I must really settle now! The attached is my shortlist; I am really grateful for everyones comments - it has been interesting to see the debate.
Some broad principles of logo design that I have collected... Please disagree or add to them!
1. Don't use just initials; but you can if you include a business description eg 'TLA Consultancy'.
2. Ideally use a single font; you can use mixes of normal, bold, italic, size, colour etc
3. If you want two fonts, make them strongly contrasting
4. On colour, remember the printing implications; one colour is cheapest, full colour costs the most (and loses impact)
5. On size; remember that the logo may be used very small or at low resolution so keep the design simple and bold
6. Integration; try to link the elements of the design. Wrap the words round a graphic, place them on top, inside, or stretch parts of the text to link them...
7. Graphics should have positive associations, convey a good mood etc
8. Avoid obvious use of clipart
9. Some people hate graphic elements, but they can contribute to uniqueness
10. Beware of clutter, of over-filling the space; leave air in the logo
11. Rather than doing endless close variations of one or two basic designs, aim for 6-8 totally different ideas; then try evolving the best one or two.
www.bricksandbrass.co.uk
Bookmarks