Zero-G Creative

Icons and the small business logo

Oct 26 2007

There are a lot of great icons in the world — the Nike Swoosh, the Target bullseye and Disney’s Mickey Mouse Ears among them. But a lot of us forget that some of the best and most recognizable logos in the world don’t use icons at all. Think of Google, The Gap, ebay, IBM and countless others.

But strangely, if you show a small business owner a clean, beautiful type-based logo for their business, they are unlikely to go for it. I think the reason goes beyond what they believe may actually be right or wrong for their business. It’s a psychological block that says “What am I paying this designer for? All they did was type a word… I could have done that!” They feel that the designer has cheated them by not attempting to design an icon for that concept, that they took the easy way out.

Speaking as a designer, I think that type-based logos are the most challenging to work on and I tend to obsess about the tiny, seemingly insignificant details a lot more and agonize over each and every letter. There is nothing for the designer to hide behind in a type-based logo. And further, if a designer has taken the time to create a type-based logo, it probably means that they think it has merit for their client’s brand.

So why don’t we give more consideration to the type-based logos? Don’t let “I could have done that” stand in the way of doing the right thing for your brand. I’m sure that I could cut a piece of uncooked fish and throw it down on a plate, but I’ll still pay $14 for a sashimi platter at a local sushi restaurant. Every now and then on those TV decorating shows, the highly-paid interior expert will say “we need some art for this wall…” and then get 3 basic artist’s canvases, paint them solid red, add a random yellow line on each one and then throw them up on the wall. I could have done that too… But the point is that I didn’t. I just don’t have that kind of vision looking at an empty or half finished room.

It’s the same thing with graphic design. The simple ideas require just as much artistic vision as the complex ones and they require the same set of skills to execute properly. So please give the simple ideas a chance. And don’t let the “I could have done that” instinct ruin a great idea for you. Even if you could have done it, you didn’t. You hired someone else to think of it because it wasn’t your expertise. Take the time to see what they are trying to show you before you dismiss it.

Published by Erik Wolf under Logos