A Complete Guide to Design a Logo & History of Logos

By Saumya | Last Updated on April 14th, 2024 6:16 am

Do you know any big brand which doesn't have an appealing logo? No? Well, this is because there are not any. A logo plays a significant role in how your audience perceives your brand. Therefore, it's natural that everyone wants your logo design to be outstanding. But how can you get there?

Don't be anguished! Go through the blog and learn about designing a perfect logo for your business. From defining a brand's identity and recognizing what makes a logo perfect to choosing the suitable logo design choices and steering the logo-making process, keep on reading in order to learn how to design your perfect logo.

When someone starts their business, the right of passage is to create an effective logo first. A logo is one of the essential ingredients when it comes to dominating the market, building recognition, and branding.

While embarking on the process of your logo design, doing it right is a must. It's an agreement that takes time, collaboration, creativity, and thought- and it's worth it. You might believe differently, but you actually don't need a big budget to design a good-quality logo. Hiring a graphic designer is old-school; you can sign up for the Appy Pie's Logo Maker and create your own logo in a few steps.

However, before starting the process, you must find inspiration in choosing the right font and colors. This blog will help you design your logo process from start to finish so that you'll be able to complete the entire process yourself. We're there in your journey of creating a logo for your brand that your target audience never forgets.

What is a Logo: Understand the definition

A logo is your brand design that actually functions as the main symbol of your business and represents the essence of your brand's personality and purpose. Just like McDonald's golden arches or Nike Swoosh, your brand logo will become your business's face. In addition, your logo is an identifying factor for your audience, who will recognize it with time and eventually associate it with trust in your products, services, or content.

Logos can come in multiple forms, from image-based to text-based or anything in between. Once your logo is completed, it gets stamped across all marketing assets of your business, such as packaging materials, business cards, and websites.

Why Does Your Business Need a Logo?

Small as it might be, your brand logo plays a huge role in marketing your brand to the world. Eventually, your logo will communicate the unique mission of your brand to distinguish your business from others in the market. Only your logo can make this possible since it is a visual mark of reference for potential and new customers, shaping a connection with your target audience for growth, loyalty, and engagement, offline and online.

Following are some of the most common uses of your brand logo:

Online: Website headers, email signatures, invoices, web browser, computer and online icons, job posting ads, favicon, presentations, landing pages, online advertising, and recruitment.
Printed Materials: Branded merchandise, packaging, printed graphics, magazines, cards, sticker designs, posters, billboards, and brochures.
Social Media: Everything is needed for all platforms of your social media channels, such as Twitter and Instagram- profile pictures, watermarks, display ads, photo collage, social posts, and videos.

What Makes a Logo Good?

Though many aspects of your brand logo design unfold throughout the creation process, there are a few essential design tips that should be kept in mind right from the beginning. So, before creating your logo, go through these pro tips that will help you make your logo stand out.

Simplicity
Have you ever heard the phrase, 'less is more’? Well, this phrase has never been more fitted when it comes to logo design. We've all seen logos that are the least complicated and easiest to recognize. So, always design your logo that conveys a simple message so that it would be easy for your audience to get connected.
Representative
Your logo must look appealing to your audience and convey your brand values. Make sure all the elements of your logo design should be relevant and accurately represent your business logo.
Timeless
Though you can spruce up your brand logo over time but always aim to design your logo as if it is your last. So, always focus on quality and avoid those designs which are too trendy. Following these will help you design a logo that can stay with your brand for years. However, it's always good to explore the latest trends and have your finger on the pulse of future design so that you know what is relevant when designing a timeless logo design.
Versatile
You want a logo design that should look attractive, no matter where it's been used. Logos that are easily resized and can be displayed on multiple media right from the beginning are known to increase your brand's visibility and minimize inconvenient limitations.

In addition to all the qualities mentioned above, the process of your logo design can also be developed by following the ideas mentioned below:

Fluidity: It is considered one of the most important concepts while designing your brand logo. This refers to how all the elements of your logo design will flow together in order to create a harmonious and cohesive look. A logo with fluidity looks aesthetically pleasing, as all the components play a vital role in creating an attractive design.
Signaget: It's also one of the critical tools for those businesses which are planning to promote their brand on a large scale. Also, it's an important concept that should be focussed on while designing your logo. Signage is used for advertising your products and services, creating navigation, and drawing attention to the unique aesthetic of your business. While planning, always considers how your design will look from a distance, how it will be seen in different lighting conditions, and how the fonts and colors will interact. Also, it impacts your viewers so that your logo will stand out.
Innuendo: It could also be a very effective tool for logo design because it helps designers indicate a more profound meaning or message without directly stating it. This draws attention to your logo, allowing for deeper contemplation and encouraging people to think deeply about how this design ties with your business. With the help of innuendo, a designer can evoke an emotional connection with the target audience, and you can create a unique design that will stand out from all your competitors.
Logo Fonts: When choosing your logo fonts, readability comes first. When it comes to creating your brand logo, the things that should be kept in mind by a designer are that your viewers can easily read your logo design, and they should process the information quickly. Your brand logo should be easy to understand and legible.
Font Weight: Do you know what font weight is? It means how thick or thin is the font of your logo and how bold the characters are. Different font weights help make your text stand out, or you can blend in against the background, depending on the effect you're looking for. For instance, bold fonts are primarily used for the primary text in order to draw attention to it, whereas lighter fonts are mainly used for small details.
Kerning: It is mainly used to adjust the space between characters to create an aesthetically pleasing appearance. With the help of kerning, a designer can ensure that the logo text looks balanced and uniform. Also, it helps create better readability by providing that the letters don't appear too far or too close together.

While designing your brand logo, graphic designing is an essential part of it. A well-designed professional logo should be memorable and eye-catching and convey your brand message through shapes, fonts, and image colors.

How To Design a Logo- Some Important Steps

Want to design a logo for your company? Are you out of ideas? If so, then you must read these important factors to design a perfect logo for your brand or business:

Understand the Importance of a Classic Logo

Do you know the similarity between business and dating? In both cases, you'll have to attract your target audience and make them fall for your brand. So, your logo is like the display picture on your profile. And that's what makes people take an interest in your brand and try to learn more about it. That means your brand should look best to your customers, right?

Your logo plays a significant role in making the first impression of your business. It gives your audience the correct information regarding your brand and lets them understand if your product suits them.

Since your logo is considered one of the essential parts of your brand, it must be done well. All the branding elements usually have logos on them. And they stare back at your audiences from your packaging, business cards, and website. So, it's essential to make it count! A professional stunning-looking logo design not only has to make an impactful first impression, but it should also have the power to communicate to your customers what your brand stands for.

Describe Your Brand Identity

Do you want the logo to communicate the real personality of your brand? Of course, and for that, it's essential to understand your brand's core personality first. Once you get an accurate idea about what makes your brand unique and what your business is all about, making logo design choices that complement your brand will be much easier.

Here's a list of a few questions that will help you get to the bottom of brand identity:

Why did you start your business?
What are the values and beliefs that matter for you as a company?
What does your business do better than others?
What makes your business special?
What would it be if you had to describe your brand in three words?
What three terms do you want your customers to use to describe your brand?

Find Inspiration for your Logo Design

One of the most challenging things regarding logo design could be the right inspiration. Here's a list of a few tips that make this process really easy for you.

Brainstorming is a must
You could be a conceptual person, and collecting verbal ideas could be your way to start anything. Thus, a perfect brainstorming session could be what you need in order to pin down the right look and feel of what you're trying to get. Here are a few steps to help you design one of the best creative ideas for your logo.
Follow the basic rules
Brainstorming is all about getting ideas and writing them down. Even some of the most horrible ideas could spark conversations that can lead to some genius solutions.
Put yourself in the shoes of your target audience
Make a list of those things that define your brand's core personality and how you want your brand to be perceived by your customers. Then, think like someone in your target statistics and remind yourself what would be significant.
Involve Everyone
Though brainstorming with a single person is fine, only diverseness will bring the magic. So bring people from each department because the more perspectives you get, the better it will be.
While in a brainstorming session, never be afraid to come up with something different and think out of the box. You could find that in the logos of Sweet Trip and Crypto Caveman, how they cleverly combine ideas you usually won't associate with each other. For instance, honey bee, a pin in the Sweet Trip logo, and cryptocurrency and caveman in the latter. These unique logo design choices and how these brands express their characters are the main reasons they stand out from the crowd.

Create a Mood Board

If you're the kind of person who visualizes a lot, a mood board could be one of the best tools for you in order to get inspired. First, you can make a board by collecting printed or digital images. Then, all you need is to gather all the pictures you got inspired from, which could be other brands' logos, graphics or illustrations, color combinations, color mixing, and go wild. After collecting everything, you'll see that your mood board will reflect all design features and styles you've gravitated towards.

Think of how your brand should be visualized in your logo design. For example, go through the Simply Rooted logo, which is about down-to-earth and local food. Their logo consists of hand drawn rooted-vegetables which reflects the vintage vibe perfectly. This logo mood board includes pictures of handmade illustrations, organic colors and shapes, and ideas for some vintage logos.

Or you can also look at the Rugged logo, which reflects the rugged identity of the brand in a rough-looking and bold word mark, but it also has a gold effect on it which makes the logo reflect the luxurious vibe. Again, a well-created mood board can allow you to pull the required elements together.

Check Out Your Competition

Do you know what the best place to borrow any business idea is? Well, it's your competition! First, go through what's already out there in the market to help you understand what works well and what you should avoid. Then, while checking out other brands, analyze what makes your competitors different and how you can play up with these things in your own logo design.

Make sure that you set your brand apart from all your competitors. For example, if your competitors use a monochrome logo, maybe you can go for some vibrant colors to stand out. Similarly, a modern and fun logo will attract your customers if all your competitors are traditional.

Go through the accountant logos above and see how they communicate brand personality smartly. For example, in Orthrus Ventures, the lion logo looks reliable and classic, whereas when it comes to the Tidy Finance logo, it seems incredible and modern. However, if you're aiming for approachable and fun, the whimsical illustrations and bright colors of the Hot Toast logo will definitely inspire you.

Choose Your Logo Design Style

Now that you've clearly understood your brand personality and the feelings that inspired you, the time is right to transform that into your logo design. Various elements come into action here, such as shapes, typography, colors, graphic designs, etc. Rather than feeling overwhelmed with the whole process at once, analyzing each component can be helpful for your logo design in terms of taking the design process step by step.

While thinking about designing your logo, the first thing you'll have to do is pick up the right, artistic design for your brand. Of course, there's nothing just the right style for everyone, but there's always the best style for your brand.

Classic
Trendy logos can be fascinating and fun, but these types of logos can quickly look outdated. A classic-styled logo has the power to stay longer and also reaches a broad range of people. This design aesthetic keeps your logo simple, and you don't venture out for crazy color palettes, fancy fonts, or graphics. A classic-styled logo represents that your brand is down-to-earth and reliable.
Vintage & Retro
There is some reason why retro and vintage logo designs have been trending for quite some time. A vintage logo design instantly reminds you of history and evokes feelings of nostalgia. This type of logo tells your customer that our past plays a significant role in our present and that whatever you're selling to your customers should be done right. Usually, hand-illustrated and worn logos in beige and brown color palettes will fit the retro aesthetic design perfectly.
Minimalist & Modern
Most brands often go for a minimalist and clean logo style to communicate with their customers about how modern and fresh they are. This logo style primarily uses minimal details, whitespaces, and simple lines, often resulting in pared-back and sleek logos. A stylish and minimalist design logo shows your audience that your brand is fantastic, up-to-date, and knows what it takes.
Quirky and Fun
This one is one of the most popular choices for brands targeting the young generation. Quirky and fun logo design tends to be cute and colorful and often uses illustrations and symbols in order to create a friendly and positive vibe. While going for this logo design, always choose a sweet picture or a whimsical mascot that will let your brand's eccentric character shine.
Handcrafted and Handmade
The handmade logo style conveys a clear message that your brand is unconventional and stands for handcrafted quality. This style also works well with other aesthetic designs, such as vintage, to give a homely vibe. It can also be easily combined with fun and minimal style logos to bring a sophisticated, simple, and youthful look.
Though these logo styles aren't supposed to be mutually exclusive, you'll have to mix and match them in order to suit your brand personality. For example, your brand could be both fun and handmade at the same time, and the quirky logo of The Crafting Cactus perfectly pulls it off.

Find The Right Type

In addition to comprehensive logo designs, there are still seven types of logos from which you can choose while creating your brand logo. You can choose the one that perfectly suits your brand or design the best way possible. Also, you can play up with the combination of two in order to create something different and unique.

Monogram or Lettermarks
Monogram logos would be perfect for streamlining your brand logo, especially if your company name is long and difficult to remember. Many brands, like CNN, H&M, or HP, go by their initials. The monogram type could fit perfectly with minimalist logo styles; however, this type can never be good at describing or expressing what your brand is all about.
Logotypes or Wordmarks
Logotypes are one of the most straightforward ways of using your brand name as your logo. In order to give your brand name recognition, value, and personality, these types of logos are all about typography. If your business has a great name, this could be your perfect way to pull it off and show it in the foreground.
Logo symbols or Pictorial marks
Logo symbols or pictorial marks are precisely what we think when someone says the term 'logo.' These types of logos are iconographic images that can be easily recognizable. They represent your business with the perfect illustration. However, these types of logos are often paired up with a wordmark.
Abstract Logo Marks
Instead of something recognizable, abstract logos are geometric images that are not known to establish an instant connection with your brand; however, they create something totally different and new. This type helps your business in condensing your brand into such a symbol that will be truly unique for your brand. However, if you're also thinking of going for an abstract logo mark, you'll have to find the exact meanings of different geometric shapes to create a certain feeling or mood.
Mascots
These types of logos are a cheerful way of showing your brand personality. Mascot logos are often cartoonish and colorful characters that represent your brand in an approachable and family-friendly way.
Combination Mark
A combination mark logo is exactly what it says. It is the combination of a wordmark with a symbol in order to create a recognizable logo. Your brand name is either integrated with the graphic element or placed next to your symbol. People can associate easily with your brand in both options, allowing anyone to use them.
Emblem
Like the combination mark logo, the emblem combines wordmark and pictorial elements. This combination usually consists of a wordmark integrated with an icon or symbol, such as crests, seals, or badges.

Pay Attention to Color Palettes

Do you know each color has its own meaning? The psychology of colors can be very complex; however, to keep it short, they have specific ideas and emotions attached to them. In order to learn more about the psychology behind color theory, go through the in-depth guide below for logo color palettes and their meanings.

Red: The color red represents anger, passion, and excitement. This color is one of the best choices for your brand if it is youthful and loud and you want to make it stand out.
Orange: Though orange color is not as likely used as red, it's as energetic. Orange represents playfulness, refreshing, and vibrance.
Yellow: If you want your brand to look friendly and accessible, yellow would be just right for you. It represents youthful, affordable, and cheerful energy.
Green: Green is considered to be an extremely versatile color; it works for any brand. If your brand wants to establish a connection with nature, then this color is especially perfect for you.
Blue: Blue is a common choice and is considered very classic. It is relaxed and calming and symbolizes maturity and trustworthiness.
Purple: Purple could be the ticket for your brand to look luxurious. Depending on the shade of the color, it could be feminine, electric, or mysterious.
Pink: If you want to give a girly vibe to your brand, nothing is better than pink. However, that's just not all! With various pink shades such as pastel rose, or neon magenta, this color can actually give your brand a cool and grown-up yet feminine and youthful look.
Brown: Though this color might sound strange to some people, it works perfectly well for masculine and rugged vintage logos. Brown gives your brand a unique, aged, and handmade look.
Black: If you're thinking of giving your brand a luxurious, modern, and sleek look, black is the color you should go for. If you're a keep-it-simple person, a black-and-white logo would be your way.
White: Do you want your brand logo to look minimalistic, modern, and clean? You can go for using a lot of whites. White is a neutral color that works with the combination of any color along with adding economical, youthful, and clean touch.
Gray: If you plan to achieve a severe, classic, and mature look, gray would be your ultimate choice. Darker shades always look mysterious, whereas lighter shades primarily represent accessibility.

Combining colors

Though monochrome logos have their own charm, you'll never have to stick with them all the time. You can always combine multiple shades to represent your brand's complete story. To know more about mixing colors, go through the color wheels and their descriptions below.

Complementary colors:
On the color wheel, they lie across each other. These colors bring out the best in each other and create a dynamic look.
Analogous colors:
They fall very close to each other on the color wheel. If you're thinking of harmonious logo colors, these work really well together.
Triadic colors:
These colors are chosen from three equal sections of the color wheel. Use these for bold and stimulating effects.

Choose the Right Typography

Picking up a font that completes and complements your brand logo is a must. Here's a list of four types of fonts that can give your brand logo a totally different and unique look.

Serif Fonts
Can you see the Avalon logo above? We could say its font gives it a timeless and chic look. Serif fonts can actually make your brand logo look high-end and classic. A little foot at the end of each alphabet makes it look vintage and old-fashioned. They look great and are versatile with any design; however, they work well with classic, elegant, or vintage designs.
Sans Serif Fonts
In order to get a clean and modern look, sans serif fonts are just perfect. Unlike serif fonts, these don't have that little foot that makes that font look simple and sleek. If you want a modern touch to your brand, this font works great with an excellent and minimal Delta Salt logo.
Script Fonts
Script Fonts are very similar to handwriting. The variety goes on from down-to-earth and relaxed scripts to elegant calligraphic fonts. So in order to make your brand logo look individualistic, you can go for them. The Moon Rabbit logo above is the best-suited example of well-used script fonts.
Display Fonts
Display fonts can catch the attention of your eyes really well because they are highly stylized and decorative. For example, look at the 'Perfect You' logo, which uses display fonts to give the entire logo a 70s flair.
Your typography can actually become powerful while combining different fonts. Below is a little tip about selecting the correct type of fonts to make your brand logo stand out.

Bringing Design Elements Together

We've already discussed the importance of different elements in your brand logo; ensuring that all of them work together is essential. You'll have to combine them so that the vibe you're creating with your logo will look melodious.

You can see the logo above the Voany skincare brand, which gives us the impression that it's a natural, high-end, and elegant brand along with a combination mark of organic shape and a serif font with a brown and beige color combination. On the other hand, the logo of Reflect Academy looks more eye-catching and disruptive by combining colorful abstract shapes with a modern font in order to get a unique and fresh look.

Communicate with your Graphic Designer

We've already considered all the necessary elements, so we can start designing now! There are many ways to get your perfect logo, so you can think of which suits your brand the best.

In order to make sure your logo design comes out just the right way, the first rule is to communicate with your designer very carefully and clearly. Start by making him understand what you need and what your brand actually is by writing a creative brief. Then, give them enough time and information about your style so that they create something unique for you.

Sometimes, it might take a little trust in your graphic designer, but be open to suggestions always. Keep one thing in mind: a graphic designer is always an expert who knows what makes a logo excellent and appealing. Thus, all you need to do is give a lot of details and clear feedback so that your designers can understand what you actually want from them. It might sound cheesy, but it is actually not because the best work happens when you and your designer work together.

Evaluate Your Options

Evaluating your logo design options could not be easy to crack, so you can get feedback from your colleagues, friends, and potential customers for making any decision or changes.

One of the essential features of a good logo is it's easily recognizable and conveys your brand message. An effective logo seamlessly fits your brand's identity, looks professional, and stands out. Also, it needs to work anywhere and at any size for your brand.

Let's look at some essential factors that make a logo look good:

Distinctive and unique
Memorable
Works anywhere and any size
Reflects brand identity
Timeless

But how to create a good logo? Here's a list of some questions that you can ask yourself while evaluating logo design options:

By looking at your logo, can people quickly tell what your business is all about?
Is it memorable and straightforward? Will your target audience remember it?
Is your logo versatile? Is your logo appropriate for all the needs of your brand?
Is your logo timeless, or would you need to design it all over again after a couple of years?
Does your logo look unique and different from others? Your logo must set you apart from all your competitors.
Does it look appealing to your customers?

Of course, your brand's expectations and needs would be very different for a logo if you sell something like clothing for children. Rather than creating sophisticated high-end wine or high-tech app labels, you would prefer to create a simple logo that can be easily stitched on a piece of fabric. So never hesitate to take a step back and look for a broader picture when designing your brand logo. This is not just about your taste but also what works for your brand in the market.

What Should Be Avoided While Designing Your Logo?

There are a few common pitfalls that are always awaiting you when you decide to create your brand logo. Here's a list of a few tips on what should be avoided while designing:

Integrate Your Brand and Logo Design

Now that you know it all about logo design, what comes next?

Once you have your logo ready, take a second opinion and make sure that it is created on the ideal basis of all branding materials your business asks for, such as web design, packaging design, or business cards. Set the right tone for your color palette, font, style, and overall feel and look of your logo, as it is actually the starting point of brand communication. So, your designer has to create a logo that gives a seamless look to your brand. And then your business is all set to show the new face of your brand to the world!

A Brief History of Logo Design

A logo is considered one of the most powerful brand assets for a business as it's a symbol used by customers to connect and recognize your brand.

Can you think of Apple's apple, Mcdonald's golden arches, or Nike swoosh? These are examples of iconic logos and are even familiar in different languages worldwide.

You might have been thinking that brand logos are contemporary ideas that are thought up by anyone in the team or the marketing department. However, the emblems have been used by people in order to differentiate and identify themselves for definitely not thousands but hundreds of years.

Here's a mention of different periods that will explain how logos have become such an essential tool for branding and how they've evolved.

Ancient Foundations
Around 3200 BC, the ancient Egyptians developed hieroglyphics and started using symbols for the first time. About 1000 years later, the ancient Egyptians started embodying grids into designs that could be developed in a fixed standard for drawings. As a result, ratios and grid set proportions have become fundamental in the process of logo design because they help in the consistency of reproducing the same design.

The ancient Egyptians were not the only ones that started using pictures as symbols. Around 1600 BC, the people of China began to develop their characters, representing an idea or a word.

At the same time, the ancient Greeks had started developing their own script called Linear, which consisted of 87 syllabic signs and 100 ideographic signs representing different commodities or objects.

The term 'logo' is short of 'logotype,' which came from the Ancient Greek term logos, which means speech or word, and tupos means imprint or mark.
Heraldic Symbolism
By the Middle ages, the noble families of the aristocracy were keen to distinguish and identify themselves with their logos, which were called coats of arms or heraldic crests. It started on the battlefield of the mid-12th century as one of the helpful ways to recognize medieval royalty who were not recognizable underneath their armor otherwise. This was adopted soon by knights and nobles who were very proud to bear the arms and colors of their predecessors in order to show their loyalty to their family brand.
Another early logo development came with shop signs. Apart from the aristocracy, medieval Europeans were illiterate, so the stores used to hang up signboards in order to identify what goods and services they were providing.
King Richard II from England had passed a law for a winery; displaying a sign outside is a must. It was seen as one of the safety measures when water was not considered a good drink all the time, and ale was considered the replacement. So, the signage was used in order to help passing inspectors.
Regarding logos, brewers have always been ahead of the curve. The first company that used a logo was 'Stella Artois' the Belgian brewer, in 1366.
Printing Boom
The printing press was invented in 1440 by Johannes Gutenberg, and post that, life began to change for many. It helped create a more extensive literature reading and spread information accurately, widely, and quickly. Also, it helped open doors for complicated and contemporary logo design as publishers started taking ownership of their own work.

It was in the 1600s when the first newspaper went into printing and grew in popularity quickly. However, for funding purposes, an advertisement was needed. By the 1800s, technological advancement helped in colored printing in mass for the first time. This allowed companies to create advertisements, posters, and eye-catching labels for their brands.
It was only when a few iconic logos were made, such as Coca-Cola, Levi Strauss & Co, etc. In 1907, screen printing came into existence; thus, printing logos on multiple surfaces, such as tote bags and T-shirts, became available.
Creative Design
Until the mid-century, logos were considered a way of brand recognition and public identification of any business. However, Paul Rund designed the iconic logo of IBM in 1956, featuring an eye & a bee, which is considered a turning point in the evolution of brand logo design.

One of the examples is the logo of Chase bank, designed by Tom Geismar. It was considered the first abstract logo of any American Corporation. He wanted to make a logo that should have some meaning and could be easily printed on small scales. The geometrical shape and the colors used in the Chase bank logo stand for loyalty, unity, confidence, and professionalism and represent the bank as one of the most influential financial organizations where the customers are considered to be the primary value.
Another great example is the NASA logo, created in 1976 by Danne & Blackburn, representing a sense of patriotism. Whereas Milton Glaser designed the classic logo of "I heart NY" in 1977 in order to bring tourism to New York before transferring it to the New York State Department of Committee.
Digital Era
The digital era started developing in the 1970s, so companies began incorporating CGI into branding, opening doors for different and unique logos.

By the mid-1990s, computers started becoming accessible to more and more people. In addition, with the development of various graphic designing tools, small businesses began creating their own logos without hiring any expensive IT agency. This digital revolution also helped brands think of more innovative ways to make their logos unique and stand out.
In the early 2000s, MTV brought the idea of constantly modifying its logo, representing its brand's dynamism.
Recently, logo design has again changed in order to become minimal and flatter. For example, have you seen the logo of Google? It changed its semi-3D look of 1998 to a more crisp, clean, and modern feel.

Some World Famous Logos and What You Learn From Them

Logos are everywhere. They must be everywhere because if you walk into any retail store in the world, you will see the company’s name and logo on every product. It’s impossible to enter a retail store and not see a logo. We’ve seen a lot of logos that are world-wise famous and some are not, but either way they all have something to teach us about branding. Let's have a look at World's most famous Brand Logos and the history behind them:

One Piece Logo

One Piece is one of the comic franchises started in 1997 by Eiichiro Oda. Since its inception, One piece manga has been published weekly in the Shonen Manga journal. The comic depicts the story of a teen adventurer, ‘Monkey D. Luffy,’ who wears a distinctive thatch hat. His body has been granted rubber features because of eating Devil fruits. These mysterious fruits give you superpowers but take away your capability to swim.

Along with his friends, the boy explores the planet and gets a gem called One Piece. This helps him become the leader of the pirates. Also, there’s a TV show named ‘One Piece,’ based on the comics.

The One Piece symbol designer, Eiichiro Oda, had always been interested in pirates and curious about them. Since his childhood, he had fantasized about pirates. With the help of real pirates’ life descriptions, Oda was inspired to create a manga about a young boy who builds a team of adventurers and goes with them on a trip in order to declare himself as a new leader of pirates and get the ultimate treasure. The gem name helped give the franchise name, i.e., One Piece.

The One Piece logo is known to be one of the excellent depictions of compelling and unique elements in the story. With just a glance at the logo, you can quickly get an insight into the One Piece story, and that’s why it’s no wonder that it is considered the most famous logo in the world of manga. Read in Details- History of One Piece Logo

Apple Logo

When it comes to the Apple logo, everyone would agree that it reflects that it is associated with the brand perfectly. The logo is minimalist, clean, and also looks premium and modern despite just showing one of the most common fruits with just a bite taken off. However, this wasn’t actually always the way. The Apple logo hasn’t been through various changes; when it did, the transformation was tremendous.

The Apple logo is the most recognized logo in the world. As such, it is surprising that many people have very little knowledge of its history. The Apple logo has undergone a number of changes since its introduction in 1976. The first logo was simple and elegant, featuring the signature of the company founder alongside the name of the company. The very first logo was designed by Ronald Wayne – one of the founders of Apple. The current Apple logo is quite different from the first one, but that is to be expected.

Mystery always drives curiosity. The less you reveal about your brand; the more people crave to find out. Since its inception, Apple has always used riddles and puzzles in order to attract loyal customers. Steve Jobs has always revealed a little about their brand logo and leaves room for speculation.

Today, Apple is considered one of the strongest brands in the world. It is the only company with a market capitalization of $1.2 trillion. A big thanks to its powerful logo, marketing drive, and innovation.

Today, the bitten logo of Apple is almost everywhere. The logo has become synonymous with luxury, reliability, power, style, wealth, and innovation. Moreover, the logo is so recognizable that it can represent the company without its actual name, i.e, Apple Inc. Read in details- History of Apple Logo

Squid Game Logo

Squid Game is a Korean series available on Netflix since September 2021. Since the series launched, it has taken the world by storm. Though many people have been glued to the show, they haven’t paid much attention to its capitalism and the evaluation of modern society. The show is known for its thrilling plot, and the Squid Game symbol got equally popular.

As far as the Squid Game logo is concerned, it is inspired by the geometric figure with pink and white text against a background black in color. In the original version of the Squid Games logo, the alphabets are arranged at certain levels, which hints at the Squid Game hierarchy.

Whereas, in the English Squid Game logo, there’s a linear text that keeps the logo faithful to the original concept of the series. So, for example, the name ‘Squid Game’ is written in geometrical figures in two lines.

The branding in Squid Game is one of the most significant examples of incredible visual identity in the Squid Game logo that can actually leave lasting impressions on people. Read in details- History of Squid Game Logo

Tik Tok Logo

There’s always a back story behind the creation of every iconic logo. And the TikTok logo is no different. It also has a fascinating history to tell. TikTok is a video-creating application with a musical note-shaped logo and the app’s name underneath. The TikTok icon is a simple one that instantly conveys its message and catches viewers’ attention.

TikTok is one of the most demanded applications that help users to create concise videos instantly in a few seconds. It comes amongst those applications that have achieved phenomenal overnight success—the primary reason being meeting the video-making requirements of users for entertainment.

However, if we talk about the TikTok logo, it’s very evident that its design has a lot to do with its success. It is the critical visual identity of the application.

In order to make a successful application, a unique, recognizable, and eye-catching logo is a must. Such a digital logo that could fit nicely and ideally on the small screen of mobile phones. It’s because the logo is visible all the time and is considered to be an exceptional design representing the app. Furthermore, the Tik Tok logo has been designed in such a way that it should encourage its users to open TikTok more often and spend more time on it. Since the more users will open the app, the more revenue it will generate.

There’s no doubt that the TikTok icon has contributed to a great extent in terms of marketing the application. The TikTok logo has been featured on almost every application ad since it launched. The recognizable TikTok symbol turns into the prime focus of any advertising campaign.

Also, the distinctive design of the TikTok logo has been one of the main reasons for creating licensed products. The TikTok icon has appeared in various promotional products like custom shorts, t-shirts, coffee mugs, hoodies, journals, and many more. TikTok licenses its logo for many products, which generates lucrative revenue for the app. Read in details- History of Tik Tok Logo

AT&T Logo

Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone in 1876. And then, the company named AT&T was founded. It is one of the leading communication brands synonymous with innovation in telecommunications.

AT&T is known to be one of the world’s largest telecommunications and wireless providers, with over 150 million customers. AT&T is the world leader in communication services which is not very far from the truth.

There are several elements to the ATT logo: the globe, the wordmark, the quicksilver line, the tagline, and the company name. The globe represents AT&T's global reach, while the quicksilver line represents the company’s speed and efficiency. Read in details- History of AT&T Logo

Bitcoin Logo

Bitcoin is a cryptocurrency and one of the most popular virtual currencies in the world. It doesn’t have to be backed by material resources like any other national currency such as Euro or US dollar. Instead, it is associated with a unique system which is called Blockchain. Santoshi Nakamoto invented Bitcoin in 2009.

When people look at the Bitcoin logo, many don’t know why it’s so successful. However, designed to replicate an Avatar profile picture, this started out in 2009 as an open-source project led by a developer called Satoshi Nakamoto who managed to come up with a concept from scratch. As soon as the logo was released, it was picked up and actively used as a mark of a brand that signified cryptocurrency. It’s Called the “Decentralized Crypto Currency”. Just like cellular service providers use a specific WiFi model that normally displays the provider’s name, this is very similar in nature allowing the use of Bitcoin wallets with nominal to no fees.

When it comes to the Bitcoin logo, distinct, relevant, versatile, and classic are a few words that describe it. So that is the primary reason why the Bitcoin logo quickly became one of the most recognizable logos. Also, the Bitcoin logo’s excellent quality helps make it suitable for every marketing medium.

However, remember that Bitcoin is a volatile asset. So, before investing in it, it’s essential to seek expert advice in order to avoid any money loss. Read in details- History of Bitcoin Logo

Fedex Logo

FedEx is known to be the top provider of business services, transportation, and e-commerce worldwide, which is why FedEx corporate is considered one of the leading international brands. It provides shipping services for packages and freight all over the globe. However, the brand is best known for one of its key features, i.e., its unique logo design and its hidden meaning. Let’s step into the evolution of the FedEx logo over the years and its significance.

Most people aren’t aware of the optical illusion behind the famous FedEx logo. But, if you look closely between E and X, you’ll notice a little white arrow in between that actually depicts motivation, perseverance, sleep, and striving for excellence in reaching goals.

But that’s not it; yes, there’s more. Do you know each shade in the FedEx logo depicts a different meaning? For instance, the wordmark ‘Ex’ is in different colors for other platforms, which is actually a fun way of differentiating various departments within the company. For example, orange is the official color of FedEx Express, red represents FedEx Freight, and green indicates FedEx Ground. The logo is known for winning multiple awards for its uniqueness and is one of the significant factors of a brand’s personality. Much credit goes to the impeccable use of negative space between the letters E and X making an arrow.

The multiple-award-winning logo is the brainchild of Lindon Leader, who has also created some of the most superior designs in the past. Some of his impeccable designs include the symbols of Novariant, ALSCO, and Hawaiian. Also, he has worked with some leading brands, such as Addison, Disney, and Motorola. However, the FedEx logo is considered to be amongst his best creations.

The logo has earned more than 40 awards globally and has been entitled as one of the top eight logos designed in the past four decades. After the immense success of the current logo, the company changed its brand name from ‘Federal Express’ to ‘FedEx,’ giving the brand a more sophisticated and professional look. Read in details- History of FedEx Logo

Harry Potter Logo

JK Rowling, the writer of the magical series, has brought the unique school, Hogwarts, to millions of people worldwide. The school is for those children who have the pure blood of magic. JK Rowling got this idea while she was traveling to London from Manchester.

The harry potter logo emits ancient energy. It is a customized badge for the Hogwarts school of magic that teaches students about wizardry and witchcraft. The school is from the tenth century in the Scottish highlands and is considered one of the world’s outstanding schools.

Similar to the school, the Hogwarts logo also reflects the era it started. Also, the Hogwarts symbol evokes the values of the founders. The logo is like a shield that is divided into four sections. Each section represents each house of the school. Also, the sections stand for their founders and the faculty.

If we move in a clockwise direction, then in the top right corner, we’ve got the Gryffindor logo, Slytherin, Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff. Also, the Hogwarts logo features four different animals representing each house against their house colors.

The Harry potter logo inspires creativity and plays a vital role in the series’ success. It clearly shows that a logo can actually make or break a deal. Read in details- History of Harry Potter Logo

Mozilla Firefox Logo

The visual identity of the Firefox icon always has flame and power, which started in 2002 with a picture of a Phoenix bird. It was a mythological creature that is shown to be resurrecting from ashes and turning out to be an iconic orange fox. That’s why the initial name of the internet browser was Phoenix, that in 2003 further changed into Mozilla Firebird, followed by the existing name, i.e. Mozilla Firefox, which was given in 2004.

The logo has a simple and neat design. It contains a written word, which is Firefox. The word is written in uppercase. There are two different colors in the logo. It is blue and orange. The blue color mainly appears on the upper part of the word while the orange color appears on the lower part of the word.

As we never know where an organization will stand in 10 years. Whether it will be thriving or declining, the evolution of Mozilla Firefox is one of the best examples of how the logo plays a crucial role in the success of any company. Therefore, it’s always essential to ensure that you’re up to date regarding logo creation. Read in details- History of Mozilla Firefox Logo

Puma Logo

The Puma brand is currently considered one of the largest sporting manufacturers globally, competing with brands like Nike and Adidas. The sports logo appeared for the first time in 1948 when the founder of Puma, Rudolf Dassler, started a shoe factory.

He got a massive following because of his innovative products and the catchy logo of Puma. Though Puma always has a handful of names, the Puma cat has always been a consistent component representing the brand’s identity.

The logo designer of the Puma brand has come up with numerous variations over the years, focusing more on the Puma cat than other elements.

For a good reason, the Puma logo is considered one of the sportswear market’s most memorable and identifiable logos. Due to the more profound meaning and stunning-visual appeal, the brand image has captured the attention of various athletic enthusiasts over the years.

The Puma logo is considered an excellent example of how a brand image can evolve and become meaningful and refined. Read in details- History of Puma Logo

BMW Logo

There are a few logos that don’t need any introduction. Their brand image is the same, and their message is clear and robust. Yes, we’re talking about the German-based company BMW. Who would not know the white and blue BMW logo? The BMW symbol is known to be associated with luxury. However, it also represents the originality and innovation of the German people.

There are mainly two inspirations behind the design of the BMW logo. The first one is the logo of the Rapp Motorenwerke. The logo of this company was circular with an exterior black color. The Rapp Motorenwerke logo was actually the knight chess piece silhouette. While designing the BMW emblem, the outer and shape of the Rapp Motorenwerke logo were kept in mind. The second inspiration was the Bavarian flag. This state flag has a blue and white checked design with an insignia. However, while designing the BMW car logo, the company changed the white and blue order due to political and aesthetic reasons. Lastly, at the top of the BMW symbol, the company’s name was added to create a badge logo. Read in details- History of BMW Logo

How to Create your own Logo with Appy Pie’s Logo Maker?

Creating your own logo online using Appy Pie’s Logo Maker is really simple and easy. With our easy-to-use interface, you can easily create your logo with your brand or company name in just three simple steps.

Choose a Logo Template you like: To start creating your logo, you need to choose a logo template. You can either upload an image from your computer or take a picture of your desired logo using your webcam on your computer. You can also use Appy Pie’s free logo templates, which are available to all registered users of the site.
Customize your chosen Logo Template: Once you have chosen a Logo template, you can add text to it and customize it according to your needs. You can add any text, like company name, slogan, tagline, etc. In addition, you can also choose the color of the text and its size.
Preview and Download: Once you are happy with the design, click the Download button to download your logo. Your logo will be automatically saved as a .zip file to your computer.

Wrapping Up

A good logo is very crucial while making an app a success. Now you can also create a professional-looking logo without any design skills. Yes, you heard it right! Sign up with Appy Design software now to learn more. Click on the link below to get started!

Saumya