Logo Design

I do a lot of logo design. For me, this is the most challenging type of design. When you so someone's logo it's your responsibility to accurately reflect the person or the product in a very clear, simple and succinct way. This is not always easy. I am forever looking through books and online admiring the work of other designers and wondering what their thought process was. At the moment I am obsessing over the nick jr. logo (cable tv). My son watches Wow Wow Wubbzy so I have become very familiar with it. The logo is in all lower case and the dot over the lower case i is connected but the dot over the lower case j is not (see below). I'm certain that a conversation took place between a designer and an executive about this and I wonder how the decision was made. These types of subtleties are interesting to me. The most interesting elements of any design are always hidden in the details.

I found an interesting article on logo design written by Paul Rand (legendary designer) in 1991. Even though the article is 18 years old, and so much has changed in how we do design, the basic principles still hold true. He said  "Design, good or bad, is a vehicle of memory. Good design adds value of some kind and, incidentally, could be sheer pleasure; it respects the viewer—his sensibilities—and rewards the entrepreneur. It is easier to remember a well designed image than one that is muddled. A well designed logo, in the end, is a reflection of the business it symbolizes. It connotes a thoughtful and purposeful enterprise, and mirrors the quality of its products and services. It is good public relations—a harbinger of good will. It says "We care."

Here's the link if you'd like to read the entire article.
http://www.graphicdesignforum.com/articles/logos_rand.htm