Logo Design: Techniques

Learn how to design a logo. Learn the principles of logo design by deconstructing popular logos and then constructing your own in Adobe Illustrator.

Introduction

• Logo design for the modern age
• Who should take this course?
• What makes a good logo

1. Exploring Type Variables

• Choosing the right typeface
• Exploring type variables
• Change one thing
• Initial Letters
• Looking beyond 26 letters
• Replacing letters with words

2. Simple Type Treatments

• Outlined and inlined type
• Creating a circular logo with type on a path
• Warped type
• Creating a hand-drawn logo
• Creating a monogram
• Creating a stacked type logo

3. Designing with Simple Shapes: Part 1

• Creating a logo with simple shapes
• Lines
• Arrows
• More arrows
• Squares and rectangles
• More squares
• Circles
• Ovals

4. Designing with Simple Shapes: Part 2

• Hearts
• Concentric rings
• Triangles and diamonds
• Stars
• Polygons
• Shields
• Abstract shapes

5. Advanced Techniques

• Offsetting multiple paths: Inspired by Mexico '68
• Working with stripes: Inspired by Woolmark
• Create a multi-line art brush
• Creating an Olympic spiral inspired by Munich '72
• Creating a camera shutter swirl
• Creating a modular logo from simple shapes
• Radiating
• Perspective type
• Create a halftone dot treatment

6. Logo Effects

• Gradient effects
• Creating a gloss
• Creating a bevel effect
• Working with transparency
• Designing with negative space
• Adding texture to a logo
• Type on a cube

7. Choosing Logo Colors

• Color associations
• Combining colors
• Spot, process, and web colors
• Recoloring artwork: Experiment with different color schemes
• Converting process to spot color
• Converting process to tints
• Converting transparency to tints

8. Finalizing the Logo

• Preparing usage guidelines
• Preparing print files
• Preparing screen files

Conclusion

• Next steps