Logo Tinder

If you’ve spent any time perusing graphic design websites, you’ve likely come across what I call “Logo Tinder” — a large grid of isolated logos that showcases a designer’s brand work. Row after row of pretty faces that may be pleasing to the eye but they don’t really tell you much about the brand behind each logo.

Scanning the grid of logos might help you assess if a particular designer has good technical skills, a grasp of form and composition, an eye for color, or whether or not they follow design trends (see how many random swooshes you can spot).

But without knowing the brand (or the company) behind the logo you’re judging it on face value only. Here are a few get-to-know-you questions I like to ask during my first encounter with any logo:

  • Is the the logo legible at small sizes?

  • Does the logo reproduce well in all applications (online, print)?

  • Is there a variation of the logo for use on social feeds?

  • How well does the logo work in a single color?

  • Does the logo’s personality match the company’s brand?


More than just a pretty face

What these questions reveal is whether there’s more to the logo than just how it looks isolated on a grid among other logos (we all have that one headshot that we use over and over because our hair looks great or the light is just right).

Without the ability to experience the logo in different circumstances or under various conditions, you don’t really know if there’s much substance behind that pretty face.

Below is a grid of logos I’ve designed over the past several years. It’s impossible to discern from just scanning the grid that The Blue Institute logo is actually part of a larger brand system with multiple sub-brands. Or that there are several iterations of the Advanced Comfort Systems and Primal PTSM logos for use in different applications.

This is why I approach logo design with the whole brand in mind. Sometimes my process involves developing a brand strategy (mission, vision, values) and then moves into the visual brand. If the client requests a logo refresh that doesn’t include a brand strategy, I’ll create an identity system with a color palette, typography, and other elements that allow the brand to scale with the client over time.


Looking for something deeper?

If a quick and easy logo fling is what you’re after I suggest checking out Fiverr or 99 Designs. But if you’re interested in a deeper and more meaningful brand experience, let’s talk.

 
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