Design Post Update: logo design

Showing posts with label logo design. Show all posts

Friday, April 27, 2018

5 Approaches For Creating A Recognizable Logo Design For Your Brand

SmartGirl design theory , graphic design

A Strong, Distinctive Logo will represent your brand as strong and distinctive

Strong Logo, Strong Brand

Many companies out there require a strong logo to discern them from all the others out there. One of the best ways to do this is to create a powerful logo that engages people and serves as a recognizable symbol of your brand. If you have this, your customers can easily identify your products or services from those of others.

The right logo is an essential part of branding. Think about all the biggest brands: Nike, Apple, Starbucks - they all have great logos that prove their success and make them stand out even when there is no context around them. A great logo will allow you to instantly capture a user’s attention, and let them understand what your brand represents.

Look at the Nike tick. What does this tell you and what can one learn from this logo? It’s certainly recognizable and only created using two skewed lines, so its simplicity is the key to its design. The design indicates a strong sense of positivity and motion that is synonymous with this brand, and its ethos of providing the best sporting equipment. This logo has survived the test of time and has become affiliated with all aspects of transcendence through sports – from basketball to running. Nike and its tick have penetrated all sports markets and much more.

So what is the right logo? You’ll need something that can represent your brand in a visual way, whilst also embodies your company ethos without sacrificing its visual appeal in any way. How can one work to create this perfect logo? We’ve come up with five key tips to help you out.

1. Simplicity Is the Key

Clever design can allow a very simple logo to be effective

Good logo design means that your logo should be kept simple. Too many distractions for the eye and too many things for the eye to focus on will serve to not recognize the logo, not remember it and not let it represent your brand as easily as possible. Try and represent your brand as best you can with a punchy and simple logo. Why is design so difficult when it should be so simple? Your logo should be able to thrive in a variety of different contexts, just like Nike’s logo, through pure simplicity.

If you’re coming up with a logo from scratch or redesigning an outdated but effective one, you should keep it simple and in tune with your brand. Keep things appealing visually, whilst also retaining a clean and simple design. A good design tip is to make sure your logo appears strong in black on a plain white background, or with a duo-tone. As an example, consider the Windows logo - what is it about this logo that retains the brand image over time, even as the logo has undergone several design changes?

The simple and digital feel of two windows shows that the brand is at the forefront of the digital age, and will continue to be through the rest of time. It’s a statement that is easily read from the logo in its simplicity. A simple logo will also fit harmoniously with other materials that your company produces.

2. Where Will the Logo Go?

Your logo will appear is a wide variety of locations, it's important to have it right

As a part of the design process, one needs to consider just where the logo will go within your brand, and how this will appear among other materials? You may have a logo that would look great on a poster, but wouldn’t work well on a business card, so you’ll want to think it over to visualize where your logo will be. Think about flexibility and where your logo can work, and where it can’t.

Deliveroo recently took major design steps to simplify and more accurately represent their brand story given that most of their users work with smartphones. This is a good example of thinking about where your logo will go - failing to grasp this, as your brand is growing, can lead to difficulties further down the line. Deliveroo may have been thinking about the fact that their logo would have looked good on a delivery motorbike bag; however, most people are seeing it online via their phone and app.

The result of their change was to take a complex drawing of a kangaroo carrying food to a much more minimalist abstract shape depicting the kangaroo’s face – this can work well and be placed in all sorts of places now that it is a whole lot simpler. Something may look good on a motorbike bag that might not necessarily be appealing on an app - redesigning for a smartphone use was the clever solution. If you fail to grasp this at first, this could result in a lot of future failure for your brand further down the line.

3. A Design that Lasts Through Time

A logo should not be designed to be trendy, it needs to be timeless

The best thing one can do is try and stick to a design that lasts through time - something iconic and timeless that people can remember forever. A common mistake is that brand's design logos are trendy, but these trends won’t last forever. The best approach is not to go down a trendy feel and look because it won’t work over a long period of time, and we can expect that you’re in it for the long haul. However, you’ll want to pay close attention to the fact that if you choose something too classic and timely, there is a good chance that a lot of other brands have also used a similar design and also it may not fit in with your brand value. Think about your brand and its message more than what the trends of the year are. You will want your logo to shine and engage through every year.

4. But... Update the Design When it Needs to Be

The ford logo has evolved over time, most noticeably twice in 1912 as the initial redesign was not well received.

Your company may change over time and even though you want your logo to be timeless, it won’t last forever. To stay as up to date as possible, whilst also keeping your theme current, one needs to occasionally change their logo to keep up with the times. If your logo has been rather successful in the past, it’s not ideal to significantly change from the design you’ve already been using for a whole, so sometimes just a simple change of type or a slicker icon will make your logo more appropriate for the current times.

A good example of this is with Marriott hotel’s recent shift from an old to a newer look, whilst also refraining from giving into current trends. The logo was redesigned, keeping their giant “M” but also making the other text within colored black as opposed to red. This logo is now a whole lot more modern and wasn’t a great shift from the original, but it certainly packs more of a punch.

5. Don’t Copy Clichés

All these company logos are too similar for any of them to stand out from the crowd

When designing a logo, one should make a serious effort not to use clip art or copy other people’s work. The final approach to any logo design should be that you don’t copy cliché work and come up with something unique; otherwise, your logo will look like someone else’s and won’t help cement the brand image. You’ll need something that’s instantly recognizable and not confused with someone else’s brand.

Your logo should have some form of original art that tells the audience what the company is and how their ethos shines through. Sure, you can draw inspiration from other logos, but make sure your work is unique and not just a copy of something else.

Definitely, don’t try and emulate commonplace forms of art in your logo such as clipart. This will cause your logo to have an amateur and childish appearance, without being special in any way at all. If you want something that’s memorable, it needs to be special. Your logo will want to make an instant click with whoever is looking at it. Make it stand out from your competitors in an instant – don’t make your audience have to think about how your logo is similar to something else.

Conclusion

Approaching a logo designing process isn’t a walk in the park, it’s a walk along several different paths in one’s mind, exploring different possibilities whilst always trying to channel the audience into the direction you want them to go in. Take note of the five tips above to help you do well on your way, ensuring that you have a cutting edge and unique design that will engage your audience in an instant.

Remember that your design should aim to depict your brand and ethos in a way that is instantly recognizable without any thought. You should have a logo that packs a punch but is also simple and visible, wherever you decide that you want to use it.

We hope that you have fun in your creative process and create a logo that your company can look back on with pride through the ages.

About the Author:

Richard Nolan is a professional educator and team building coach, sharing his experience in spheres of writing, blogging, entrepreneurship, web design and psychology. Currently, Richard works as an editor-in-chief for essaywritersite.com. Follow him on Facebook

The Logo Design Principles

SmartGirl logo design , logo design principles

The 5 Principles Of Logo Design

Following up on our article on the logo designs of the summer Olympics we will now learn how to create a logo by using the 5 basic principles in the area of logo design, collectively known as the principles of logo design.

The logo design principles state that a logo should be...

simple
memorable
appropriate
timeless
versatile

Each logo design principles relates to a particular ideal of logo design and should be considered individually, however all the principles also relate to each other and it is when all the principles are used together that the best logos are created.

Simple:

Simple Apple Logo

Simplicity is the most important of all the logo design principles. Logos can appear in various places and in various sizes such as small emblems on t-shirts or as iconic symbols on billboards. It is because of this that they need to be clear and simple so that they still display correctly and effectively at any size. Logos are designed as vector graphics to ensure they retain their image quality at any size but it is just as important that they retain their overall clarity as well.

A good test of a logo's simplicity is if a child could draw it

By keeping you logo simple you are ensuring that at any size it will be easy to identify and read. In this way, a logo should really only contain a single graphic and a small amount of text. Prime example of simple logo are the Nike 'swoosh' and the Apple 'apple'. They are clearly identifiable at any size and even work without any text as seen above.

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Memorable:

Memorably Creative Vividways Logo

There are 3 stages to making a logo memorable. To make a logo memorable you must first ensure it is simple. Like anything, the simpler it is the easier it is to remember, it is no different with logos. The second key element to making a logo memorable is to make it as original as possible, if something is unique or different people tend to remember it and it will be set apart from other similar businesses, products or services. The originality of the logo can be achieved through elements such as interesting fonts, unique shapes, bright colours or a catchy tag line.

When you think of a brand, if you can visualise it's logo then it's memorable.

The logo above uses bright colours, interesting and unique forms and shapes which themselves create original lettering. The third stage to making a logo memorable is to make it relative or appropriate to the business, product or service it is representing. This is discussed in more depth in the next section.

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Appropriate:

This Solicitors Logo Is Appropriately Clean Lined & Serious Looking

The Colourful Toys Я Us Logo Is Appropriately Fun & Quirky

When designing a logo you must consider the business, product or service that the logo is representing. You cannot design in any style or using any fonts or colours that you want. Every logo is different and requires a different approach, an approach that is appropriate to the business, product or service it is representing. To give an example a logo for a solicitor should ideally be clean and linear with a mono or two toned colour scheme to represent the serious and professional nature of the service being offered.

As long as a logo doesn't feel out of place then it's appropriate

On the other hand bright colours, quirky fonts and curved lines would not be suitable for a solicitor's logo, however they would be suited to a toy store or play-school to represent the fun nature of the business. An appropriate graphic, such as a house for an auctioneer, also helps to immediately associate the product or service being offered with the name of the business which by itself may not suggest a specific product/service.

For example a local business called after the owner, lets says 'Smiths' does not in itself suggest any particular product/service that is why an appropriate graphic is necessary. An appropriate logo graphic is also vital for new businesses logo to help consumers to identify with them and their logo while they are still in the process of marketing their company identity.

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Timeless:

Olympic Logo Is Iconic & Timeless

London Underground Logo Unchanged Since 1908

A company can be in business for months, years, decades or even centuries; therefore it needs a logo that will stand the test of time and not 'age' badly. A logo may be tweaked or updated slightly over time but it should not require a full overhaul as that would mean the company would have to spend lots of money re-marketing its new identity, which can be a very expensive process, especially for large companies.

An unchanged logo, is a timeless logo

Public bodies or services also require logos and as they cannot go out of business they tend to be around for a long time and thus need a timeless logo design, the London underground logo is a classic example of this. It is a simple logo design using basic shapes, primary colours and clean, simple text. As previously mentioned, all the logo design principles link together and it is evident in the London Underground logo as it is because of it's simple and appropriate style that it has remained unchanged for so long. The Coca Cola logo, the Olympic logo and numerous car company logos such as Toyota, Ford, Volkswagen and Mercedes are other examples of timeless logos which have remained unchanged for decades.

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Versatile:

Apple Logo Showing It's Versatility

A versatile logo is one that will work equally well at any size and in any colour scheme. The logo must first be simple in order for it to have the potential to be versatile, again reinforcing simplicity as the key logo design principle.

If the same logo will work on a badge, banner and bus then it's versatile

The best way to achieve a versatile logo design is to first design the logo in black and white, as, if the logo works in black and white it will most likely work in any suitable colour scheme. See the example of the Apple logo above.

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Now You're Ready To Create The Logo...

Once you have used the logo design principles above to actually plan out and design your logo on paper the next step is to actually create the logo. There are numerous ways to do this but one of the best and easiest is to use an online logo generator, such as Logojoy. Logojoy's simple 5 step process enables you to create an industry standard logo without the need for software or an in depth knowledge of design and is definitely a great option for anyone, but especially those without any Adobe Photoshop or Illustrator skills. It’s totally free to make logos. Only pay for a design when you're happy with it, so why not try it out here.

If you do have good Photoshop or Illustrator skills then you can create the logo yourself as a vector graphic. If your skills are not the best you can always find free vector graphics and edit them to suit your needs. Well, we have you covered there too with this illustrator logo design tutorial. We hope you find it useful. You may also be interested in exploring the general principles of design, if so, then click here.

Create A Logo In 10 Easy Steps

SmartGirl graphic design , graphics

This tutorial is completed in Illustrator but all the tools and techniques used are also available in Photoshop. The reason I am using Illustrator is that Illustrator is the best program (in my opinion) for creating vector graphics using the pen tool. Professional Logos are made as vector graphics, allowing them to be resized up or down without loss of quality.

The Logo we will be making in this tutorial

Although this tutorial focuses on the actual production stage of the logo it is important to remember that the graphic design process should always be used. Therefore this stage should be preceded by analysis of any brief, research, brainstorming, and idea development (ideally through sketching). Alongside these design process stages you should also be considering the logo design principles.

Ideally read the article in full before completing your own logo design but to recap quickly the principles state the logo should be...

Simple
Versatile
Timeless
Memorable
Appropriate

For the purposes of this tutorial we will be creating a logo for a design company called 'Cut & Paste'. The design aims to reference the company name within the text styles and shapes used. Now lets begin.

Logo - Step 1

Go to File-> New and create a canvas 700px wide and 500px tall. This is not a mandatory size, as the logo (once completed and exported) can be scaled up or down to any size. However, if you want to follow the tutorial exactly using the font sizes and other dimensions used then keep to 700px X 500px.

Logo - Step 2

Open the layers window and rename the layer 'Shape 1'. Now use the rectangle shape tool to create a shape 610px x 125px. With the shape selected (with the path selection tool) open the stroke window and add a 5pt white stroke using the settings shown in the image below. Depending on how you clicked and dragged to create the shape the scissors arrow head on the stroke may appear in a different corner. To set the scissors to the position shown, go to Object-> Transform -> Reflect and edit the settings until you get it into the position shown.

Logo - Step 3

Now, press the new layer button in the layers window and name the layer 'Shape 2'. With the new layer selected use the rectangle shape tool to create a shape 600px x 115px. Set the shape colour to white and add a uniform stroke of 5pt with the scissors arrowhead (the 5pt stroke all around should make the shape the same size as the previous shape). Position the shape directly on top of the first shape getting the scissors arrowheads to overlap as shown below. Once again go to Object-> Transform -> Reflect and edit the settings until you get the arrowheads into the position shown.

Logo - Step 4

For the next shape we will once again create a new layer, call it 'Shape 3'. Use the pen tool to create a black coloured shape similar to the one shown below, remember to complete the shape by joining the last anchor point to the initial anchor point. Once completed you can move the anchor points of the shape into the exact form you want using the direct selection tool. Once again set a 5pt white stroke with a scissors arrowhead, the settings are shown alongside the shapes in the image below. That completes our work on the shapes.

Logo - Step 5

Now we will add the text. You can add the text all on one layer but as we will be using 4 different fonts in 4 separate text boxes it is easier to create a new layer for each piece of text too.

TIP: For maximum flexibility in graphic design always create a new layer each time you add a new piece of text.

Logo - Step 6

Firstly we will add the 'CUT' text. Create a new layer call it 'CUT' and use the text tool to click and drag out a text box roughly to size you want (you can resize it afterwards if needed) and type the word CUT in Arial Bold and with a font size 110pt.

Logo - Step 7

Highlight the text with the text tool and change the text colour to white and add a 2pt black stroke. Open the stroke window and tick the dashed line box and set the values to those shown in the image above.

Logo - Step 8

Next, we will add the ampersand. Create a new layer for the ampersand, and create a text box on that layer. Type '&' in font style Arial Bold, in a font size of 72pt and set the text colour to white.

Logo - Step 9

Now the 'Paste' text. Once again create and name a new layer, use the text tool to create a text box and type 'Paste'. The font used for the paste text is called 'Cut It Out' and is a free to download font available HERE. Set the font colour to Black and the font size to 90pt as shown in the image of the font settings tab below. Use the path selection tool to position the text as shown.

Logo - Step 10

Finally the 'Design Company' text. As before, create and name a new layer, add a text box and type in 'Design Company'. The image below shows the text settings used.

The completed logo should now resemble the image below. You can continue to develop the logo by editing the colours of the text or shapes, trying out different font styles or adding effects from the 'Effect' tab in the top menu.

The completed logo design

You can easily create your own logo for new your company or a class project using the tools and techniques explained here but always remember to follow the previous steps of the design process as it is always easier and quicker to create the logo once you have a design sketch to follow. Trust me on that, you don't want to have to learn the hard way!

If you are still struggling or feel you need a detailed vector that your skill set isn't capable (yet) of creating you can find free vector graphics that you can then edit tot suit your needs.

Logo Designs of the Summer Olympics

SmartGirl design history , design theory

Logos of the Summer Olympics - Click to enlarge

The graphic above charts the logos of summer Olympic games from Paris 1924 to Rio 2016 and reads like a graphic design history timeline with historical design trends obvious in many of the logos. Recurring symbols in Olympic logos include the Olympic rings, the laurel leaf, Olympic flame and torch.

Most of the logos adhere to the 5 principles of logo design but some, have been very controversial and highly critiqued, such as the London 2012 logo. Below, each of the logos are described and explained in more detail, with some very interesting facts revealed along the way.

Paris, France, 1924 Olympic Logo

Paris 1924 Olympic Logo

The Games of the VIII Olympiad returned to the city of Paris for a second time after the first in 1908. In contrast to the poster and signboard paintings used to represent the previous Olympics, the 1924 Olympics was the first to create an official logo.

The logo depicts a wooden ship on the ocean in front of cloudy skies through a simple line drawing with serif lettering overlaid. The meaning or relevance of the symbolism of the ship is unclear with no obvious connection to Paris, France or even sport.

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Los Angeles, USA, 1932 Olympic Logo

Los Angeles 1932 Olympic Logo

Los Angeles was the only city to make a bid to host the 1932 Olympics as the Great Depression hit the global economy. The 1932 Olympic logo was the first to use the Olympic rings in it , which was to become a feature in every Olympic logo which followed it.

As well as the Olympic rings the logo also includes the stars and stripes of the American flag, the Olympic motto and a laurel leaf. Although quite obvious and blunt in its use of symbolism, the logo was at least appropriate and clear in it's purpose unlike the Paris 1924 logo.

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Berlin, Germany, 1936 Olympic Logo

Berlin 1936 Olympic Logo

1936 was a dark chapter for the Olympic Games as Adolf Hitler saw the event as an opportunity to promote his ideals of racial supremacy. The game s would be the last for 12 years due to the outbreak of World War II.

In terms of the logo, the use of line art design, the absence of colours, and the symbolism eagle and bell give a sense of a rigid and stark environment. The Olympic rings are included but are not prominent and serve only as a platform for the eagle. In on way however, the logo was ahead of its time in it's simplicity as it was based entirely on a simple line graphic.

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London, England, 1948 Olympic Logo

London 1948 Olympic Logo

After a 12-year break because of World War II, London was given the opportunity to host the event for the second time, the first being in 1908.

The logo displays the Palace of Westminster and "Big Ben" behind the Olympic rings, which return to prominence as an Olympic logo feature. While black and white still dominates the logo, the logo is the best designed thus far.

There are subtle features such as white space between certain rings to ensure it's dominance, "Big Ben" juxtaposing through the semi-circular headline text to help draw the eye through all areas of the logo. The semi-circular top text and straight line text at the bottom of the design also serve to frame the image.

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Helsinki, Finland, 1952 Olympic Logo

Helsinki 1952 Olympic Logo

The Olympic Games of 1952 were held in Helsinki, Finland, the northernmost city at which a summer Olympic Games has ever been held.

The 1952 Olympic logo design saw a return to the use of colour, albeit just a single one. It depicts the tower and stand of the Helsinki Olympic Stadium in front of the Olympic rings. The design is clean and minimal and is the fist Olympic logo to use negative space.

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Melbourne, Australia, 1956 Olympic Logo

Melbourne 1956 Olympic Logo

After Helsinki being the northernmost city to host the Olympic Games, 4 years later Melbourne became the southernmost city to host the games. The 1956 Games were also the first to be staged in the Southern Hemisphere, as well as the first to be held outside Europe and North America.

The logo was again designed using a single colour and depicted the Olympic rings and the Olympic flame, the first logo to do so, above the silhouette of Australia. We also see a return of the laurel leaf as a symbol after it's previous use in the 1932 logo. Like Helsinki, the Melbourne logo was generally seen as a success.

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Rome, Italy, 1960 Olympic Logo

Rome 1960 Olympic Logo

After missing its first chance to host in 1908, the Olympic games finally arrived in the historic city of Rome in 1960.

The Olympic logo of 1960 is very different to it's predecessors and was the first and only Olympic logo to include an animal. The wolf and children represent the ancient story of Romulus and Remus the twin brothers and main characters of Rome's foundation myth.

The design has reverted back to black and white but is no flat like previous logos with a clear intent towards a 3 dimensional look. The logo is also the first to omit the name of the host city while also using Roman numerals instead of numbers to display the year.

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Tokyo, Japan, 1964 Olympic Logo

Tokyo 1964 Olympic Logo

The 1964 Summer Games were the first Olympics held in Asia. Tokyo had initially been awarded the 1940 Summer Olympics, but it was rescinded after Japan invaded China.

The logo for the 1964 summer Olympics depicts the red circle of Japan’s flag, signifying the sun, which sits atop the Olympics rings. It is a beautiful logo utilising minimal symbols and very effective graphical design. The red circle is not only the symbol of the country, but is also a great focal point with the use of subtle gradients in the red circle and the Olympic rings preventing it from looking too plain, flat or boring.

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Mexico City, Mexico, 1968 Olympic Logo

Mexico 1968 Olympic Logo

The 1968 Summer Olympic Games was the first Olympic Games to be staged in Latin America and the first in a Spanish-speaking country. It was also the first Games to be held in a developing country.

The design by Pedro Ramirez Vazquez, Eduardo Terrazas, and Lance Wyman is said to be inspired by the patterns of the Huichole Indians and simply depicts the city, year and the five Olympic rings with the year. Although if you look closely you can see the XI as a roman numeral 6 and the CO being used to represent a sideways 8, together making up 68, the year of the games.

A different orientation as well as the lack of a graphic sets this logo apart but the placement of the Olympic rings above the year is very questionable. In general, not a good logo.

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Munich, Germany, 1972 Olympic Logo

Munich 1972 Olympic Logo

The 1972 Summer Olympics Games in Munich, Germany mindful of its connection to the Nazi regime, was eager to use the games to present a new, democratic and optimistic Germany to the world, as shown by the Games’ official motto, “Die Heiteren Spiele”, or “The Cheerful Games”.

The logo was designed by Otl Aicher, and depicts a blue solar logo which re referred to as the “Bright Sun”. This design recalls previous Olympic logo designs. Blue reappears as the main colour as it did in the 1928 Amsterdam and Helsinki 1952 Olympics, while there is also is a very similar approach in layout to the 1964 Tokyo design.

The spiral shape utilised in the logo has nice dimensions and visual movement. The full identity of the 1972 Summer Olympics has remained an iconic example of outstanding graphic design.

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Montreal, Canada, 1976 Olympic Logo

Montreal 1976 Olympic Logo

The Olympic games of 1972 took place in Montreal, Canada. Most sovereign African nations, and a few other, boycotted the Montreal Games when the International Olympic Committee would not support the banning from competition of those countries whose athletes had participated in sporting events in South Africa during apartheid.

The official logo of the Montreal Games was designed by Yvon Laroche, Pierre-Yves Pelletier, Guy St-Arnaud and George Huel and much like its predecessor in Munich, is characterised by a minimalist look and feel. This Olympic logo features another strong design. The use of the letter “M” for Montreal on top of the 5 Olympic rings with everything appearing woven together.

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Moscow, Russia, 1980 Olympic Logo

Moscow 1980 Olympic Logo

The 1980 Olympic Games were the first held in a communist country. The games were boycotted by 65 nations because of the Soviet war in Afghanistan. This, in turn, prompted the Soviet-led boycott of the 1984 Summer Olympics.

This logo bears some similarities with it's predecessor with a linear style featuring red as the predominant colour. The star, atop a six line tower, is a domino symbol which is designed to represent Moscow. As well as a tower, the lines can be seen to represent the lanes of a running track.

The logo was not well received however with“Misha”, the official mascot designed by Victor Chizhikov, becoming more popular than the actual logo.

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Los Angeles, USA, 1984 Olympic Logo

Los Angeles 1984 Olympic Logo

The 1984 Olympic Games was hosted in Los Angeles, a second time for the city after the previous games in 1932. In response to the American-led boycott of the 1980 Olympics in Moscow, 14 Eastern Bloc countries decided to boycott the games in Los Angeles.

The official logo is owned by International Olympic Committee. The logo of the games featured five blue, white and red stars arranged horizontally and struck through with alternating streaks placed above the Olympic rings. It was named “Stars in Motion.”

This logo again features a version of the american flag as was done in the logo from 1932. The placement of the United States flag in the logo is very patriotic but also a little obvious and simplistic.

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Seoul, South Korea, 1988 Olympic Logo

Seoul 1988 Olympic Logo

The 1988 Olympic Games took place in Seoul, South Korea. North Korea, and its allies, Albania, Cuba, Madagascar, and Seychelles boycotted the games but larger boycotts, as seen in the previous three Summer Olympics, were avoided.

In the logo the placement and size of the Olympic rings are similar to the ones utilised in the 1984 Los Angeles games but the abstract format of swirls is in contrast to the straight edges of the 1984 logo. There is a sense of movement incorporated into both logos however which embraces the athleticism and dynamism of the Olympics.

Barcelona, Spain, 1992 Olympic Logo

Barcelona 1992 Olympic Logo

The 1992 Olympic Games in Spain were the first to be unaffected by boycotts since 1972. South Africa was allowed to compete in the Olympic Games for the first time since the 1960 Summer Olympics due to its apartheid policy. A reunified Germany sent a single unified team for the first time since 1964 to the games while a dissolved USSR and a separated Yugoslavia also sent their individual teams.

The 1992 Barcelona logo continues the template of the previous years: keeping the rings in the lower part and a graphic or motif above. The abstract forms are reminiscent in style of brush strokes, perhaps referencing Spain's history of producing world renowned painters.

The shapes themselves could represent a gymnast, runner, jumper or even a trace of Spanish bullfighting which would nicely reflect the host country.

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Atlanta, USA, 1996 Olympic Logo

Atlanta 1996 Olympic Logo

In 1996, the Olympic Games was celebrating it's 100th anniversary back in the United States in the city of Atlanta.

The logo depicts the Olympic flame, which blows from a cauldron created by the Olympic rings on a column formed by the number 100. The transition of the flames into the stars, representing America, is smoothly done and is more subtle and aesthetic than the previous American symbols of the 1932 and 1984 logos. One of the very best Olympic logos in history.

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Sydney, Australia, 2000 Olympic Logo

Sydney 2000 Olympic Logo

The 2000 Sydney Olympic Games known as the Millennium Olympic Games was the second time the event was held in Australia, the first being in 1956 in Melbourne.

Overall, the logo depicts a runner holding a flag but included in this vivid logo design are references to the cultural heritage of the Aborigines through it's style and the incorporation of boomerangs (arms and legs). The Sydney Opera House, which is the symbol of Sydney, is incorporated clearly in both the outline of the flag and the white line inside the shape of the legs. A very clever logo indeed.

This Olympic logo design also uses a similar approach to the 1992 Barcelona games with the 3 main layers of shapes in blue, yellow and red/orange creating a human-like form.

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Athens, Greece, 2004 Olympic Logo

Athens 2000 Olympic Logo

With the motto “Welcome Home,” the 2004 Olympic Games returned to its roots in Athens, Greece marking the return of the games to the city where it first began.

This highly effective logo design shows a white laurel wreath drawn on a light blue background with “Athens 2004” and the Olympic rings place below. The more modern take on the symbolic laurel wreath subtly creates almost child like drawings of athletic poses using the leaves (arms/legs), stem (body) and berries (head) of the laurel wreath to make up the human form. Unfortunately, the unnecessarily large trademark symbol draws some attention away from the design.

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Beijing, China, 2008 Olympic Logo

Beijing 2008 Olympic Logo

The 2008 Olympic Games was held in Beijing. The official motto for the 2008 Olympics was “One World, One Dream” (同一个世界同一个梦想).

The official logo of the Games, titled “Dancing Beijing”, refers to the host city by featuring a stylised calligraphic character jīng (京, meaning capital) which resembles a sportsman, runner, gymnast or a Chinese dancer.

The font is also unique and very appropriate, as it has a resemblance to Chinese characters while the 'iji' in Beijing looks like a group of people with the 'e' almost like their shadow.

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London, England, 2012 Olympic Logo

London 2012 Olympic Logo

The 2012 Olympic Games returned to the city of London for the third time, previously hosting in 1908 and in 1948. The London 2012 Games also became the first at which every sport had female competitors.

Despite controversial and negative reactions, this logo by Wolff Olins was chosen to represent London 2012. Abstract shapes are arranged to spell out 2012 with "London" and the Olympic rings been placed inside the shapes. The presentation of the numbers in the design is meant to appeal to today’s Internet generation, although I don't see how.

The official London 2012 Olympic typeface was called Headline 2012 and it too suffered criticism.

Overall this logo is not as strong as previous years and has been criticised at length in the design community.

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Rio, Brazil, 2016 Olympic Logo

Rio 2016 Olympic Logo

The 2016 Olympic Games will be held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. This is the first time the games will be hosted by a South American, Portuguese-speaking country and during the host country’s winter season.

The official emblem for Rio 2016 was designed by the Brazilian agency Tatíl Design. It represents three figures, in yellow, green, and blue the colours of the Brazilian flag. The figures are joined at the arms in an embrace, with the overall shape reflecting that of outline of the Brazilian landmark the Sugarloaf Mountain.

The logo was based on four concepts: contagious energy, harmonious diversity, exuberant nature, and Olympic spirit. However is has been courted by some controversy with some alleging this logo is plagiarised from the logo of US not-for-profit the Telluride Foundation. Tátil’s Fred Gelli put any likeness down to coincidence and noted that the broad concept of people embracing each other is not novel. This is very true and personally I really like this logo and don't feel the likeness is enough to cite plagiarism.

If this review of Olympic logos has inspired you to get creative why not check out our article on the Logo Design Principles and then create a logo of your own.

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How to Curve Text in Photoshop

SmartGirl adobe photoshop , circle logo

The final logo

The drop down is at the top Toolbar
When creating curved text, people tend to use the Warp tool to deform and bend the text. This is the incorrect way to create this effect as it makes the text uneven and unsightly. In this tutorial we'll be looking at the proper way to bend and curve text by creating a vector path and then adding text to the path to create the logo shown above.

The drop down is at the top Toolbar

First, select the Ellipse tool and change the setting on the tool bar from shape to path. Holding Shift will create a perfect circle and you can then move it around and edit it further via the Path Selection tool.

The base of the logo

Adding ellipse along the centre circle

The Path Selection tool icon

Select the Text tool and click anywhere along the path. When hovering over the path while Text tool is selected you should see a small curved line going through the cursor. You can now type in your text, but make sure to align it so that it's centered.

The text will go along the path you've created

If you want to reposition the text you can hover over the path and adjust the start and stop points of the text. If you switch to the Path Selection tool you're also able to reposition it that way. It's also possible to resize the text using the Transform tool.

The Direct Path Selection tool can be found by clicking and holding on the Path Selection tool icon

This will change the orientation of the text

You may also edit and use additional text settings by clicking the small icon that appears in the top toolbar ot using the Direct Selection tool. This changes the orientation of the text and can also flip it around the Path.

The finished logo

And now you're done! This is a very useful technique for creating your own logos and graphics.

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