You’ve probably heard the buzz word “responsive” a lot. The term was originally coined to describe how a website adapts or “responds” to different screen sizes.
When there was no internet companies didn’t seem to care about label adaptability. They simply made and placed the label on packages and boxes and used them on TV adverts.
Times changed, and now we have the internet, tablet PCs and smartphones. Your logo might look good on a huge billboard, but it’s unlikely to do the trick as a favicon or an icon on a website. Many companies don’t realize that their logo must be responsive. In most cases logos just get smaller in web and lose all the features they were designed to demonstrate. And if brand identity isn’t recognized anymore, it’s completely useless. That’s why we are going to discuss creating the best responsive logo.
First of all, you’ll have to research your style and brand identity. Then you should design some variations of those, keeping in mind that the variations are to be used for different applications of course that can vary from printing on a pen that requires a wide logo or use as an avitar that my require a square logo variant. At SBC we supply a logo application guide when we do your Corporate Identity Design*.
Logos can be varied in terms of scale and orientation. The first thing is quite obvious and the second one isn’t. Orientation can be portrait and landscape, and you are going to need both. Basically, you’ll have to alter inscription place and that’s it. And don’t forget to design a square variation too.
Now that we have created two orientations, we may proceed to how to make a responsive logo scaling. Three versions are good, but four offers the best options. Be sure to define priorities for all the inscriptions, including slogan. The amount of text is to be reduced according to the reduction of image size. Also, don’t forget to keep font size proportionate. And the smallest logo version requires only initials and nothing more.
Proceed from compound to simple things while making different logo versions. Lessen the amount of details when a logo gets smaller. Multicolored gradients are best to be reduced to two or three colored ones. Draw one bold line instead of two thinner ones. Also, unify small polygons avoiding overall logo shape modifications.
Probably the best example here is Walt Disney Company. The full version features a detailed castle. A reduced one depicts only one word. And minimal one is nothing but a single initial letter. Nevertheless, each version is well known and recognized by everyone. Coca-Cola, Channel, Walt Disney and Levi’s are other brilliant examples. If you have doubts regarding how to make a responsive logo, scrutinize those examples. Thus you’ll be able to understand the basics of consecutive reduction and design trends.
Responsive logos are essential
The advantages of responsive logos are obvious. Considering all the different places a modern company needs to put their logo, it’s impossible to use the same version everywhere without losing a little something here or there.
How to design a responsive logo in 5 easy steps
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1. Make at least four different versions
2. Add or remove details as you scale up or down
3. Stay consistent
4. Use abstract symbols at smaller sizes
5. Strategically use stacking and rearranging