7 underrated logo designs

by Chaten Parmar
Guest Blogger and owner of Conceptstore
http://www.conceptstore.co.uk

Trying to pick the best logo of all time is a hard thing to do, the criteria is difficult to ascertain in it self.

1.) There’s the big name corporate logos which can be argued as ” a great logo” because of the company rather then the design.

2.) There’s the designers favourite where the criteria may revolve around the design itself rather then the company.

3.) There’ the bias opinion, (As I’m writing the article I could just put all my own logos on the list but I’m not going to do that.)

4.) There’s the use of branding.

5.) There’s the choice. With millions of logos in the world how could you possibly look at them all and decide.

6.) Lastly, the most important factor is the technical and functional aspect along with it’s ability to communicate.

IMHO if anything in this world from music to movies and architecture to cars is considered as a classic, then it must stand the test of time. You can’t regard it as a classic unless it’s still as good, 10 years from now.

Creating a list of 10 best logos is too predictable. What I decided to do is create MY 7 most favourite underrated logo designs (10 was too hard to choose form and time did not allow for 10). Ones which I personally admire for one reason or another (including the above criteria) and ones which probably don’t get as much respect as they should do.

On another level it’s also safe to say that each of these logos have an effect on me with regards to design. Nothing to do with the business it represents but just simply logos which make me go Oooooooh. (probably a bit too much info)smile

To keep it interesting there are both the well known and the not so well known logos but all equally superb.

In no particular order – My favourite 7 underrated logos.

1.) Fed Ex

Nothing spectacular to look at but that’s exactly what makes this logo good; its simplicity. 2 colours, a sans-serif text, cute layout and most importantly the subliminal message which makes it a designers favourite. The hidden arrow, can you see it?

2.) AT &T

This is very much a personal favourite. Its communicates well creating a techy, corporate but friendly message with a difference (and it’s visually stunning).
The combination of cool colours, subtle gradients, dynamics, transparency and shapes makes me go “Ooooooh”. The icon sits incredibly well with the black, slim, curvy and contrasting text to add a hint of seriousness.

After this logo was created, countless emulations have been created by other companies.

3.) BT

A well known logo which hasn’t been adored by all, many designers even hate it but I love it. The old BT logo (man with a horn) was a classic but a bit horrible to look at. This on the other hand was a great move for BT. The new logo expressed exactly who and what BT were for the future.

A globe made from layers of technology with colours expressing the many areas they cover. The text works great for all targets as well as an identity for an institution.

4.) Limelight Group

I don’t know much about the business or designer but the design itself is quite well known for obvious reasons. Stylish, creative and executed brilliantly. Very different from the above logos with a quirkier feel, yet its still professional. Makes me smile.

5.) Sprint

Another personal favourite which makes me go Oooooh. The simplicity combined with the dynamic design just looks beautiful. You could pretty much put it in any colour and it would look good but the blue and yellow makes it original and creative yet conservative and modern.

6.) Qwell

How clever is that. An impossible Q made of several bright gradients. In terms of design ability, props to the designer.

7.) Bluewater

I have no idea what a horse has to do with a shopping centre but the sheer elegance of the logo makes it a favourite. The horse carries the sophistication that bluewater holds and the design of the horse and water together is executed superbly. Using one colour with the white backing to create the water is just great. Looking at the logo you can see the clever design where the horse and water merge together to create a seemless object. Are they water drops or is it the horse?

I could run this list on and on to make it a top 100 as there are so many great designs. Some don’t even see the light of day which brings us back to the whole point of logo design which is communication. Some of the best logos have don’t use a blatant message to relate to their business.

Chaten Parmar is the owner of Conceptstore Design Solutions, a design and brand development agency which fuses the disciplines of graphics design, web design and brand development into one service.

Tags: Advertising, brand, branding, Business, Design Services, logo, logo design