Effective Professional Logos and Why They Work

There are a lot of bad logos out there for companies, with messy graphics, crowded content, and images unrelated to the business it’s promoting. But with the bad ones there’s a balance of good ones. Some logos communicate a business’s mission statement very well, and are strong in their images and just minimal enough in their content to not be distracting. If these good logos, there are five examples that can be highlighted.

Apple

This logo, like many if the others on my list, are self-explanatory. It doesn’t need the word “Apple” in the logo, because that’s exactly what it is we’re seeing. The small bite distinguishes it from a full apple, which is ordinary and forgetful. But an apple with a chunk missing has the potential to draw people in with its novelty. The logo also uses a neutral color, so it’s not overbearing or too loud in its color. Instead, it’s a professional gray color, adding to the business-like message the logo is trying to communicate.

Tostinos

First, the logo is fun and creative. It uses letters and images of people eating chips together to create a logo that is fun and festive, drawing in buyers who are going to a party and want people to enjoy the chips or dip they’ve bought. The logo also can be used for its salsa branding and not just the chips. This two-birds-one-stone concept not only saves the company money, but it makes all the products Tostino’s sells seem unified in quality and in attractiveness.

Target

Another logo that needs no words. We know exactly what the company’s called. What it communicates is clever: Whatever we need to shop for, Target is the one-stop shop for everything. We can target that store’s products, and then leave with all our necessities. You as a customer “miss the mark” if you go elsewhere. Also, the contrast in color between red and white is arresting. The red target mark draws you in, and the empty space occupied by white nothingness allows the eye room to explore the target sign undistracted by background images.

Twitter

Again, a very minimal logo, but one that communicates its name without giving it right out. Tweeting and Twitter are bird-associated words, hence why the logo is so strong. The color is a strong communicator too. It’s a shade of blue that’s attractive and easy to look at, and the color communicates that the business is a business of social interactions and is people-oriented.

Beats by Dre

The logo looks like a pair of headphones if you focus on the outer red image, an earbud if you focus more on the inner white image, and a “b” if you look at the inner white image another way. The appearance of two similar images worked seamlessly into one image gives the viewer a sense that the product being advertised is versatile while still maintaining a reliable quality product no matter which version of beats you get.

In conclusion, there are some very good logos out there. These are just a few examples. But the main takeaway for a good logo is to be simplistic, use the appropriate color, and let the logo speak for itself.