By signcraft
Posted on Monday, August 14th, 2023
For most small businesses, the primary use of their logo is for their signage. And since most signs are viewed by people passing by in moving vehicles—or are on a moving vehicle—a logo must make an immediate and memorable impression. Such logos must get the point across in a hurry.
There are a lot of tools that a designer can use to make this happen, but simplicity is certainly at the top of the list. You see it throughout the logo designs of Travis Toews [RT Signs, Steinbach, Manitoba, Canada]. He described it as central to his approach in “Making simplicity work.”
“When I design a logo,” he says, “I’m not always sure how it will be used on a sign or vehicle, but as a signmaker, it’s always in the back of my mind that it will likely be used for signs. I also consider how it will work when used small in the case of websites or print. Using a lot of detail often doesn’t pay off because it won’t hold together at small sizes.
“Some designs are viewed on everything from mobile websites to billboards. It may even be used as the small mark on the tab of their website. You want them to have something recognizable up there, too. You often modify the logo for the different applications, but it still must be consistent.
“Working with all these different formats has somewhat limited us as designers, but in a way that’s good. Bob Behounek tells how he was limited as a designer by production time back in sign painting days. It forced him to focus on simplicity and emphasize what really mattered.”
Travis begins by considering the overall look. Will it be corporate or traditional or trendy? He identifies the market the client wants to reach. An effective logo is appropriate for the business and the market.
“I like to use an illustration when I can,” he says, “but sometimes it is hard to create an illustration for some businesses. Sometimes you’re better off not bothering with one. Relying on a letter or something is better. Other times just type does the job.
“We’re in an agricultural area so a lot of our work is related to that. If a company sells equipment for manure spreading, they don’t need to graphically tell people exactly what they do. It’s better to go with a look that is more corporate and professional—and leave the manure out of it.”
Rather than “overwork” a logo design by adding elements and effects to the basic lettering and graphic, Travis prefers to do the opposite: As he does rough concept drawings, he eliminates non-essentials. This lets him strengthen the logo’s message and deliver it faster and cleaner.
An effective logo matters
Travis also notes that today small businesses are more aware of the importance of logos and branding. Thirty years ago, small businesses rarely invested money having a logo developed—that was something that corporations, chains and franchises did. Today, small businesses are likely to see logos and branding as a central part of their marketing.
“I think logo designs may have improved over the past ten years, too,” he says. “There are still many that are very poor, but there are many that are good. When you start analyzing the better ones you may find ways to improve them—but they are still pretty good. There’s lots of inspiration out there.”
Analyzing effective (and ineffective!) logos is a great way to ramp up your design skills. Here are six tips from Travis that you can use to make sure your logo designs make very powerful, appealing signs of every kind—and look great on stationery, websites and clothing, too.
Keep it appropriate. Let everything about the design relate to the nature of the business. Use type, illustrations and colors that reflect the company’s image.
Slip in a hook if you can. A hook is a graphical tool that is meant to catch the viewer’s eye. It’s meant to be a bit of a surprise for the viewer—like the bird’s head in the R of Condor. Ralph Toews, Travis’s father, designed this and the Green Prairie logo below. “Although there are differences in the way Dad and I approach design,” Travis says, “we work together closely, often discussing designs and making suggestions to each other.”
Use an original illustration. A clip art image can be easy to use, but they aren’t a unique graphic for your client’s business. Create (or get someone to create) a graphic or illustration specifically for your client’s logo.
Make it a unit. Pulling the illustration into the text can create a logo that is a strong unit or an emblem. Even if you don’t let the elements touch, keep them close enough that they relate to each other to appear as a visual unit.
Keep effects to a minimum. You won’t find many textures, blends or other effects in Travis’s logo designs. These things may look catchy at first glance—especially to the customer—but often hurt the legibility and strength of the design.
Use contrast. Contrast creates interest, so Travis puts it to work in every design. You’ll see contrast in typestyles, line value and color. It adds appeal without complicating things.
