Thinking in Black & White
When digital designing became the norm back in the 90’s, many graphic designers succumbed to the temptation to lean heavily into all of the advantages of the tools at our disposal. Suddenly, making a logo became a much different process without stat cameras, waxers, x-acto knives and paste-ups.
We had early versions of Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator at our disposal and with them, access to a wide variety of tricks and effects that used to require an airbrush and a lot of illustration skill.
This led to a glut of over-designed, over-elaborate logos with multiple strokes, gradients and arguably too much… everything. On one hand, the clients carry some of the blame, as they would see these kinds of logos and excitedly want much the same. But for a lot of designers, we can’t say we were innocent either. I KNOW I can’t.
As such, a good rule of thumb when designing a logo is often to begin with a sketch. A simple doodle on paper that distills the ideas down into something basic and generally pure. Following that philosophy, when designing a new logo, I always try to follow the principle of working first and foremost, only in black and while.
A three dimensional logo that looks made from glistening chromes and the entirely of the rainbow might be eye-catching at first, but if that logo can’t be applied to a print add in a one-color newspaper the size of a business card, then that is a logo that needs to be re-thought.
Designing with limitations in mind often contributes to logos with a cleaner intention and a more versatile identity. How will your logo look small? In a newspaper? On a business card? Embroidered on a hat, where each different color of thread makes it more and more expensive?
A one-color logo will look the same on all of those applications and many, many more. A one-color logo will look great on a billboard for easy readability and on a t-shirt with on-color printing. And the best part about a logo designed FIRST as a one-color design, is that it’s always easier to ADD colors and effects if you have that solid foundation.
You have the best of both worlds when you learn to think in black and white.
Written by Blog Contributor: Dee Fish
