For those of you who haven’t come through my earlier post, here is a flashback of what this post is regarding. Last week, I discussed 5 dangerous signs that your client won’t pay for your logo. As pledged, I will suggest you some practical ways on how to handle situations where your client won’t pay for your logo design.

You’ve finally completed and submitted your logo design project to your client and are eagerly awaiting your remuneration for your efforts. You wait and wait and wait…but there is no sign of anything! You’re stood up! This is a scenario many logo designers face these days. Not that every client is bad and dishonest but there are a few who can be quite chaotic on money matters.

1. Know your client – Is he capable of paying?

First thing you want to make completely sure is that…is your client capable of paying you for the project in the first place? Avoiding the discussion of how much logo designers charge or what are the cost of famous logos, when a client approaches you for a logo design, he must be financially capable of paying you as well. Whether you’re dealing with a large corporation or a small business owner, run a check on his financial conditions and find out his monetary strength. This will prevent you from accepting projects from any defaulter clients.

2. Bind your client via contract:

Long gone are the days when business deals used to be sealed through oral agreements. Nowadays, logo designers must emphasize on making contractual agreements with their clients to avoid any default in the future. Binding your clients with a contract legally secures your worries of non-payments. Logo designers must keep a contract for each project they take up with every detail incorporated in it. Set the deadline dates, complete project details, mode of payment and all other terms and conditions.

3. Always insist on an advance payment:

You spent the whole week working your brains out over a logo design project and half way in the middle, your client comes up to you and says…“I think I’ll get it designed by my neighbor”. Makes you want to kill yourself, doesn’t it? Hence, the best solution out of this quagmire is to insist on an advance payment before your start the project. Maybe a 10-20 % deposit would make you feel secure, even if the client decides to run away in the middle of the project.

4. Deal in installments:

“I don’t have the lump sum amount right now. Do you mind if I pay you later?” Regardless of the amount of truth in this statement, some clients use this bait to bail out of payment. The best thing to avoid this kind of situation is to deal in installments. Formulate a payment plan before the contractual agreement and make the client abide by it. In this way, at any stage if the client decides to abandon the project, you will still have a portion of your remuneration.

5. Don’t show till you get the dough!

Follow the rule of thumb; never be too quick in giving out the files to your clients before he/she makes the complete payment of your fee. You can never be too sure whom to trust. Sometimes, logo designers face shrewd clients who steal the logo design ideas on the pretext of a demo. So it’s better to be safe than sorry. Give the client little bits of the project to see until he does not pay you the whole fee. In a nut shell, don’t show till you get the dough!

The 19th FIFA World Cup is underway with full furor in South Africa. Although the FIFA 2014 logo has also been unveiled, a total of 18 dead logos of previous FIFA World Cups have amassed so far. Let us take a quick recap of all the logos featured by FIFA in the coveted contest from the inaugural 1930 to the upcoming 2014 in Brazil.

Here is the comprehensive list of all 20 World Cup logos adopted by FIFA up till 2014:  

1930 World Cup Logo:

Year 1930 Played in Uruguay Winner Uruguay Golden Shoe Guillermo STABILE (ARG)

 

1934 World Cup Logo:

Year 1934 Played in Italy Winner Italy Golden Shoe Oldrich NEJEDLY (TCH)

 

1938 World Cup Logo:

Year 1938 Played in France Winner Italy Golden Shoe LEONIDAS (BRA)

 

1950 World Cup Logo:

Year 1950 Played in Brazil Winner Uruguay Golden Shoe ADEMIR (BRA)

 

1954 World Cup Logo:

Year 1954 Played in Switzerland Winner Germany FR Golden Shoe Sandor KOCSIS (HUN)

 

1958 World Cup Logo:

Year 1958 Played in Sweden Winner Brazil Golden Shoe Just FONTAINE (FRA

 

1962 World Cup Logo:

Year 1962 Played in Chile Winner Brazil Golden Shoe Florian ALBERT (HUN)

 

1966 World Cup Logo:

Year 1966 Played in England Winner England Golden Shoe Guillermo STABILE (ARG)

 

1970 World Cup Logo:

Year 1970 Played in Mexico Winner Brazil Golden Shoe Gerd MUELLER (GER)

 

1974 World Cup Logo:

Year 1974 Played in Germany Winner Germany FR Golden Shoe Grzegorz LATO (POL)

 

1978 World Cup Logo:

Year 1978 Played in Argentina Winner Argentina Golden Shoe Mario KEMPES (ARG)

 

1982 World Cup Logo:

Year 1982 Played in Spain Winner Italy Golden Shoe Paolo ROSSI (ITA)

 

1986 World Cup Logo:

Year 1986 Played in Mexico Winner Argentina Golden Shoe Diego MARADONA (ARG)

 

1990 World Cup Logo:

Year 1990 Played in Italy Winner Germany FR Golden Shoe Salvatore SCHILLACI (ITA)

 

1994 World Cup Logo:

Year 1994 Played in USA Winner Brazil Golden Shoe ROMÁRIO (BRA)

 

1998 World Cup Logo:

Year 1998 Played in France Winner France Golden Shoe RONALDO (BRA)

 

2002 World Cup Logo:

Year 2002 Played in Korea/Japan Winner Brazil Golden Shoe RONALDO (BRA)

 

2006 World Cup Logo:

Year 2006 Played in Germany Winner Italy Golden Shoe Zinedine ZIDANE (FRA)

 

2010 World Cup Logo:

Year 2010 Played in South Africa Winner Awaited Golden Shoe Awaited

 

2014 World Cup Logo:

Year 2014 Played in Brazil Winner Awaited Golden Shoe Awaited

 

Which of the World Cup logos do you think was best? Will the future logo live up to its expectations?

      ]]> http://www.logoblog.org/wordpress/fifa-logo-evolution/feed/ 43 http://www.logoblog.org/wordpress/dead-logo-designs/ http://www.logoblog.org/wordpress/dead-logo-designs/#comments Mon, 14 Jun 2010 16:50:54 +0000 Nora Reed http://www.logoblog.org/wordpress/?p=4367

We hear so much about logo design being a part of living brands. But have we ever thought of the famous logos that are now literally extinct? In my previous post, I talked about BP logo might rest in peace. This gave me an inspiration to pay a tribute to other prominent logo designs as well.
In commemoration to the logos that were once renowned, but are now nowhere to be seen, I present you the logo graveyard. It includes a list of 10 formerly popular logos that faded away with the passage of time. The death of some logos happened due to a corporate logo merger, some happened because the company became defunct, while some were a result of logo redesign.

1. Enron “Slanted E”

2. British Steel stylized “S”

British Steel was a major British steel producer formed in 1967. Its stylized “S” shaped logo design was created by the British logo designer, David Gentleman. This logo too had to meet the fate of death when the company went defunct on 1999.

3. BOAC “Speedbird”

The British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) was a British state airline founded in 1939. Its famous speedbird logo design was designed by Theyne lee-Elliot. The logo design was pronounced dead when the company ceased to exist on 31 March 1974.

4. BP “Shield”

BP’s classic “shield logo” was designed by the French logo designer Raymond Loewy in 1979. This logo design lasted till the 2000, when it was replace by the Helios logo designed by Landor

5. Telecom Éireann

Telecom Éireann was created by the Postal & Telecommunications Services Act, 1983 from the Department of Posts and Telegraphs, Ireland. Its logo was designed by Kilkenny Design Workshop in 1984 and lasted until its privatization to “Eircom Plc” in 1999.

5. Atari Corporation

Atari Corporation was a manufacturer of computers and video game consoles established in 1984. Its logo design became obsolete when the company went under Hasbro Interactive in 1996

7. Konica “rainbow”

Konica was a Japanese manufacturer of film, cameras, photocopiers, fax machines and laser printers. It was fonded in 1873. But after its merger with Minolta in 2003, its famous rainbow logo design ceased to exist.

8. UPS “Parcel”

9. NBC “Stylized N” (1975–1979)

10. Panam “Globe”

After the recent oil spill disaster by BP in the Gulf of Mexico, their logo design has been under immense attack by the activist group, Greenpeace UK. They want to portray the real image of BP with a mock redesign of BP’s corporate logo and for that they have called for a helping hand in logo design. While the Oil giant is constantly trying to clean up the massive mess, the logo design contest at Greenpeace website is in full flow with designers from all over the globe participating.

The BP Logo transformation – How will it end?

The BP logo redesign Flickr set:

The contest at Greenpeace website is in full flow as more than 970 logos have been amassed on its Flickr set. The entries contain contributions from logo designers as well as the general public. Some logos are sublime while most are ridiculous to say the least.  

    

The First Weekly Winner:    The first weekly winner has been announced by Greenpeace UK. Ken Cool was adjudged the winner of this week’s “BP logo redesign”. His concept comprised the BP logo submerged in oil and water with a dying fish.

The BP Logo Rest in Peace:   It seems that the present BP corporate logo is heading for a major downfall. With the intensity of the contest at Greenpeace, BP logo has joined the list of famous logo design controversies. The oil giant will have to take strong and concrete measures if it wishes to salvage its much tarnished corporate image. With a final deadline looming over BP’s head to clean up its mess, it must act promptly and prudently. Otherwise the current BP logo may eventually rest in peace.

What made famous logos – Color or symbol?

In order to analyze this, let us take examples of some of the famous logos of the corporate world. Let us start with an examination of McDonald’s logo shall we? Although the logo contains nothing more than a mere “M”, it is still memorable than any other brand in the world. From psychological perspective, the color “yellow”, used in McDonalds’ logo, stimulates the human appetite. No wonder a majority of restaurants and cafés use the color yellow in their logo design. Another feature of the yellow color is that it is an attention getter. This strengthens the McDonald’s logo cause even more, as customers are attracted by the color. Hence the McDonald’s logo success depends greatly on its color rather than its symbol.

Why do you suppose the Google logo is easily recalled for? Just like McDonald’s, it has no catchy symbol in its design, but the color scheme is what captivates its users the most. The colorful and vivid way in which Google is written is responsible for the memorable logo we all remember. Come to think of it, how would you feel if Google was in black and white? Pretty strange, I presume?

Let us pick another famous brand, the FedEx logo, and analyze the influence of its attributes. This acclaimed corporate identity was designed by Lindon Leader of Landor Associates. The epicenter of FedEx brand identity was its meticulously created symbol. The words contained an arrow between the “E” and “X”, providing one of the most memorable logos in the world. Hence “symbol” became the dominating factor for memorization.

Coming to the all-famous Nike logo, the simple and effective swoosh symbol is the force behind the success of the brand identity. Although the black color has no apparent effect on people, the simple and minimalist design is what the customers easily remember and recall.

The significance of color in logo design:

• Black: authority and power, stability and strength.
• White: purity, cleanliness, neutrality and peace.
• Red: attention, energy, movement and excitement.
• Blue: calming, steadfastness, dependability, wisdom and loyalty

• Green: growth, nature, money, good luck, generosity and fertility
• Yellow: laughter, happiness, optimism, speed up metabolism
• Orange: fun, happiness, energetic and ambition
• Purple: royalty, wealth, prosperity and sophistication

The significance of symbol in logo design:

The old adage “A picture is worth a thousand words” is aptly applicable in logo designing. The symbolic effect of a logo is also as effective as the color. The use of apposite symbols to denote the company meaning through a logo design is vital in creating memorable logos. However, inappropriate use of symbols in the design can tarnish the corporate identity of any business. Following are some symbols used in logo design and their effects:

• Text logos: the logo created out of textual pattern shows strength and elegance. Additionally, the ambigram trick gives way for memorable logos to be created.
• Imagery logos: Images are easily comprehended and effortlessly memorized by the human mind. Moreover, the use of negative space is something that is an added advantage in imagery logos.
• Combination logos: A combination of both text and imagery gives more detail and influence to the logo design.

A few months back, I discussed whether a successful logo designer is talented or taught. We came to a conclusion that it is a blend of both qualities because creating a logo design requires both knowledge and creativity. The learning process complements the inner talent of a designer. The eminence of being human is that we constantly learn from one another. Right from the cradle to the grave, we continually learn from our surroundings. And it really doesn’t hurt to learn from someone who is considered to be relegated in society.

Rich habits that logo designers can learn from the beggars!

Yes…the impecunious and shelter less people roaming on the streets, commonly known as beggars are a great source of motivation and inspiration for logo designers. Sounds funny doesn’t it? But let us look at how it is helpful for logo designers.

Street beggars are found in almost every country. Although you might not get to learn about logo design trends from beggars, or they may not have terrific logo design ideas, but it is the one shrewd group who knows to make the most of every situation.

1. Explore new opportunities:

The biggest trait about street beggars is that they explore each and every possible opportunity to make their ends meet. You might be familiar of the sight of a shabby old man scavenging through a pile of garbage, looking for something to satisfy his appetite with. Logo designers must also explore different areas and must employ new ways to find more clients. One must always remember, things don’t always arrive on a silver plate. One has to make efforts to discover what he desires.

2. Confident about your skills:

3. Nothing is useless:

One of the best of habits that we can adopt from beggars is that they make use of everything and anything. You might have observed some alm seekers on custom-made wheelchairs or props that they make entirely out of nothing. They use anything they can find from the junkyard to devise their object of comfort. Logo designers should learn from this habit that “nothing is useless” in the field of logo designing. One must consider all possible measures while creating a logo design.

4. Put in all your energy:

5. Never quit easily:

You might have come across beggars who persistently ask for alms until you don’t give them. That is the thing with beggars…they never give up. This reminds me of the oscar winning movie “Slumdog Millionaire”, portraing a nice message of trying until you don’t succeed. Logo designers must also refrain from saying NO to any challeneg they encounter. Many a times they are faced with clients that are difficult to convince. The key here is persuasion. In order to convince your clients on your viewpoint, incessant persuasion is needed.

6. Be happy about what you do:

Although little, but beggars remain content with whatever they get. Even if they receive a dime, they are grateful for it. Now don’t get me wrong here. I do not mean in any way to settle for whatever the client is offering. But the satisfaction should be dependent on the quality of work rather than the money attached to it. This doesn’t imply that you work pro-bono, but the on-job satisfaction is more important than the remuneration.

• The controversial change from ‘Z’ to ‘S’:

The logo contains a set of hands (yet another example of hand logos) that are meticulously shaped into the cup trophy. The yellow and green colors correspond to the national flag of Brazil. While the black and white version had the word “Brazil” written under the cup, it was excluded from the colored version of the logo due to strong censure from the general public. In poll aired yesterday by Portal 2014, 68% of readers did not like the brand developed for the World Cup. The main reason for the dissent was the use of "z" instead of the traditional "s" in Brazil. Hence, in order to avert the controversy, the word "Brazil" was omitted in the colour version altoghether.

• An absurd jury to choose the logo:

The winning logo was selected among seven choices, but the designer is yet to be revealed by the FIFA management. The most surprising part was the panel of judges who selected the logo. The jury included Ricardo Teixeira (President of CBF), Jerome Valcke (Secretary of FIFA), Oscar Niemeyer (Brazilian architect, designer of Brasilia), Paulo Coelho (international bestselling Brazilian writer), Gisele Bundchen (Brazilian model), Hans Donner (Brazilian, head visual designer of TV Globo) and Ivete Sangalo (Brazilian pop singer). I mean…what has a writer, a model and a pop singer got to do with logo designing?  

• What about “Brasil 2014”?

It was three years ago when Brazil was voted as the host of the FIFA World Cup 2014. At that time, the bidding was contested by Brazil using another logo. It featured the word “Brasil” followed by a vividly written “2014”. I don’t want to sound over critical but, the previous logo was far more sober than this juvenile effort.

You might expect that the most grueling job for logo designers is to master the use of software programs. But believe me… learning a software is a piece of cake as compared to dealing with a client. Convincing them is the most arduous thing a designer has to put up with. The primary task is to persuade them to hire you in the first place. Explaining them that every designers’ approach to logo design trends is unique and diverse is a herculean task.

Here are some ways in which logo designers can convince their potential clients who are looking for a logo design”.

1. Keep the best in store:

2. Be a natural professional:

The first thing you need to build is “the image”. As the saying goes “The first impression is the last impression”, convincing clients is primarily based on the impression you make on them. By saying this, I do not necessarily mean dressing up in a formal tuxedo or using stylish wardrobe. The first impression as a logo designer is through the words you speak. The more professional you will sound, the more your chances of convincing the client. But sometimes, designers tend to overact and mess up the image. The key is to stay natural and poised in front of the potential client.  

3. Simplify your contact process:

Let’s face it… not all clients are familiar with the online contact procedure. Neither are they comfortable in filling out lengthy and detailed “Contac Us” forms. So, if your contact us page is an epic one, you can be sure to lose most of your potential clients. One should keep the contact folio as simple as possible for the client.

4. Tell, Show and Do:

The best way to convince your client to hire you is by example. By explaining your client a previous assignment of yours, he would understand as to how and why you are different from the rest. You could start off by narrating your best client story and the way you solved his corporate identity issue. This way the client will get to know how you will be facilitating him in his design query.

5. Client Testimonials – The real ones!

When the previous point does not work in persuading the client, you can use this one instead. One of the common ways of showing off your talent and experience is through client testimonials. When you narrate your previous client success story and the potential client doesn’t seem to buy it, you can exhibit a client testimonial (an authentic one). Although this sounds like show-off, it does the trick in impressing the clients.

6. A little humor does no harm:

when all hope is lost and you simply cannot convince your client through any of the above tips, go for the lighter side of persuasion. Employ a light humor by ridiculing the clients’ silly notion of getting a logo designed by their neighbor. Make sure your humor is constructive and not demeaning. But make sure not to cross the line and keeping the humor to acceptable levels.

Logo design trends are always hosted by a mixture of reactions. Not always met with a warm reception, they sometimes face fierce resistance from its critics. Irrespective of the field, trends are useful in analyzing the future course of events in the industry. Although the “origins, history and future of logo design” is a debatable subject, we can always make a rough assessment for future prospects.

Logo designs trends in 2009 were widely debated and questioned. The situation has been somewhat similar for logo design trends in 2010. Since newer trends emerge every now and then, it is vital for logo designers to comprehend them as fast as possible. This will help in coping with the rest of the industry players. A simple example of changing trends is In-game advertising, the new platform for logo design.

But what are the possible reactions to logo design trends? Every designer holds a different attitude and viewpoint, thus eliciting a different response. Here are some likely ways in which designers approach logo design trends.    

• Acknowledge & Implement:

Although the notion of adopting a design trend would sound uncanny for some, still most designers follow this mindset. Let us make it clear that implementing a logo design trend does not necessarily mean plagiarizing. To differentiate between the use and misuse of logo design trends is important. In other words, there is a difference between logo plagiarism, inspiration and coincidence. For instance when a client asks you to make something in a pattern similar to a particular design, it does not mean that you merely replicate it. What the client actually refers to is the design pattern and not the exact design.

• Disapprove & Dissent:

Another attitude contrasting to the first one is complete denial to the trend. This attitude is followed by designers who believe that adopting a particular trend is contrary to the distinctiveness of a designer. This is true to an extent. For example, a logo design trend may be rejected on the basis of being identical to the ones already in the market. But on the other hand, rejecting a logo design trend would be akin to not availing the complete prospects of designing.

• Avoid and Evade:

Some designers tend not to react to logo design trends in any way. The attitude is to ignore the upcoming and emerging trends and stick to the basics as well as their instincts. You might be thinking ignoring is analogous to rejecting, but there is a thin line that separates these two approaches. When you disapprove or oppose a logo design trend, it is an active retort. While ignoring is a passive way of saying no to trends.

• Advance and Enhance:

This kind of attitude goes one step further than acknowledging and implementing a logo design trend. A very creative and ingenious approach to design trends is to take it to the next level. Optimistic logo designers learn from an existing design pattern and use their expertise to generate a new logo design trend. For example, the handwritten logos evolved from the trend of signature logos.

It is often said that behind every innovative logo design, lies a creative hand. But what if the hand lies within the logo design? Funny as it may sound but employing a hand design in a logo is a very profound technique.

We all are familiar with sign language and hand gestures. The hand can portray the symbol of victory,  friendship, love, hatred, synergy and numerous other ways. One cannot even imagine the myriad ways in which a simple hand can be twisted and turned to deliver a clever and emotional logo design.

Following are 30 inspirational logo designs that cleverly incorporate a hand in them.    

Handmade Pictures

touchNerds

BeSmart

Work

Handmade cafe

Make A Shot

deerhand

Hypnocoach

NEFRSEF

Share Effect

Golden Friends

Oklahoma Museum Network

Helping Hands

Sign Up

RSSNAP : B/W

Fair Trade Growers

Sauerzweig Automobile

CustomPipes

Synergy

Handbook

Aircare

hogar de niños

Fernando’s Landscaping

Williamson Pottery

St. Francis Hospital

Hands Across America

 

Have your say: Did these logos really made you ponder which creative hands could be behind these creative logos?

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