Tale Of Logos

The history of logo design dates back to the ancient days of Greek civilization. Generally by the word
logo design we mean a trademark or a symbol or any name. But what's the purpose of using a logo?
Have it for easy recognition. The Egyptian, Chinese, Babylonian, Mayan and Assyrian people also used
different pictographs that can be recognized as early logos. Logos are omnipresent, they are visible
everywhere in and around us. The Middle Ages saw the abundant use of similar logos for ecclesiastical
and commercial purposes.
In the early history, perhaps when designers were not very aware of what he was creating, logo
consisted of a single letter. Logo design began its journey as a mere cipher. Then gradually a cipher or a
logo consisted of more than a single letter. However with ages, concept also change, in the later age
two or three letters were used for the cipher, which either had a person's initials or his surname or just a
simple name. Often the ciphers were designed by intertwining two Greek alphabets.
On ancient monograms of classical days, logos can be traced. The coins which were used in the Roman
and Greek empire bear the symbols of the rulers of the cities. And few monograms was designed with
Greek letters.
In the thirteenth century, the logo remained in vogue as simple letterhead used by merchants in their
trade. By 1700, every trader or dealer had a trademark or stamp. Marks for masons, goldsmiths, paper
makers and nobility constitute the early examples of logo design. However, there was a major turn
around in the late 1800's with the emergence of Industrial Revolution in Europe. There was a dramatic
gain in the importance and value of trademarks on account of the growth in the number of national and
multinational corporations. There was an overall transformation in the relationship between the sellers
and the purchasers. Prior to the Industrial Revolution, trademarks were used just to make the
purchasers recognize their items of purchase. But the scenario after the revolution wiped out the
identity of the purchaser, who was now an unknown mass of people. Hence, even the trademarks
evolved into larger design or symbols to communicate the message of business organizations to the
people at large.
A logo can be use of graphics and signs that can draw attention very easily. When a logo is used as a
symbol of a company it can be referred as the corporate identity. A logo should be so designed that its
very catchy to the eyes and it becomes the first piece of graphics that one should notice in any printed
material or on web pages.
As industrialization tightened its hold over most of the countries of the world, logo designing came to
be recognized as an essential aspect for the success of a business. Logos served not only as brand
ambassadors but also to differentiate different products. From the 1940's to the present, logos have
changed roles to express "corporate identity", "brand essence", "advertising and marketing tools".
Successful logos have come to signify a lifestyle; they set the trends for the masses to imitate. Today, a
company logo design stands for not only its products but also its ideals. From a humble beginning, they
have come a long way to become an integral part of the success of a business organization.
Designing a logo by the companies is a recent trend. Even a small company uses a logo to establish its
corporate identity. The corporate logo should be such that people can identify the particular company
by just recognizing its logo. The logos generally used by companies tend to have a tag line or catch
phrase with them. The logo may also contain a company name or promote a brand. An icon resembles
only a pictorial representation whereas a logo is not only a picture but it has a message to convey to its
target audiences.
Thus logo design is a trendy way to popularize or advertise a product or a brand name. A logo design
gives new identity to the already existing brands in a new way. The color, size, shape and texture matter
a lot for designing a good logo. Attractive, professional outlook yet subtlety are the mantras of a perfect
logo design.