My Operalogo designing guidelines
Thursday, September 23, 2010 7:54:24 AM
When it comes to describing what a good logo is, this old saying comes in handy: “A good logo is a dead logo”… Uhm, well, ok I’m just kidding 
. Actually, it’s quite the opposite.
A good logo is a logo that lives.
The collection below features great, creative logos that have a message hidden. They try to convey that message through type, shape, negative space, and by triggering image and/or meaning associations in our minds. Enjoy!
I realize not everyone gets it from the moment they look at it for the first time, so I allowed myself to add a short description to every logo.
1) Doghouse Brewing Co.
Doghouse Brewing Co. logo
This logo utilizes negative space. As in the name, we see a dog house, and the brewing element is incorporated into logo by having a beer mug shaped entry to the dog house (which is accented with the mug’s handle and stand).
2) Matrimony
Matrimony logo
Another use of negative space. The holes between M’s legs are actually people holding hands, which expresses what matrimonial bureaus stand for – helping people find each other and fall in love.
3) Pizza Time
Pizza Time logo
The clock’s board is actually a pizza, so it’s kind of like the clock’s hand says: “It’s time for pizza”.
4) Cloud Corner
Cloud Corner logo
Clouds are round, but corners are edgy; the corner here is nicely separated from this cloud’s round shape. Also, the colors from the name are nicely reflected on the cloud and its corner.
5) Bee
Bee logo
The B’s shape is formed by bee swarm.
6) Beercation
Beercation logo
People associate vacation with traveling, and so this travel bag is actually a beer mug, with handle and wheels – which nicely reflects the logo’s name.
7) Love Clip
Love Clip logo
The logo’s shape is a heart, which stands for the “love” part of the name, and it’s made from a clip, which of course stands for the “clip” part.
8) Fly
Fly logo
This one is really good. Its shape is an “F” letter, rotated in away so that it reminds an air plane up in the air.
9) Fitmiss
Fitmiss logo
Fitmiss logo combines two shapes: barbells and female sex sign. Of course, barbells shape stands for the “fit(ness)” part, and the female sex sign stands for “miss”.
10) Fold It
Fold It logo
The logo’s is a folded “F” letter. Couldn’t be more obvious.
11) Families
Families logo
This one is great: the middle part of the word “families”, the letters “i”, “l”, and “i” are actually very simplified shapes of people. The biggest one is the father, the mid-size is the mother, and the smallest one is a child – a family.
12) The Golf Park
The Golf Park logo
The logo’s shape is a tree, but with a golf stick as a tree’s trunk.
13) Heart Build Foundation
Heart Build Foundation logo
The logo is a shovel (which is associated with building) with a heart at the end. So there you are, heart + building.
14) Invisible Agents
Invisible Agents logo
This one is one of my favourites: those lines look almost the same. Almost, because the middle one is slightly different, it’s tie-shaped. First of all, agents wear ties. Second of all, good agent can blend in so good that it’s really hard to spot him. And that’s what this subtle middle line difference stands for.
15) Killed Productions
Killed Productions logo
The “i” of the “killed” word lies on the ground. Like it’s, well, killed.
16) Locks
Locks logo
This one is kind hard to explain. You know locks have those little triggers inside them, and when you turn the key, those trigger rotate, causing it to lock. Now, look at letters “o” and “c”. That ring a bell?
17) Mister Cutts Baber Shop
Mister Cutts Baber Shop logo
Mister Cutts literally IS the logo. It looks like a mister with eyeglasses and mustache, but that’s actually a scissors upside down.
18) Wine Searcher
Wine Searcher logo
The name here reflects nicely in the shape. The shape consists from two wine bottles, but without the inner lines. This make it look like eyeglasses – and you often put eyeglasses on when you’re searching for something.
19) Newcastle Food & Wine Festival
Newcastle Food & Wine Festival logo
Another creative use of negative space. The white shape is a fork, which stands for the “food” part, and the fork teeth are the shapes of wine bottles, which of course stands for the “wine” part.
20) CinemaCafe
CinemaCafe logo
A coffee cup made of a film reel. Yup, a Cinema Cafe cup.
21) Baloon Chef
Baloon Chef logo
The balloon is actually a chef’s hat, and the balloon’s basket is a chef’s apron with kitchen utilities attached to it.
22) Cowbra Productions
Cowbra Productions logo
A game of words. The logo is a cow, but with zebra stripes; a Cow-Bra.
23) CityCliq
CityCliq logo
The city here is actually a hand cursor we see on computers, simulating a “click” on the sun above the city.
24) Dig for Saint Michael’s
Dig for Saint Michael's logo
Another shovel here. Shovel itself stands for the “dig” part. It’s made from two elements people usually associate with saints: a cross, and a stained glass windows you usually see in churches.
25) Iron Duck Clothing
Iron Duck Clothing logo
The “clothing” part is reflected by a hanger. Most hangers are made from iron, plus it has a duck-shaped hook. So it’s an iron duck hanger. So it’s Iron Duck Clothing.
26) MonKey
MonKey logo
A good one, another game of words. “Monkey” has a word “key” in it already, so there couldn’t be a more obvious logo than a key with a monkey-shaped head.
27) Martini House
Martini House logo
Yet another creative use of negative space. We see two martini glasses standing right next to each other – forming the space between them into a house. And there you go, Martini House.
28) Filmurbia
Filmurbia logo
This logo is a nice combinations of concepts from the CinemaCafe and CityCliq logos. The city here, the buildings to be exact, are made from a movie reel too.
29) ChemisTree
ChemisTree logo
One more game of words. The name is a combinations of words “chemistry” and “tree”. And so the logo reflects it in this weird tree – the trunk is actually a test tube, and a cloud of fumes that is often produced in chemical experiments represents the upper branches.
30) Black Cat
Black Cat logo
One of my favourites. When you first look at it, you might say “nothing fancy here”. Just two words, taken out of the name, and rotated 90 degrees. There’s nothing to it, right? Wrong! Look at letters “C” in both words. They are actually cat’s eyes.
31) Brain Finger
Brain Finger logo
A finger print in a shape of a brain, a brain-finger.
32) uReach Media
uReach Media logo
I like the concept here, this one triggers meaning associations in our minds. The logo is U-shaped, which obviously reflects the “uReach” part of the name. Also, letter “u” is commonly used as a replacement for “you”. The “U” has hands on both ends, which triggers in our minds a meaning association: reaching out for something. So it’s like “you reach out for media” -> uReach Media.
33) Econergy
Econergy logo
Quite obvious one. The logo is “e” shaped power cable with a leaf at the end. “E” stands for “eco”, and the cable for “energy”. Eco-Energy.
34) Rocket Golf
Rocket Golf logo
Awesome use of negative space. The “golf” part is reflected in two tees. The space between those tees looks just like a rocket, which reflects the “rocket” part of the name obviously.
35) Hole
Hole logo
Very simple one. The “O” letter out of the word “hole” is… in the hole.
36) Optical Strength
Optical Strength logo
A bodybuilder raising a barbell. Only the barbell is not really a barbell, but eyeglasses, which stand for the “optical”.
37) Evolution X
Evolution X logo
Great one here, my favourite from this collection. The name is “Evolution X”, and in the logo we can literally see the “X” evolving from a one short line, to a fully shaped “X”.
38) BarCode
BarCode logo
The beer mug stands for the “bar” part, and it has a barcode pattern on it. Doesn’t get any more obvious than that, does it.
39) Water Empire
Water Empire logo
When you hear “empire”, you hear “king”. And when you hear “king”, you think of a crown. The crown here is made of water, and so it stands for the name: Water Empire.
40) Lost
Lost logo
Another one playing with associations. When someone’s lost, you need something to find them, best if it’s something unique that will point to that person, and that person only. What’s more unique than a finger print?
. Actually, it’s quite the opposite.A good logo is a logo that lives.
The collection below features great, creative logos that have a message hidden. They try to convey that message through type, shape, negative space, and by triggering image and/or meaning associations in our minds. Enjoy!
I realize not everyone gets it from the moment they look at it for the first time, so I allowed myself to add a short description to every logo.
1) Doghouse Brewing Co.
Doghouse Brewing Co. logo
This logo utilizes negative space. As in the name, we see a dog house, and the brewing element is incorporated into logo by having a beer mug shaped entry to the dog house (which is accented with the mug’s handle and stand).
2) Matrimony
Matrimony logo
Another use of negative space. The holes between M’s legs are actually people holding hands, which expresses what matrimonial bureaus stand for – helping people find each other and fall in love.
3) Pizza Time
Pizza Time logo
The clock’s board is actually a pizza, so it’s kind of like the clock’s hand says: “It’s time for pizza”.
4) Cloud Corner
Cloud Corner logo
Clouds are round, but corners are edgy; the corner here is nicely separated from this cloud’s round shape. Also, the colors from the name are nicely reflected on the cloud and its corner.
5) Bee
Bee logo
The B’s shape is formed by bee swarm.
6) Beercation
Beercation logo
People associate vacation with traveling, and so this travel bag is actually a beer mug, with handle and wheels – which nicely reflects the logo’s name.
7) Love Clip
Love Clip logo
The logo’s shape is a heart, which stands for the “love” part of the name, and it’s made from a clip, which of course stands for the “clip” part.
8) Fly
Fly logo
This one is really good. Its shape is an “F” letter, rotated in away so that it reminds an air plane up in the air.
9) Fitmiss
Fitmiss logo
Fitmiss logo combines two shapes: barbells and female sex sign. Of course, barbells shape stands for the “fit(ness)” part, and the female sex sign stands for “miss”.
10) Fold It
Fold It logo
The logo’s is a folded “F” letter. Couldn’t be more obvious.
11) Families
Families logo
This one is great: the middle part of the word “families”, the letters “i”, “l”, and “i” are actually very simplified shapes of people. The biggest one is the father, the mid-size is the mother, and the smallest one is a child – a family.
12) The Golf Park
The Golf Park logo
The logo’s shape is a tree, but with a golf stick as a tree’s trunk.
13) Heart Build Foundation
Heart Build Foundation logo
The logo is a shovel (which is associated with building) with a heart at the end. So there you are, heart + building.
14) Invisible Agents
Invisible Agents logo
This one is one of my favourites: those lines look almost the same. Almost, because the middle one is slightly different, it’s tie-shaped. First of all, agents wear ties
. Second of all, good agent can blend in so good that it’s really hard to spot him. And that’s what this subtle middle line difference stands for.15) Killed Productions
Killed Productions logo
The “i” of the “killed” word lies on the ground. Like it’s, well, killed
.16) Locks
Locks logo
This one is kind hard to explain. You know locks have those little triggers inside them, and when you turn the key, those trigger rotate, causing it to lock. Now, look at letters “o” and “c”. That ring a bell?
17) Mister Cutts Baber Shop
Mister Cutts Baber Shop logo
Mister Cutts literally IS the logo. It looks like a mister with eyeglasses and mustache, but that’s actually a scissors upside down.
18) Wine Searcher
Wine Searcher logo
The name here reflects nicely in the shape. The shape consists from two wine bottles, but without the inner lines. This make it look like eyeglasses – and you often put eyeglasses on when you’re searching for something.
19) Newcastle Food & Wine Festival
Newcastle Food & Wine Festival logo
Another creative use of negative space. The white shape is a fork, which stands for the “food” part, and the fork teeth are the shapes of wine bottles, which of course stands for the “wine” part.
20) CinemaCafe
CinemaCafe logo
A coffee cup made of a film reel. Yup, a Cinema Cafe cup.
21) Baloon Chef
Baloon Chef logo
The balloon is actually a chef’s hat, and the balloon’s basket is a chef’s apron with kitchen utilities attached to it.
22) Cowbra Productions
Cowbra Productions logo
A game of words. The logo is a cow, but with zebra stripes; a Cow-Bra.
23) CityCliq
CityCliq logo
The city here is actually a hand cursor we see on computers, simulating a “click” on the sun above the city.
24) Dig for Saint Michael’s
Dig for Saint Michael's logo
Another shovel here. Shovel itself stands for the “dig” part. It’s made from two elements people usually associate with saints: a cross, and a stained glass windows you usually see in churches.
25) Iron Duck Clothing
Iron Duck Clothing logo
The “clothing” part is reflected by a hanger. Most hangers are made from iron, plus it has a duck-shaped hook. So it’s an iron duck hanger. So it’s Iron Duck Clothing.
26) MonKey
MonKey logo
A good one, another game of words. “Monkey” has a word “key” in it already, so there couldn’t be a more obvious logo than a key with a monkey-shaped head.
27) Martini House
Martini House logo
Yet another creative use of negative space. We see two martini glasses standing right next to each other – forming the space between them into a house. And there you go, Martini House.
28) Filmurbia
Filmurbia logo
This logo is a nice combinations of concepts from the CinemaCafe and CityCliq logos. The city here, the buildings to be exact, are made from a movie reel too.
29) ChemisTree
ChemisTree logo
One more game of words. The name is a combinations of words “chemistry” and “tree”. And so the logo reflects it in this weird tree – the trunk is actually a test tube, and a cloud of fumes that is often produced in chemical experiments represents the upper branches.
30) Black Cat
Black Cat logo
One of my favourites. When you first look at it, you might say “nothing fancy here”. Just two words, taken out of the name, and rotated 90 degrees. There’s nothing to it, right? Wrong! Look at letters “C” in both words. They are actually cat’s eyes
.31) Brain Finger
Brain Finger logo
A finger print in a shape of a brain, a brain-finger.
32) uReach Media
uReach Media logo
I like the concept here, this one triggers meaning associations in our minds. The logo is U-shaped, which obviously reflects the “uReach” part of the name. Also, letter “u” is commonly used as a replacement for “you”. The “U” has hands on both ends, which triggers in our minds a meaning association: reaching out for something. So it’s like “you reach out for media” -> uReach Media.
33) Econergy
Econergy logo
Quite obvious one. The logo is “e” shaped power cable with a leaf at the end. “E” stands for “eco”, and the cable for “energy”. Eco-Energy.
34) Rocket Golf
Rocket Golf logo
Awesome use of negative space. The “golf” part is reflected in two tees. The space between those tees looks just like a rocket, which reflects the “rocket” part of the name obviously.
35) Hole
Hole logo
Very simple one. The “O” letter out of the word “hole” is… in the hole
.36) Optical Strength
Optical Strength logo
A bodybuilder raising a barbell. Only the barbell is not really a barbell, but eyeglasses, which stand for the “optical”.
37) Evolution X
Evolution X logo
Great one here, my favourite from this collection. The name is “Evolution X”, and in the logo we can literally see the “X” evolving from a one short line, to a fully shaped “X”.
38) BarCode
BarCode logo
The beer mug stands for the “bar” part, and it has a barcode pattern on it. Doesn’t get any more obvious than that, does it.
39) Water Empire
Water Empire logo
When you hear “empire”, you hear “king”. And when you hear “king”, you think of a crown. The crown here is made of water, and so it stands for the name: Water Empire.
40) Lost
Lost logo
Another one playing with associations. When someone’s lost, you need something to find them, best if it’s something unique that will point to that person, and that person only. What’s more unique than a finger print?
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