette for

your company or organization – this gives it individuality. Take into consideration your

audience and what kinds of people will see your logo most. For instance, a color scheme

for kids is completely different than a color scheme for business, professional adults.
46

One should also use no more than two colors. While some logos benefit from multiple

colors, it is a safe option to stick with one or two.

The fourth characteristic is simplicity. Never use an actual photograph in a logo, but

rather simple vector art that can be easily manipulated. Our eyes seek a unified, whole

composition, which is known as the Gestalt Principle – we naturally look for simple,

easy relationships among parts of a logo. A logo should also be clean and uncluttered.

The fifth and final characteristic is versatility. A successful logo is versatile and can be

used in a variety of ways. It needs to be able to fit on different medias as well. A logo

should have the ability to be scaled to any size without losing the look of it.

Nonprofit logo design

The list of characteristics was then applied to the design of a logo for a nonprofit

organization. Ripple Africa is a charity based out of the United Kingdom that does work

throughout Africa. I contacted their representative and communicated with them back

and forth about what they wanted their identity to represent. They wanted a logo that did

not look like a large, corporate logo, but one that had a grassroots feel and look to it. The

organization also expressed that they wanted to use an African-inspired color scheme so

that it would relate more to the people of Africa. All this information was taken into

consideration when designing a logo for them. After several various ideas and

renditions, I finally tweaked a logo that the organization was very happy with. Not only
47

did I satisfy the client, but I also held on to the list of characteristics for designing a

memorable logo.

The symbol I created can be seen on the next page in Figure 14. It is bold and highly

original. I combined the first letters of the words “ripple” and “Africa” in a unique way.

It is very simple and definitely stands out. It was designed to be an abstract

representation of a tree and a water drop creating a ripple. This reflects one of the

organizations top priorities of aiding the country in sustainable practices in regards to the

earth. The typeface meets the grassroots look the client asked for, while separating itself

of other logos. It only uses two colors, each of which are very distinct. The logo is

simple and uncluttered – pure vector art. Lastly, it is versatile and can be used in several

ways. The client can use just the symbol, or just the name, or both.

I believe this research project was a success. I was able to clearly define a list of

characteristics to adhere to when designing a memorable logo. In addition to this

valuable information, I gave back to others using my graphic design skill set. A

nonprofit organization now has a logo that is unique and inspiring. I hope Ripple Africa

will make an even greater impact in the world with their newly-designed logo.
48

Figure 14:Ripple Africa logo. The logo was designed for the UK based nonprofit
organization Ripple Africa. A prominent symbol, typeface detail, color palette, simplistic
quality, and versatile ability make this an easily memorable. For more information on
Ripple Africa, please visit their website: http://www.rippleafrica.org/
49

CHAPTER V
CONCLUSIONS

Analysis

The overall results of this survey did not reveal as much as I had hoped they would. My

original purpose in using logos with a symbol and a name was so that I could better test

my hypothesis that symbol was the most defining characteristic. However, it would have

been interesting to see how well participants remembered logos that only had a symbol

or a name and not both. If I had included different types of logos, this might have been a

better test of memory. In a nutshell, I was trying to test Stephen Bleicher‟s idea that I

mentioned in Chapter Two: “when companies are successful, they no longer need to

have their names in their logo-the shape and color are all that are required” (Bleicher,

2005).

I also could have tested participants‟ memory with various surveys that were separated

by a few days. As participants worked through the survey, they began to realize that they

need to pay closer attention to every aspect of the logo. Therefore, by the end of the

survey, participants were training themselves to remember the images they saw on the

previous page. More than one survey would have required more participation by survey-

takers, but it could have produced more reliable results.


50

It is also important to point out the subtlety levels of my logo alterations. I tried to alter

them all with the same degree of subtlety, but this proved quite hard to do. Another way

of testing the difficultly level of recognizing logos would have been to include a timer on

each question. A running clock that participants were not aware of could have been a

very effective tool for revealing how hard it was to recognize subtle changes to logos.

Another type of survey could have measured the mood of participants when introduced

to particular logos. This is definitely something that should be taken into consideration

when designing a logo and could have helped me create my final list of design

characteristics. Mark Gobé describes the importance of logo personality like this: “a logo

without „heart‟ is like a person without „heart‟: cold, uninteresting, a robot” (Gobe,

2001).

Summary

As you can recall from Chapter I, my plan was to survey as many participants as

possible to determine the most defining characteristics of a memorable logos. Although

I‟m realizing there are several improvements that could have been made to my research

methods to achieve results with a higher degree of validity, the survey I used still

produced the answer to my original hypothesis that I had hoped for. The most defining

characteristic for six of the seven logos shown to participants was symbol. Although a

combination of elements was the second most defining characteristic, the next single

aspect after symbol was form – the arrangement of symbol and text. I had expected to

find color as one of the top two important aspects of a logo; however my survey revealed
51

otherwise. This information opened a new way of looking at logos. While before I

concentrated strictly on the symbol, participants identified that a combination of

elements was extremely important as well. This shows that the unity of elements is a key

ingredient for a memorable logo. It also shows that an identity cannot be put together in

just a few minutes. It requires plenty of time to tweak the various elements that go into

the design of a logo. Joe Duffy stated that “brands, like people need to build

relationships, to elicit emotions, engage in dialog, have a personality, a voice and a

language” (Duffy, 2005).


52

REFERENCES

Abbing, E., & Gessel, C. v. (2010). Design Thinking. New York: Allworth Press.

Allen, F. (1994). Secret Formula (1st edn.) New York: HarperCollins Publishers.

Bleicher, S. (2005). Contemporary Color Theory and Use. Clifton Park, NY: Thomson
Delmar Learning.

Capsule. (2007). Design Matters// Logos. Gloucester, MA: Rockport Publishers.

Duffy, J. (2005). Brand Apart. New York: One Club Publishing.

Gobe, M. (2001). Emotional Branding. New York: Allworth Press.

Logo Lounge, Inc. (2007). Featured Logo Designer: Duffy in The Bahamas. Retrieved
October 24, 2010, from Logo Lounge, Inc.:
http://www.logolounge.com/featureddesigner/default.asp?Archive=True&Article
ID=326

Macnab, M. (2008). Decoding Design. Cincinatti: HOW Books.

Merrick, T. (2008). About: Project 7. Retrieved October 24, 2010, from Project 7:
http://www.project7.com/mission/

Miller, A., & Brown, J. (2000). Global Graphics: Symbols. Gloucester, MA: Rockport
Publishers, Inc.

Peterson, L. (2000). Global Graphics: Color. Gloucester, MA: Rockport Publishers, Inc.

Stone, T. (2006). Color Design Workbook. Gloucester, MA: Rockport Publishers, Inc.

Top, P., & Cleveland, J. (2010). Designing for the Greater Good. New York: Collins
Design.
53

CONTACT INFORMATION

Name: Lori Diane Lampe

Professional Address: c/o Prof. Rodney Hill


Department of Architecture
College of Architecture
3137 TAMU
College Station, TX 77843-3137

Email Address: lorilampe@neo.tamu.edu

Education: B.A., Environmental Design, Texas A&M University,


May 2011
Undergraduate Research Scholar
Tau Sigma Delta

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