LOGO DESIGN ARTICLES

The Storied History of Logo Design | Why Professional Logo Design is Essential for Small Businesses | Logo Designer Has Many Options | Right Logo Design Can Take Business to Next Level | Does Your Small Business Need a Company Logo?

The Storied History of Logo Design

With the familiar swoosh on the side of tennis shoes and some golden arches on virtually every corner, it seems like the world of logos has been with us forever. Although it seems like our world has always been filled with these familiar logos that have come to shape and mold our society, the truth is that the history of logo design begins in ancient Greece.

In ancient Greece, the word "logo" meant: name, symbol, or a trademark designed for recognition. If you were to look on some old Greek or Roman coins you would find many had logos or monograms of the rulers or towns. Every ruler and town had their own logo that was used to help differentiate one town's currency from another. After the collapse of the Roman Empire, the use of logos continued through the Middle Ages. People of this time used ciphers or logos for ecclesiastical, artistic, and commercial purposes.

Logo design and use evolved in the 13th century as logos transformed from simple ciphers into trademarks that were used by merchants and traders to help differentiate goods. Some examples of logos used as trademarks during this time are: mason marks, paper maker's marks, goldsmith's marks, and the mark of nobility used to seal official correspondence.

With the coming of the Information Age and the commercialization after World War II, logo design and use have really taken off. The company logo is essentially the corporate image that is broadcast to the world. The logo is the face of a business not only to the outside world, but to the employees themselves as well.

A good logo is not only legible and creative, but creates easy and solid brand recognition as well. That swoosh on the sides of athletic shoes and on sporting goods might as well say "Nike" because it is what everyone thinks of when they see it. That instant recognition is the trademark of a great company logo and what every business strives to attain in this increasingly competitive market. That is why the need for new and unique logos is stronger today than it has ever been and why every company strives to develop their own "swoosh" so that they can take their business to the next level.