(4) Principles of Logo Design
Logo design is not only the design of practical objects, but also a graphic art design. It has both the same features as other graphic arts expression methods and its own art rules. Must embody the aforementioned characteristics in order to better play its function. Because it is very demanding for its conciseness, generalization and perfection, that is, to be perfect to almost no better alternative, its difficulty is much greater than any other graphic art design.
1 . The design shall be carried out on the premise of detailed understanding of the purpose of use of the design object, its applicable scope, and related laws and regulations, as well as a deep understanding of its functional requirements.
2 . The design must fully consider the feasibility of its implementation, and take corresponding design methods for its application form, materials and production conditions. At the same time, we must also consider the visual effects when applied to other forms of visual communication (such as printing, advertising, imaging, etc.) or zooming in and out.
3 . The design should meet the intuitive acceptance ability, aesthetic consciousness, social psychology and taboos of the affected objects.
4 . The concept must be deliberately scrutinized, strive to be profound, ingenious, novel, unique, accurate, and able to stand the test of time.
5. The composition must be concise, beautiful, and conformal (adapt to the shape of its application).
6 . Graphics and symbols should be concise, general, and artistic.
7. Colors should be simple, strong and eye-catching.
8 . Follow the artistic rules of logo design, creatively seek appropriate artistic expressions and techniques, and refine the fine art language so that the logos designed have a high degree of overall beauty and achieve the best visual effects. In addition to the general design art rules (such as decorative beauty, order beauty, etc.), the signage art has its own unique art rules:
Symbolic beauty: Logo art is a graphic design art with unique symbolic artistic features. It abstracts the shapes, symbols (including words), colors, etc. of things that are recognized by nature, society, and people's ideas, and then refines and processes them through art, so that it can be structured into a complete artistic graphic symbol, thereby distinguishing it from decorative figures and others. Art Design. To some extent, sign graphic symbols have the concise, aggregative, and abstract features of text and symbols, and sometimes even directly use ready-made text symbols, but they are different from text signs. It is embodied in the form of "graphics" (ready-to-use textual symbols must be graphically modified), with more vividness, artistry, and consensus. Symbolism is the most important art rule in logo design. Logo art is the art of graphic symbols.
Characteristic beauty: The beauty of beauty is also a symbol of unique artistic characteristics. What symbolic graphics embody is not the individual characteristics (individuality) of individual things, but the essential characteristics (commonality) of the same kind of things, that is, category characteristics. Through artistic enhancement and exaggeration of these features, consensus artistic effects are achieved. This is quite different from other plastic arts that have a touching artistic effect through a flesh and blood personality. However, its performance on the common characteristics of things is not stereotyped and conceptualized. The same general characteristics can and must have different personality styles in different designs, so each has unique artistic charm.
Concise beauty: Compact composition and concise graphics are the structural beauty principles that sign art must follow. The logo is not only used alone, but is often used in various kinds of documents, promotional materials, advertisements, images and other visual communication. With the symbol of concise beauty, not only in any visual propaganda (regardless of how much or how much shrink) can show its own independent and complete symbolic beauty, but also a strong sense of decorative beauty of visual communication. Conciseness is not simple, and the concise structural beauty can only be obtained through refined art refinement and generalization.
Simple beauty: The sign art language must be simply simpler and more complex. Everything is optional, available but not necessary graphics, symbols, text, and colors are not used; details of all non-essential features are resolutely removed; there is no need to express them in an artistic manner; they can be expressed in a little bit by bit. Never add a little bit of color. Highly simple and highly aesthetic, it is the difficulty of the logo design art.
(4) The means of expression of the logo design
The design methods of logo design are extremely rich and varied, and they are constantly developing and innovating.
1. The concept of signs
Imagery techniques: Use the image that is directly associated with the sign object and has typical characteristics, and describe the purpose of the sign directly. This approach is straightforward, clear, and straightforward, and it is easy to understand and remember quickly. Such as the performance of the publishing industry as a book image, the image of the railway transportation industry as a locomotive, the image of the banking industry as a symbol of coins, and so on.
Symbolic means: Using the graphic, text, symbol, color, etc. of things that have some meaning in connection with the contents of the logo, symbolizes the abstract connotation of the symbol object in terms of metaphor and description. Such as cross-hatched axe symbolizes the union of workers and peasants. Symbolic signs often use associated objects that have been accepted by society as valid representatives. For example, using pigeons to symbolize peace, using male lions and eagles to symbolize heroism, using the sun and the moon to symbolize eternal life, using pine cranes to symbolize longevity, using white to symbolize purity, and using green to symbolize life, etc. This means is profound, adaptable to social psychology, and popular with people.
Allegorical means: Using the image similar to the meaning of the logo or having an allegorical image, the contents and characteristics of the logo are expressed in the form of innuendo, hint, and gesture. If the image of the umbrella suggests dampness, the image of the glass suggests crushing, and the arrow indicates the direction.
Simulation and Law: A technique that uses characteristics of similar things to imitate or compare the features or meanings of objects that are marked. For example, Japan's All Nippon Airways adopts the image of cranes to expand its wings and Xiangrui’s flight, and Sagawa Express trains in Japan use the running characters to compare it with Speedpost.
Visual Sense: Using simple, unique, abstract graphics, text, or symbols that do not have special meanings gives people a strong sense of modernity, visual impact, or comfort that draws attention and makes them unforgettable. This technique does not depend on the meaning of the figure but mainly on the "visual sense" power of graphics, text, or symbols to express the logo. For example, the Japanese company Isuzu is marked with two prisms. The Li Ning brand sportswear exaggerates the letter L horizontally as a sign. In order to make people identify the things that are marked, this kind of sign is often accompanied by a small number of small words. Once people identify with this sign, they can identify it by removing the small print.
2, logo graphics form
Representational form: the natural form that is basically faithful to objective images. After refining, summarizing and changing, it highlights and exaggerates its essential characteristics as a symbolic figure. This form has easy-to-identify features.
Image form: The form of an object image as a basic idea, in the form of decorative, abstract graphics or textual symbols. For example, the symbol of the Chinese Civil Aviation is the idea of ​​the phoenix pattern and is expressed in abstract graphics. This form tends to have a higher artistic style and modernity.
Abstract form: A form expressed in completely abstract geometry, text, or symbols. This graphic often has a profound abstract meaning, symbolic meaning, or mystery. For example, the logo of the Lenovo Group symbolizes the broad and far-reaching associative space with the geometric shapes in the circle. There may also be no more profound meanings than merely the characteristics of the table, such as the exaggeration of the English name (or Pinyin expression). This form tends to have a more intense sense of modernity and symbolism and is easy to remember.
3, the performance of the logo
Ordering techniques: Balanced, homogeneous, symmetrical, radial, enlarged or reduced, parallel or up and down, dislocation, etc. Orderly, regular, and articulate sections of Qin and rhythm, giving a sense of regularity.
Contrast: color and color contrast, such as black and white gray, red yellow blue, etc.; shape and shape contrast, such as large and medium, small and thick, square and round, curved and straight, horizontal and vertical, giving a sense of clarity .
Dot-line method: It can be composed of large, medium and small points, and yin and yang can be deployed. It can also be composed entirely of lines. The thin and round lines can be staggered and changed; it can also be constructed purely by blocks; it can also be constructed by combination of points and lines. Sexy and rich.
Contradictory space techniques: Upside-down, left-right, and right-and-back position of the figure position constitute a special space, giving people a sense of novelty.
Common shapes: When two graphics are merged together, the edges of the two are shared, as if you have me and I have you, and thus form a complete figure, such as the yin and yang edge line of the Tai Chi chart sharing, giving people singularity sense.
The forefront is only a common practice. It is necessary to continuously discover and create new techniques in the design. (Text / Feng Yunting)