What makes a successful logo

My Research Methods
 In-depth Interview: the first method I used was doing an interview with
someone in the industry. I used the person that I had done work experience
with, however I was only able to do an email interview.
 Historical Research: I looked at 4 different companies and looked at how their
logos have changed since the company first opened. I choose the companies
I was going to look at by listening to what my focus group had to say and also
companies that had not yet been mentioned.
 Focus Group: another method I used was doing a focus group from my
people in my class. I got their opinions on specific logos and also asked them
about what logos may influence them and what logos they remember.
 Questionnaire: I produced a questionnaire which I distributed via Facebook
and got as many people as I could too answer it, varying the ages as much
as possible. I asked them more basic questions about logos and what they
think about certain logos.
 Comparative Analysis: I listened to what the focus group had to say and
choose what logos I was going to compare. I then created a table which had
certain headings and for each logo I answered the questions.

My Research Methods
Those are the primary research methods that I choose to carry out to help me find out what
makes a successful logo. I was disappointed that I was only able to do the interview via email
because of time restraints because it would have been a lot better if I was able to do it in person.
I was also planning on getting another interview done, however, the second person never got
back to me. This is why I carried out another 4 methods, to ensure I had enough research to be
able to answer the sub-questions as best as I could. The questionnaire was a major success
because nearly 40 people answered it, and this enabled me a get a more accurate reading of
what the public thought. Also, a wide range of people of different ages answered it and it was
interesting to compare how the answers may have differed to someone who was younger or
older. Both the comparative analysis and historical research were extremely interesting because
it allowed me to delve a lot deeper into specific logos and look at the similarities and differences
there are, but you may not realise when simply looking at them because you seem them in the
media. Finally, the focus group was also a success because I was able to do deeper in certain
topics about logo design and work out what people was wanting to see. However, if I had a
second chance to do my primary research I would do many things differently. Firstly, I would have
not only published my questionnaire on Facebook, but also made paper copies and then handed
these out to people, allowing me to get a mixture of results. When it comes to the focus group I
would have organised more then one, targeting different different age groups, for example people
aged 0-25, 26-50, 51+. I would have then compared the answers I was given and see if the
different age generations thought different things about logos and how they want to see different
things. Obviously, I would have done the interviews in person and also done more then one with
professionals in that field. And lastly, I would have looked at a wider number of logos and been
more in-depth when it came to analyzing them and comparing to what both the similarities and

Does the logo need to have a clear
connection with the company or the
product?
As part of my primary research, I carried out a questionnaire and one of my
Femal questions was „does the logo need to have a clear connection with the
37% company or the product to be successful?‟
e
63% From the results that I collected, 49% of the people that filled out the
Male questionnaire agreed that a logo does need to have a clear connection with
the company or product. This is because our brain needs to be able to
make the connection between the company and the logo, for them to
recognise it the next time they come across it. Reference (1) states how the
Yes first impressions of what you see in a logo is more important and has more
No depth than just seeing the image used. This backs up what 49% of the
Maybe questionnaire having to recognizebecause they are also making the the
population thought
connection of that logo and remembering what
purpose of that logo was. Reference (2) explains how our memories
From my primary are triggered by certain situations and personal
research, questionnaire (38 people) experiences that we go through in our day to day
lives. This all depends on certain emotions that we felt
when we were entered into that situation. For example,
if you were to go into a shop and buy a piece of clothing, but then that clothing gets a
hole in it the next day, you are automatically going to connect that clothing logo and your
experience together and be less inclined to go back. Whereas, if you bought the piece of
clothing and you it a lot because it is good quality, then you are more likely to go back there again to buy
were able to wear
something else. So our brain is constantly retrieving information from experiences and situations we have
been placed in before and this suggests that companies want to ensure they give that „positive‟ impression
the first time they gain a new customer.

product?
Shell was one of the logo‟s that I focused on while carrying out my historical research. The
first logo came out in 1990 and throughout the adaptation process, the logo has always
remained as a shell, and it has simply been changed to look more modern. This is one of
the few logos now-a-days that are directly linked to their company and has a clear visual
connection with the company name. From doing my research, this method of making the
companies are trying to do more less unique because
direct link seems to be becomingto be popular and different in the competitive markets
there are today. Another example of a company that still does this is Apple. This is a
company that is recognized worldwide and when most people see the logo they instantly
know that company sells the the „up-market‟ status many people associate with them. This
was also mentioned during my focus group. An 18 year old girl explained how she
remembers the logo more because “Apple is directly linked to the companies name”. She
then says “Apple is an expensive brand but everyone wants the products with the logo on”.
However, this also contrasts with some of the other logos that I looked at. Coco-cola could
possibly be said to be the most famous logo worldwide with 15 out of the 38 people who
took part in my questionnaire agreeing with this. Coca-Cola doesn‟t have the same
concept behind the logo as both Shell and Apple do, however it is still extremely popular
and successful. Reference (3) looks at the McDonald‟s logo in-depth, and makes the
connection between the „Big M‟ and the golden arches. Many people don‟t make that
connection and simply recognize the logo for being distinctive with the bright yellow
against the red background and the fast food that it provides. However, many people don‟t
even know what the golden arches are and how this is related to McDonalds as a
company. Reference (3) then goes on to explain how the company or product logo needs
to be “well-coordinated” and make sure that what they are displaying in the logo gives a

product?
When I carried out my comparative analysis, one of the columns that I created was “connection with company
or product”. This was so that I was able to see if any of the logos I had put into the table came out with the
same output. Here are my findings: 4 out of the 6 logos that I looked at all had
the came concept behind their logo designs;
having the company name written. This
enables the customer to look at the logo and

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instantly know what the company is called
and make a connection that way. Reference
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(4) explores how companies will often start of

y
McDonald

with a cheap logo that they haven't put much
effort into to help them get recognized.
However, the problem with this is that people
start to associate that company with the „bad‟
s

logo and when its time to rebranding their
company, because they have become more
successful, they have to start from scratch.
Appl

This is why companies should “invest in the
Tesco
e

logo from the start” and why many
Prad

companies go for simplicity and only include
the name of their company. This way, if they
a

ever want to rebrand they don‟t have to then
worry about getting rid of or re-designing a
From my primary research, comparative analysis (6 certain image or photo they have previously
logos) used in a logo design for their company.

product?
From doing both my primary and secondary research, I think I was able to start to get an answer to this
question. However, I don‟t think that the research I have carried out has helped me answer it fully and I
would need to go a lot more in-depth to get a clear and accurate answer. In terms of my secondary
research, the questionnaire answers helped me out a lot because it enabled me to get an idea about what
the consumers want. However, when I first posted the questionnaire I thought that everyone might have put
the same answer for that questions. Also, with the comparative analysis I found out that I was way to
brief, because even though it did help me with my findings, it was also just a description and I should have
looked more into the actual logos and the design process behind them. This was have made it a lot clearer
for me when it came to deciding if the logo does need to have a clear connection with the company or
product. One piece of primary research that I think did help me a lot was the historical analysis. This is
because I want in-depth a lot, even though I could have done more, and it helped me compare two different
logos with two different concepts behind them. For the sources that I decided to use from my secondary
research, I made sure I used ones that I had found that either agreed or disagreed with the evidence I had
already gained from my primary research. Both reference (1) and reference (3) are published by directors
who have been working the in the industry, so they are using the knowledge they have learnt over the years
to give to an audience. I think that this makes it more reliable then someone simply writing a blog because
they have had a chance to experience what it is like to work and how people may think and companies work.
Even though I have a lot evidence to say that a logo does need to have a clear connection, there are also
very little companies out there today that actually use this method. This also suggests that it is only one way
of getting a consumers attention and that, because of the how the market it changing so much, that there
are numerous ways a company is able to do this. If I was to go back and answer this questions again, I
would actually re-phrase the question and look at not only having a direct link, like Apple, but also other
ways companies make a connection between their company and the message they want to portray.

Do certain shapes or colours affect how
successful the logo is?
Red
Reference (3) states that “as a general rule, 2 colours is enough” when it
Yello comes to designing your logo. When I carried out my comparative
analysis only 1 out of the 6 logos that I looked at used more than 2
w colours. Reference (3) then goes on to explain that this is normally
Black because of the expense of having to print more than 2 colours on things
such as letter heads and business cards etc. In the long run, it simply isn‟t
White worth it because that company then wont see a return when it comes to
investment. Reference (5) also agrees with this by saying that it will
From my primary increase the cost of production. When I first started looking into this
research, comparative analysis (6 question I thought that they said to use no more then 2 colours to help
logos)
keep the logo simple, however after going more in-depth it all comes down
that colour was the most important element when it comes to designing a logo. This suggests that people out of
to cost and trying to save money within the company. Only 4 the public
and the people behind designing the the 38think answered my questionnaire thought
logos that differently and the public are sometimes manipulated by what
they are seeing. However, despite more then one of the sources I came across saying the same thing about
using no more then 2 colours, reference (6) explores a number of different logos that use more then 2 colours
and the success they have experienced. They include NBC, Google and the Olympics. All of the logos
displayed on the website have had some level of success within their company, however there are also some
that aren‟t so well known. Even though most of the logos out their stick to the rule of not using more than 2
colours, there are also many that purposely break this rule but still become extremely successful. This suggests
that, even though there are rules out there about what you can and cant do when it comes to designing a
logo, sometimes it can be a good thing to break these conventions and do something a little different to help
get your company recognized.


The information I gained from holding my focus group was extremely interesting. I asked them what they
thought was the most important part of a logo design was, giving them some options such as
shape, colour, simplicity or portraying a message, and they all agreed on saying that simplicity was the
most important aspect. A 18 year old girl went on to say “if every logo had the same colour or shape it
would be boring”. Another 18 year old girl then said “colour is more important because it‟s the thing you
see first”. However reference (7) explains how a logo must be able to be successful in both black & white
and colour. This is because sometimes you will come across situations where your logo, if in colour, will
have to be printed in black & white and you don‟t want the logo to become less powerful. This contrasts
with the 18 year old‟s view because she is saying how colour is what makes a logo. However, does that
mean that a logo in black in white stands out less from the crowd? Reference (8) also agrees with what
reference (7) is saying by clarifying the same point that was made:
Example from
“If a design MUST have colour to be reference (7)

good – it isn‟t good”

The focus group definitely helped me get a better understanding of what it was people focused on when
looking at a logo and how this differs from the minds of people who actually work on producing them. A
17 year old girl then talked about how a company might want to use a colour that hasn‟t been used
before to not only make it more recognizable but to also help start a new „trend‟. For example, eBay
uses several colours for its logo and each of the colours are quite bright and stand out. This helps make
it more recognizable.


From doing historical analysis, I have found out that Coca-Cola is one of the logo‟s is famous for the
colour it uses in the logo; red. The company have used the same colour since 1958 and now, when
most people see that red, they will relate it back to the Coca-Cola logo. Reference (9) is a blog that I
found which looks specifically at colour and shape. It talks about the significance of colour and how
companies will often use certain colours to try and sub-consciously symbolize something to their target
market.
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
This is something that the customer willhappiness, energetic and ambition at the logo as portraying the
Orange = fun, hardly ever notice and simply look
company. However, for every logo that is created a lot of thought sophistication
Purple= Royalty, wealth, prosperity and is put into thinking about what colours
should be used and what this portrays. Another thing that I noticed while looking at many different
logos, was that circles are used a lot when it comes to designs. However reference (3) says the
complete opposite and says that when it comes to designing a logo rectangles work best because our
eyes find it a lot easier to work our way the shape. They then go on to say that they also work better
when it comes to TV and the web. This is controversial because from simply typing „logos‟ into Google
images most of the shapes seem to be circles.


Firstly, when it comes to the question that I decided to answer, at first I thought that I had narrowed it down
to quickly. However, when I started to gather all of my research together I found out that there was actually
a lot and that lots of people have positive and negative things to say about colour. One problem I did come
across was that it mainly focused on colour and I found it hard to find things about shape. If I was to design
the question again I would have wither made it more broad so that I could look at other aspects rather than
just colour and shape or narrow it down to simply shape because there is so much information. The blogs
that I used for my secondary research in this question all seemed to say the same sort of thing, about using
no more than 2 colours. However for both reference (5) and (6) it doesn‟t tell me who wrote the articles on
either website. This could mean that the source is less reliable because it isn‟t allowing the public to know
who wrote it and when they wrote it. For the primary methods that I used for this question, the comparative
analysis definitely helped me see a trend when it came to looking at colours that many be used.
However, this was not the case, and showed that all colours are used equally, and the colours that are
picked for a logo depend on a number of things such as demographics, target market, product etc. The
piece of research that I found helped me the most for this question was the focus group because different
people said interesting things about colour and how a logo might attract their attention. However, their
views and the views from the secondary research different massively, and I believe that was because, as a
consumer, we don‟t pay attention to things such as cost of production and how this may affect the company
or business. It would have been interesting to look at this part more in-depth and possibly organize an
experiment. This would be where I would get a consumer, and someone from the professional field and
give them the same set of photos. I would then give them a certain amount of time and ask them to
produce a mood board. I would then compare the two mood boards and see how they differ and any
similarities they may have with each other.

Does the logo need to be popular to mean
that it is a fantastic logo?

As part of my comparative analysis, I looked at the 6 different companies and how successful the company
was as a whole.
2010-2011 revenue As you can see, Apple had the biggest revenue in 2010-2011
and from the focus group they decided that Apple was the
most well known logo that I showed to them. However, from
million

$70.00 the focus group also and the questionnaire, McDonalds was
$60.00 mentioned a lot more then Sony and Tesco. This proves that
$50.00 it isn‟t necessarily down to how successful the company is as
a whole and how well they do in a certain year to prove that
$40.00 their logo is successful. Reference (10) shows the popularity
$30.00 between two separate sports brands; Nike and Adidas. It
$20.00 shows that Nike is clearly Googled more then Adidas
$10.00 throughout the year. Nike is also more well known then
$0.00 Adidas and when, in my questionnaire I asked „what is the
most well known logo‟, 10 out of 38 people said they believed
Tesco
Sony

eBay
Apple
Prada
McDonalds

Nike to be the most well known. Both the graph and Google
trends suggest that Nike and Apple are continuously coming
out on top when it comes to deciding what makes a
successful logo, and throughout my research, both primary
and secondary, people seem to refer back to them when
From my primary research, comparative
saying what they believe is a successful logo. There is some
analysis (6 logos) connection between the success of those two companies and
how both of the logos are perceived by both the public and


I interviewed a Graphic Designer who owns his own company and asked him „Does the popularity of a logo
determine how successful the logo design is? Why?‟. His response was that if it was coming from the
consumer end then this wasn‟t necessarily the case because the job of a logo is to act as a reminder to the
consumers about what that company does. He then goes on to state that if a company is popular then will
automatically make the logo more popular as well. During my focus group people seemed to think the
complete opposite. Both a 18 year old girl and a 17 year old boy agreed that the logo needs to be visually
interesting for it to be successful. This is because if it isn‟t then you wont even give it a second look when
you see it in a media form and simply „miss it‟ altogether. Someone else then said if the company logo is bad
then it wont be memorable and again, in a few minutes time they wont even remember that logo or what it
stands for. It is interesting to see how the two views differ from each other, and how, during the focus
group, they thought that if the logo wasn‟t popular then it meant it wasn‟t a good logo. Reference (11) is a
video, which goes though different aspects of what makes a successful logo. One of the points that they
make is that before designing a logo you should look at what is already out on the market and the brands
that have already become successful. Often a logo needs to be able to send a clear and simple message
quickly and efficiently to its consumer, and the logos that are able to do this are deemed as „fantastic‟.
Also, during my focus group one of the members said if they was walking down the street and they saw two
shops next to each other, one that they recognize and one that they don‟t, they would instantly look at the
one they recognize first and are most likely to then go inside to that shop rather than the other. This proves
the importance of becoming recognized as much as you can, because everyday hundreds of companies are
loosing money because people don‟t know who they are or what they are about. That is why logos are so
important for any company out their, because first impressions are the key and you want to ensure that you
grab your target audience the very first time that they look at your logo or see your brand.


Very quickly during my primary research, I found out that this was my weakest question. It is because it isn‟t
a great question and it was very hard to explain to people what I meant by it. I still don‟t think I have an
answer to this question despite the research methods I have carried out and if I was to do this project again
I would definitely take this question out and replace it. It was hard to separate the logo with the company
and try to figure out what made a „fantastic logo‟ because when I asked people and looked at different
secondary sources they always made a connection with the company and how successful they were. The
comparative research that I done did help me a lot in understanding if there was a connection between the
logo success and the company success. In conclusion my research suggests that it can be the
case, however just because the the company does well, you wont ever know if that was down to the logo or
how the company has gone about making sales. The interview with the graphic designed enabled me to get
a different view on the question and take an understanding from his side, as someone who has made many
logos for people over the years. It was also interesting to compare his professional opinion to those who
took part in the focus group, because they still both related back to the company and how that logo may
portray them. I found it extremely hard to find secondary sources to help me answer this question, because
like I have explained, the question was sometimes hard to make sense of. The sources I did use, didn‟t
have a direct link with the question, however it did help me to explain what is important in a logo and how a
company might be able to portray a message to their audience.

Does the logo need to target a specific
audience?

For the interview I done with a graphic designer, one of the questions that I asked him was „Should a logo
target a specific target audience to get the most success out of it or is it possible to be broader? Why?‟.
The response that he gave me was that it depends on the company and who they are aiming to target. A
few companies, such as youth-organizations will often be specific in what they include in their logo to help
catch their audience. However, what is more popular is to design a much broader logo and then when it
comes to the marketing strategy, change this to target a specific audience. One example that the
interviewee gave me was companies such as Nike and Adidas. Both have simple logos that don‟t
necessarily target a certain demographic or of one of the campaigns that Nike had, which you can clearly
This is an example psychographic.
see immediately targets footballers. However, they still display the Nike logo
during the campaign so that we are able to make the connections between what
they are trying to sell and the company that is doing this. I think that this is
extremely effective because this way many companies are able to target people
of all different ages without having to worry out if there logo might make that less
effective. However, there also many companies out there that only want to
specific a very niche audience and in these cases, creating a logo showcasing
that is the best way around that. For example a business offering to look after
your pet dog when you go away isn‟t going to be interested in getting the
attention of people who like going to play football or who likes going shopping.
This method, of targeting the audience though different campaigns and
marketing strategy's are a lot more common in mainstream business, for
example worldwide known companies, because this allows them to get
themselves out there and ensuring they are able to get the biggest target
audience possible and bringing the highest profit to their company.

audience?
0-14 15-24 25-44 45-64 65+
Food/Toys/Blackbe Xbox/Playstation/Ni Anything about Google/Facebook/ Hip Replacement
rry ntendo/KFC/Nike/C aging/Apple/Nike Nivea/Life
hanel/McDonalds/A Insurance/FuneralE
didas/Apple/E4/Ral xpense/YSL/Mulber
ph Lauren/Fred ry/Chanel/M&S/Ne
Perry/ Levi xt/Ocardo/Timberla
nd/Hobbs/Northfac
e/Weight
Watchers/Audi
From my primary
research, questionnaire (38 people)
One of the questions I asked during my questionnaire was „what logos out there are specifically targeted at
your own age group‟ and I have devised a table to show you the different answers I got. This starts you give
you an understanding about what different age groups are interested in, however despite these answers, 12
out of the 38 people who answered said they didn‟t know, but they would like it if there were more logos that
did. Reference (11) states that every logo “conveys a subliminal message that will speak volumes about
your business to the subconscious mind”. This suggests that many of the consumers don‟t realize when a
company is always trying to target you, but when you also see their logo or hear about their business then
you will be thinking about that company subconsciously. Reference (11) then goes on to say that before you
start to design your logo you need to think carefully about what you want your company to become and who
you want to be your target market. In many cases, this isn‟t necessarily a certain demographic but instead a
broader audience, where they will then go and target individual groups in different ways.

audience?

As part of my comparative analysis, I also looked at the different logos

Son
and who the company primarily targets. When I went on various
websites I quickly found out that no mainstream companies choose

y
their target market from age groups, but instead often use the class
McDonal

system. This enables the companies to target who they want to and get
a good revenue for their company, but at the same time not limiting
who can come and buy their products. McDonalds was the only
ds

company to say that their target market was every segment of the
demography, all of the other were either middle-upper class people, or
Appl

people who are looking for money off and offers. During my interview I
also asked the graphic designer „when you look at a logo for the first
e
Prada

time should you immediately know what the company is about and
what they are tying to portray to you?‟. His reply explains that this is
sometimes the case, but not always. A logo shouldn‟t be forced to do
too much for the company and only help for the visuals as part of a
company. If a company is unsuccessful overall it isn‟t just down to the
logo but all the other aspects that come with starting up a business.
From all of the research, it suggests that many companies now go for
Tesc
eBa

the broader logo design so that they aren‟t instantly narrowing down
y

o

who they aim to target. This is not only becoming more popular with
smaller independent companies, but many mainstream companies
have also been using his method for years.
From my primary research, comparative analysis (6

audience?

When I first wrote down this question, I thought that it was going to be the hardest one to answer because I
didn‟t think I would be able to obtain that much information about it. However, when I started to put my
research together and cross-reference things, it seemed to be a lot clearer and I think this is one of the
questions I have been able to get a more accurate answer too. The interviewee helped me massively
because of his views and experience form working in the industry. However, if I had had the time then I
would have spoken to different people in the industry, for example someone who owed their own
company, someone who worked for a bigger organization or company etc. I was disappointed with the lack
of secondary sources I could find to help me answer this question, because I really had to go by the
research I carried out myself. This makes is less accurate because the research I done was only basic and it
would have been much better if I had done more and got a better understanding. Also it could mean that it
was less reliable because I don‟t have anything to compare my research too. I could have asked a better
question for my questionnaire to help me more with my findings because all I gained from that was knowing
certain logos and companies people think are aimed at them.

Overall, my research suggests that many companies prefer to design a broad logo that doesn‟t seem to
have much depth to it when you first look at it. However, what most consumers don‟t realize, is that when
you start to look at the logo and the different aspects of it there is a lot going on, even if it is just a colour
being used to make you feel a certain way. It also depends on how big the company is and who they are
aiming to target, because this will depend on what sort of logo they want to connect with their company and
how they want to be perceived.

Should the logo invoke an emotion in the
audience?

Reference (7) talks about how using certain colours in your logo design can subconsciously make the
audience feel different feelings and emotions. This is why making sure you chose the right colours for your
logo can be the difference between it being a success and failure. My interviewee explains this in a
different way and says that for a logo to be able to make you feel something when you look at it is a very
hard thing to do. This is because often companies will try and get a logo to say too much, and during this
process the logo will become over complicated. He then explains that this simply isn‟t the job of a logo and
that the logo is just a reminder of the company. Later on he goes on to explain that from his experience in
the profession he doesn‟t have any specific logos that have inspired him. However, a certain graphic
designer has; Paul Rand. He designed some classic logos that are “clever but doesn‟t need to be
complicated”.

These are three examples of logos that Paul Rand has designed. Each one has a clever design, while
still being simple and clearly displaying the name of the company on the logo. Even though they may not
invoke an emotion in the audience when the consumer looks at them they are still extremely eye-catching
and unique. Sometimes, that can be enough to get the audience thinking about the logo and maybe start
to feel or think of a certain emotion that way.

Should the logo invoke an emotion in the
audience?

This was the hardest question for me to start to get an answer for because of how little information I was
able to gather. Even though there was some research I was able to analysis, it doesn‟t give me a clear and
accurate answer. Looking back on my questions and research methods that I chose, I could have focused
more on emotions so that I would be able to get a better understanding. The interviewee did help me in
some ways, however I would have liked to go more in-depth with the questions that I asked and this would
have allowed me to compare answers. Again, I was disappointed in the lack of secondary research that I
was able to use and I found it extremely hard to relate what I did have back to the question. If I had the
chance to revisit my questions and change some I would have worded this differently so that I would be
able to get a more accurate answer at the end.

From the evidence that I did gain, it suggests that there aren‟t actually many logos out there that make you
feel an emotion when you look at them, and instead they simply allow you to make that connection
between the product and the company. However, there are still certain logos out there they do invoke an
emotion in you, for example animal cruelty organizations like the RSPCA etc.

Does the logo need to portray the
companies‟ identity?

Reference (12) states that logo design “is not a beauty contest”. Instead, a logo needs to stand out in the
market with its competitors, so rather then trying to make the prettiest logo, companies how need to make
sure they portray their companies‟ identity so that people will pick them over the competition. When I done
my interview with a graphic designer he also agreed with this view, but explained it in a different way. He
said that a logo‟s job in today‟s society is to primarily identify that company so that it become instantly
recognizable when consumers see The Nike tick identifies the brand and whenever people see the tick
it.
they automatically associate it with Nike but people also know that it
symbolizes performance, athletic, „just do it‟, sport etc. Both the
secondary source, and the primary research that I done had the same
view when it came to whether the logo should portray the companies
identity. However, at the same time Nike has built their name up over
many smaller companies, that aren‟t so established, struggle workbecause is what always put the
the years with a lot of hard with and this they don‟t
time and effort into getting the logo and brand known. Reference (5) says how the logo needs to relate
to the business in some sort of way. Whether that is though the colour scheme they use, the font or the
image etc. This could then lead to the consumer thinking about the product or service they are offering
without them even realizing it. All three of these sources agree with each other when they say the logo
definitely needs to have some sort of connection. Otherwise, when it comes to remembering what that
logo is about or what they are offering to you, you wont be able to remember. This same point seems to
come up in every one of the questions that I have asked. That if the logo isn‟t memorable then your brain
is unable to make that connection between the product and the company and this is why the job of a
logo is so important.


These are the example displayed on reference (13). It explains how the
purpose of a logo is to serve the company and allow people to recognize it.
This can be done in many different ways, for example having clear
imagery, suitable colours, readable font etc. If one of these elements is taken
away, then the logo starts to become unclear and this means the consumer
wont be able to relate to it as much and wont make the connection of that
company and what they are offering you. During the focus group, people kept
mentioning the fact that Apple is directly linked and whether this is portraying
the companies‟ identity. However, from what I have found out, from my
secondary research, is that portraying the companies‟ identity isn‟t so much
about being directly related to it, but instead about whether it does justice for
the company and allows and audience to relate to it. If I logo starts to become
complicated and busy, it makes it harder to see the purpose of the logo and
what they are trying to offer you. Reference (13) later goes on to state that a
logo has to compress all of the information within it. For example if they have
used the same font throughout their company and stores, or used a certain
colour to portray a deeper meaning, or included an image which is directly
connected, then they have to squeeze all of the different elements together
and ensure that the logo still works at the end of it. The examples on the left
are good at showing how this can be done, because they are all unique, while
at the same time clearly showing the company name and also what the
company is offering to you.


This was the last of my sub-questions. However, I don‟t think I chose the right questions because I wasn‟t
able to find out what I wanted to. The overall questions is very broad and this meant it was hard for me to
find certain things out, meaning I don‟t think I found the answer to this question. When I started to look
deeper into the question many of the same points seemed to appear one of the other sub-questions; Does
the logo need to have a clear connection with the company or the product?
I could have reworded the question and put the two together because I found that I seemed to be repeating
myself with many of the points. However, at the same time I could have been more specific with the
question that I asked to enable me to get a better understanding. I managed to find many secondary
sources to help me with my findings, but struggled with finding sufficient primary research answers to help
me answer it. During the focus group I didn‟t talk about this as much as I would have liked to and looking
back on it, if I was to carry it out again, I could have designed questions to specifically concentrate of
company identity. However, the interview did help me and I was then able to cross-reference his answer the
secondary sources I had already obtained. I had already used reference (5) to help me answer one of the
other questions, however, I don‟t think that it is completely reliable because of the fact that it doesn‟t tell you
who wrote the article. Contradicting this, it is on a website that is recognized by many people on the web
and this could mean that it is more trusted then other sites.

Conclusion
In conclusion, I was able to find out the answers to the questions to a certain extent, however, I wasn‟t
able to get a accurate and reliable answer to any of the questions because I didn‟t have enough evidence
to support it. I ensured that I used both primary and secondary research in my final report to make sure
that I had evidence to back my answers up and make them at accurate as I could have. Looking back on
it, I should have spent a lot more time planning my primary research and making sure I got my interviews
face-to-face as I believe this was one of my major full backs. This was because it didn‟t allow me to get in-
depth answers, and I would have also liked to have interviewed more then 1 person. When it came to
finding my secondary sources, I done it randomly, and by typing different things into search engines.
However, I was pleased that I didn‟t just use the web and got a variety of sources such as books, pod
cast's and quotes. If I was to carry out my secondary research again I would of defiantly done it more
methodically to ensure I had a variety of sources and made sure I also had some sources to help me
answer each of my questions. I think my over question; „what makes a logo successful?‟ was way to broad
because there are so many different logos out there portraying and symbolizing different companies and
businesses. I should have narrowed this down to a specific category, for example food logos or retail store
logos. This would have allowed me chose what logos I looked at more carefully, rather then choosing a
wide range. It would have also allowed me to narrow down what I was analyzing and this would have
many helped me answer the questions better. I found that the secondary sources that I found via the web
all seemed to say the same thing, and this was one of the down falls when it came to looking at my
findings. I also don‟t think that I found enough secondary sources because when it came to writing my final
report I was very limited to what I could use and would have preferred it if I was able to have a wider
variety to have chosen from. One thing I made sure I done was be neutral during my focus group because
I wanted to make sure I didn‟t sway anyone‟s opinions or answers. I think this is important because this
making sure you keep your research as accurate as possible. However, if I had had the time, then I would

Bibliography
 Reference (8) – Source 7. Carter, DEC, published in 1998, Logo Power, Hearst Books
International

Webography
 Reference (1) – Source 16. Daniel Boorstin, quote, online, available from
http://thinkexist.com/quotation/an_image---is_not_simply_a_trademark-a_design-
a/12476.html, accessed on Monday 27th February 2012.
 Reference (2) –ErenMckay, How the Brain Remembers Things, online, available from
http://www.articledashboard.com/Article/How-Does-the-Brain-Remember-
Things/1294009, assessed on Sunday 13th May 2012.
 Reference (3) – Source 6. Duncan McAdams, What Makes A Good Logo, online, available from
http://www.marketstorm.co.nz/article_logo.htm, assessed on Tuesday 21st February 2012.
 Reference (4) – Source 10. Steve Douglas, November 2009, Starting Out Right, online, available
from http://www.thelogofactory.com/podcast/The-Logo-Factory-Podcast-One.mp3, assessed on
Monday 27th February 2012
 Reference (5) – Source19. Logo Bee Design, LogoBee’s Top 10 Logo Design
Tips, online, available from http://www.logobee.com/feature22.htm, assessed on Tuesday 28th
February 2012.
 Reference (6) – Source 17. Admin, April 2009, online, available from
http://www.famouslogos.org/8-successful-logos-that-break-the-rules, assessed on Monday 27th
February 2012.
 Reference (7) – Source 1. Amanda Kern, What Makes A Successful logo, online, available from
http://www.valenciawebstudio.com/articles/design/logo/logo.html, assessed on Monday 20th
February 2012.
 Reference (9) – Source 21. Nora Reed, June 2010, What Makes a Logo Design Memorable;
Colour or Symbol?, online, available from http://www.logoblog.org/wordpress/memorable-logo-
design-color-or-symbol/, assessed on Tuesday 28th February 2012.

Webography
 Reference (10) – Source 5. Google trends, January 2011, online, available from
http://www.google.com/trends/?q=nike,+adidas, assessed on Tuesday 21st February 2012.
 Reference (11) – Source 12. Online, available from www.omnificdesign.com.au., assessed on
Monday 27th February 2012.
 Reference (12) – Source 18. David Brier, August 2009, online, available from
http://www.risingabovethenoise.com/leading-logo-designer/, assessed on Monday 27th February
2012.
 Reference (13) – Source 22. JSB Moore, online, available from http://www.code-
interactive.com/thinker/a112.html, assessed on Tuesday 28th February 2012.

What makes a successful logo

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