Logo Design – a Peek Into Its Origin

Logo design, in today’s world, can prove to be an important factor for the success of a business or organization. Everyday we come across plenty of different types of logos. Some of them are quite popular like the ones of Coca Cola, Nike etc. These logos are, in fact, so popular that the company and its products cannot even be visualized without their logo. Then there are some logos that might not be quite popular but definitely creates a long-lasting impression on the viewer. And then there are probably plenty of more logos which we overlook and forget. Whatever the case is, the bottom-line is almost every company, product, website or service today uses some sort of logo, designed to target specific audience or create an impact.

But we hardly know how the concept of logo came into being. We hardly try to find out where this concept was first started or who masterminded the design of the first ever logo. Well, there are some pretty interesting facts about the origin and history of logo design.

The history of logo design and logos dates back to Greece in ancient times. The word "logo", derived from the original word “logotype” means a name, symbol or trademark designed for easy recognition. Logo design history had its beginning as a cipher consisting of a single letter, and later a design or mark consisting of two or more letters intertwined. The cipher may be either all the letters of a name, the initial letters, or the surname of a person for use on stationery, business cards, or elsewhere.

Many early Greek and Roman coins bear the monograms or logos of rulers or towns. The most famous of these early logos is the sacred monogram, which is formed by the conjunction of the first two Greek letters of XR, S, T, O, and S; (Christ), usually with the A (alpha) and O (omega) of the Apocalypse on each side of the coin. The logo design further developed during the middle ages with more artistic and innovative implementations and increased commercial use.

In the thirteenth century, logo design evolved from simple ciphers to trademarks for traders and merchants. These early examples of logo design include masons' marks, goldsmith's marks, paper maker's watermarks and watermarks for the nobility.

The emergence of the information age changed the outlook of logo design. Today, the general public has become aware of visual symbols, especially those used as trademarks. It is important that the company logo look professional. Company logos are the face of the business, not only to the public, but to its employees and the company itself. Logos have become the front line of the company, the corporate identity.

The mark of a good logo is how well it carries the brand image of a company. Because of the diverse nature of products and services offered by many businesses today, the need for new, unique logos is even stronger. Since logos are the carrier of a company's visual image, a top-class logo design becomes crucial. A professionally designed logo is a must for anyone who has a business or product that they want to promote via any medium.