It has been challenging though, for some reason some people just want to fill every little area of white space on a web page, I’ve never understood it, filling in gaps just for the sake of it. Maybe they think they will be missing an opportunity to sell or communicate something if they leave an area blank, if this is the case why not look at the bigger picture, why isn’t this being achieved in the first place? Number one reason for selling something more than anyone else? Price. Number one reason for communicating something better than anyone else, choice of designer, just kidding, or am I?

Lets look at the worlds most visited web page, Google.com, see any clutter, any “click here for this” and “Welcome to Google”? Nope, just the logo, search box and a few links. In fact Google recently took it upon themselves to simplify there homepage even more. Now if you go to Google.com not moving your mouse you will notice the various links don’t appear, move your mouse and voila, its a nice little touch and a great example of removing unnecessary things from a web page with the added bonus of a reveal if required.

The same can be said for HTML and CSS. The more I learn, the less I use, or at least the less I want to use. I always look for ways of being more efficient with my code, looking at how I can style pages using the html elements rather than creating classes or ID’s, getting rid of div’s and span’s, it’s all part of the challenge and it’s what can make designing and coding so satisfying. The minimalist approach seems to rise above the normal web design trends and that can only be a good thing, why else would it survive the continually evolving aesthetic that is the web? It’s design evolving, more and more designs are going simpler, more clients want minimal, straight to the point web sites that get the point across without wasting the users precious time.

The time people are spending reading web pages is decreasing, we don’t have enough time, we are hungry and want to consume information at a higher rate. Why waste time with irrelevant information, users are driven by purpose and the quicker we get them to their ‘purpose’ the more they appreciate our sites and brands. Even better if you can convince users of what their purpose is, and then get them to it, you have a winner and a business model. Design being minimal is linked to users becoming commodities, web sites and brands want to keep you on their site, they don’t want to annoy you with irrelevant information or irrelevant steps to get to that information and risk losing you to a competitor, but removing everything on your site isn’t the quick fix, it has to look good and be consistent with the brand you are trying to build, otherwise all the sites on the web would be text only and black and white, and none of us want that, especially me.

For me Argos haven’t really been that creative with the logo change. They seem to have taken their existing mark and made it even more generic, softened the edges and changed the swoosh into a smile, probably based on the success of other online retailers. By ‘other online retailers’ I mean the largest online retailer in the world, Amazon. But the Argos logo doesn’t really match up to the Amazon mark because the swoosh in the Amazon logo might not be a smile, it might be an arrow which is why it is a little bit clever, it makes you wonder, creating something memorable. The new Argos mark is probably an attempt to associate happiness and good feelings with the brand, people like smiling so they will buy more stuff, that would be the theory at least.

In contrast the new website is a good improvement, no great but good. Argos.co.uk has always really annoyed me, the design has always been very lacking especially for a business that was based on a catalogue, transferring that expertise or experience should of created a wonderful website but unfortunately it created a pale blue, saturated red monster. I always thought they should of focused on creating the catalogue as a website, creating something more readable with browsing being the key focus of the design. Instead it always felt like a mish mash of text links, an overgrown navigation menu, and just too many things to look at, all too close together.

The new argos.co.uk is a step in the right direction. The layout is improved, with focus points more clearly defined using borders. The use of simple silhouetted icons is also a welcomed addition that improves usability while adding a more professional touch. The layout of all the pages have less clutter leaving way for clearer presentation of each product. This is another good example where simply adding more white space has helped the page become more defined and flow better. The ecommerce designer tells me this will sell more products, no a smile in the logo, users like to see information and a clear visual of the product.

They have also sorted out their typography. The old site contained multiple fonts that weren’t consistent in how they were applied. Now headings are treated to a nice serif font and Arial is used for rest, not mind blowing but much improved. There has also been a slight change to the blue colour used, personally I would look at less saturated colours in general, but that is just me, plus these colours already have the association with the brand. Overall the site is a massive improvement on the old version. I would still love them to take a catalogue style approach to the site, be a bit more creative, that’s what people know about Argos, they have a huge laminated catalogue amongst other things.

I have always had this type of reaction to certain types of feedback, although these days I have learnt to control it and mask it with a look of interest and insight. If you don’t have this type of reaction to criticism from clients and colleagues then you might have a problem, although you will probably live longer. Designers can be a sensitive bunch, its part of being creative, but it’s not such a bad thing.

The more angry you get, the more invested you were, the more you put into it. You value your work just like it is a piece of art, because it is. That’s right, I am a web artist and my designs are hand crafted pieces that I put my heart and soul into. I invest my passion and emotion into it, I can’t help it anymore, it’s just become part of the process, I do it without even noticing it’s happening, because if I don’t, I won’t believe in the design I have created, and if I don’t believe in it, why should anyone else?

Maybe you think it is stupid to think of web design as art, but what is art? Is it framed pictures on display in famous galleries and museums around the world, because if it is, guess what will be on display a thousand years from now, sitting next to a Van Gogh or Monet, probably the first ever Google homepage, the Van Gogh’s of today are the web designers that have crafted designs that will never be forgotten and that’s what you should aim for with every design, and then explode when someone says ‘It’s good, but can you make the logo bigger?’.

Part of being a talented web designer means you have the ability to assess an aesthetic and judge whether or not the majority of the intended audience will find it visually appealing and whether or not it will have an impact on those users and influence them in some way. That is what successful web design is all about, not just looking good, but having the desired effect on the intended audience, whether it be focusing their attention or enticing them and creating curiosity. So there is definitely an element of natural talent involved because you have to judge if what you are creating looks good. This is the part of the formula that sets web designers apart, you either have it, or you don’t, it’s not something you can be shown or taught.

The other parts of the formula are more like ingredients that need to be prepared with passion and an extremely high attention to detail. A word of caution though, some ingredients don’t mix very well and it is too easy to fall into the trap of using one of the ingredients too much and creating a foul tasting design. By getting the right mix of these ingredients designers have been able to create some of the most stunning and successful web designs so far.

Typography – Choosing the right font or combination of fonts is essential to a successful web design. Once you have chosen you then have to consider how to use them, which one should be used for headings? Will you use images, Cufón, sIFR or CSS 3’s @font-face for none web safe fonts? Maybe you want to use a letterpress effect? How will you achieve this?

Iconography – The use of icons has been around since the first visual user interface was introduced in 1983 (Apple Lisa), they act as a visual anchor for users and are easier to quickly identify than a sentence or paragraph. Good icons add an extra level of detail to a web design and can really make your site look slick and professional.

Imagery – The use of images is a necessity for a good web design. When I say images I don’t just mean the use of images in general, I mean the use of images that illustrate. These could be product images on an ecommerce site, blog post images, or other forms of photography. The use of images has shaped the way we use the web making it more interesting and more interactive, engaging users and customers.

Layout – There are lots of different layouts available to web designers, some more creative than others, some more readable than others. When choosing a layout it is important to consider flow. How does the audience read through the page, how do their eyes flow through the page, this allows you to place important elements within the flow to catch the users eye to your advantage.

Illustration – You don’t have to be an expert illustrator to be a good web designer, but it helps. Using vector graphics to create the foundation of your design, creating consistent design elements with subtle gradients, shadows and textures, that appear throughout your design can really make a site stand out from the crowd. There are some sites getting a lot of attention for the level of detail in the illustrations being used in headers and footers, aspiring designers take note.

Finish – These are the details no one really notices but make all the difference. The best websites have subtle finishes all over the designs that most people probably don’t even notice. A good example of this is the minimal solid drop shadow used to make text stand out, now being achieved with CSS3, it’s one of those finishing details that unless you are a designer, you probably don’t even notice. Other examples of subtle lighting effects and borders within borders, all of which add to the quality of a design.

Minimalism – I am a minimalist in most things I do. The first thing I look at when asked to redesign something is what can be taken away? What isn’t necessary and plays no important role to a user? Whether it be content or part of the design, removing unnecessary elements is the best place to start, keep it simple and clean.

Colour – Colour choice and use is critical to a good design. Using varied shades or complimenting colours can achieve so much and yet it is very easy to get it wrong. Following on from the minimalist mantra, keeping it simple is key here. Look at the design and ask yourself if it works, experimentation is important, try different combinations and watch for what works. Particular favourites of mines right now are greys and purples.

Interaction – Ever get the feeling a button should move when you click on it? As a web designer, an obsessive one, nothing irritates me more than clicking on a button and having no feedback, no movement, why bother making it a button and not a link? Using interactive elements in your design allows you to connect with the user, try putting yourself in their shoes, what would they want to happen?

Here are some sites I have noticed that stand out for the way they have used some of these ingredients.

idsgn.org typography, imagery, minimalism

tutsplus.com iconography, typography, colour, finish

webdesignerdepot.com illustration, colour, finish

ilovetypography.com typography, minimalism, finish

apple.com typography, minimalism, finish, interaction

365daysofastronomy.org typography, finish, illustration, colour

abduzeedo.com imagery, layout, finish, interaction

atebits.com iconography, illustration, finish, interaction

But Ask.co.uk haven’t given up and while probably not looking to topple the top of the leader board, they are still in the game against the lower division teams, like Microsoft and Yahoo. They still have a chance to be the second best and by reintroducing Jeeves they are taking a step in the right direction. Jeeves made more of an impact than Ask ever gave themselves credit for, my dad still uses the term ‘Ask Jeeves’ when talking about some fact he wants to prove he is right about, like dads do, and I am sure he is not the only one. Considering they dropped the term 3 years ago it shows great longevity and memorability.

So why did they dismiss poor old Jeeves in the first place? I think it was an attempt to get serious and lose the restrictions an English butler places on your brand and service. Ask wanted to grow up and appeal to everyone as a serious search service, not just people that found Jeeves funny or charming, so Jeeves was sent packing back to the English countryside or wherever digital English butlers retire to. At the time an Ask executive said “the internet has moved on and consumers have moved on.. they don’t understand the relevance of him any more: it’s time to move the brand on too”.

Ask are saying they are bringing back Jeeves ‘due to popular demand’ and although I agree the brand works better as originally conceived it does is highlight the company’s confusion about its own identity. Nevertheless after years of ‘just asking’ Jeeves is back, and might have all the answers.

I like to think Jeeves tried different jobs while he was away, and the possibilities for hilarious TV adverts showing an unsatisfied Jeeves undertaking these Jobs before returning are truly endless, this would make a great TV campaign. Maybe he was kidnapped and held to ransom and using his skills to search with keywords his was able to escape, Jack Bauer style.

Official and polite introductions out of the way, this is in my opinion is a terrible concept and just a really bad idea. I’m not ashamed to admit I enjoy some of the finest sci-fi programmes like Battlestar Galactica, which is screened on Sci Fi in the US. The UK Sci Fi channel isn’t quite as prime time as the one in the US but I have seen the brand around. So as a brand it’s off to a good start because even though I don’t watch the channel I know the brand and I have an opinion of it, so there is some awareness of a brand I am not directly using which from a brand design point of view is pretty good going.

Having the name Sci Fi (with the correct spelling) for a sci-fi channel is as good as it gets from a branding point of view, ‘does what it says on the screen’, you can’t really get more simple and straight forward than that. According to their press release part of their rebrand is to try and appeal to non sci-fi viewers as well as their existing viewers, they really think this will be achieved by changing their name to SyFy? Seriously? I appreciate they are trying to evolve their brand, but this is really not the right way to go about it, the more I write about it, the more ridiculous it sounds. How can a board of directors or panel of executives really believe that making this change is good for the channel? Not just any channel but a sci-fi channel, it makes no sense whatsoever. I generally don’t like criticising the hard work of designers and I suppose the new logo and identity is good if you get past the awful concept.

The official statement also states that the new name “remains phonetically identical”, this simply isn’t correct. Take some examples, symbol, symmetry, syphilis (nice), how are these words pronounced? It would of been a good idea to put some time and effort into researching correct spelling and pronunciation.

On a marketing level this is also a very bad idea. Sci-fi has a cult following, a community of followers that don’t like to be messed with and by trying to move away from their sci-fi roots, the channel are sending the wrong message out and effectively alienating existing viewers. This whole thing just seems wrong on so many levels and if I worked for Sci Fi I would urge them to reconsider the concept and go back to the drawing board before it is due to go live in July. Seriously? SyFy?

When asked to offer my opinion on Wordpress it wasn’t difficult and I was more than happy to sing it’s praises. What’s not to like? It works amazingly well, sure it could be a little bit faster but that ethos applies to so many things in life. The biggest benefit of Wordpress is that fact it is open source. This doesn’t just mean it’s free, which is something you should obviously appreciate, it ultimately means the true incentive behind all the hard work, love and sweat put into it’s development isn’t motivated by profit, but driven by perfection and the need to create a tool that performs no other function than being the perfect integrated blogging platform, and I have to admit, it’s not far off. Here’s what I said about the Wordpress 2.7:

For me Wordpress has always been a no-brainer, it’s free and has been developed by the best in the business, you can’t really argue with that. It was always feature-rich but seemed to lack the user interface to tie it all together. With the “Coltrane” release (2.7) that problem was solved and Wordpress went from being a simple blogging tool to a fully blown content management system. The new UI is beautiful and really takes advantage of all the latest web technologies. Everything ties in seamlessly and you can get around quickly using the new left-hand menu. Everything can be customised, like what is shown on the Dashboard and major upgrades are now automatic which as any Wordpress user knows is a superb addition. All the content is easier to manage, review and change. You would need a damn good argument to get me to consider any other blogging platform.

The feature itself is very detailed and written well. I have bought Web Designer before and prefer it’s designer based layout and point of view, opposed to being a developers magazine featuring more coding and database features than design. Some magazines sit on the fence in between developer and designer, it is hard not to include articles that cross over, but Web Designer use a very illustrative design that I think appeals to designers which is probably the reason I picked it up off the shelf. Grab a copy and check me out!

The old mark was just that, old, boring and in need of serious attention. Logo’s on cars are slightly different because they actively promote themselves everyday at the front of their cars, sitting proudly, shining for everyone to see. It is really difficult not to notice an international car manufacturers logo if you live close to civilization, so when considering a new one or a refresh, being unforgettable isn’t absolute top of the list of priorities. I can see what the overall objective is, create a brand that represents innovation and the future, just one look at their website will show you this new logo is part of a ‘reinvention’, a campaign to make them more modern, their brand, their cars and their whole philosophy. As part of this ‘reinvention’ that new logo fits quite well, but on it’s own it’s slightly lacking due to the fact the overall campaign will finish and the logo will remain so it needs to be effective without the accompanying visuals, it needs more longevity.

A huge amount of work has gone into this rebrand, there is a lot of detail and it is all done to a really high standard. Still I find it a bit disappointing Citroen didn’t let a local French designer create something really special. Let the big faceless American company do the other stuff but look to smaller, independent designers for something truly inspiring and more French. Yes it’s more modern and it will work along side the current campaign but what about after that?

1. Thou shall not steal someone elses design.

A very sensitive area for me at the moment, although copying is supposed to be the best form of flattery, blatant copying of someones design is shameful. In this day and age you will be named and shamed on a blog or forum somewhere. There is a fine line between ‘inspiration’ and ‘copying’ so be careful if you struggle with being completely original. Of course everyone is influenced by what they see around them and current design trends but my advice to anyone prowling the CSS showcase websites for inspiration would be to get away from your desk and chill, look for inspiration in places you would least expect to find it. 

2. Thou shall adhere to web standards.

A bit of a generalisation but let me explain. Why do standards exist? Standards exist to make people who don’t care, have to care. Take ISO manufacturing standards for example, every product manufactured has to adhere to certain standards, imagine if they didn’t, how would you feel if you TV blew up after one week? You take it back right? Not if manufacturing warranties weren’t standard, you get my point?

Web standards are just the same, they make web designers think and produce amazing work for the benefit of everyone, users, designers, IT folks, silver surfers and any other demographic you can think of. Don’t just discuss web standards, use them!

3. Thou shall not use Tables for layout.

There is only one reason for using tables in web design, for tabular data. Using tables to organise a page layout is a poor practice and something everyone should move away from. I don’t care who is still doing it or if you have always done it that way, it is wrong, sort it out. Builders used to use asbestos for insulation, but they realised the error of their ways, a bit of an extreme example but hopefully it emphasises my point.

4. Thou shall never prioritise ad placement over content.

One of my (many) pet hates. Did you create a website to generate money from Ads? Or, do you have a passion for what you do and enjoy sharing, writing, designing, filming, reviewing or what ever your website does? Make the choice and stick to it, yes I understand ads are a good way to pay for hosting but don’t try and trick your visitors into clicking the ads by camouflaging them (Camoutising) or placing them in really annoying spots like just under the title of the article, before any content.

5. Thou shall allow for non-Flash/Javascript browsing.

Some people don’t care but those people are crazy fools. Don’t discriminate, segregate or eliminate your potential visitors. It’s just logical really, why would you create a website, at it’s fundamental core a vehicle for sharing information with the world (hence the www, not just ww), only to present information that isn’t accessible to a certain audience? You can still use Flash and Javascript but just provide alternatives which are unobtrusive and don’t effect your site if the user turns them off. For example, if your navigation is Flash how the hell is a user, not using flash, supposed to get anywhere? It may sound stupid to some of us, but believe me, it does happen.

6. Thou shall check, check and recheck links, images and copy.

Nothing is worse than a link that leads to nowhere or the completely wrong place, it immediately tells the user it is amateur night.  Unfortunately with web design and large dynamic sites, it can sometimes be hard to get it perfect first time which is why I recommend triple checking. It is difficult and we are all human but the more you slowly check through every link and proof read your copy, the less mistakes will be made.

7. Thou shall validate all XHTML code.

If you are a web designer and you don’t know about validating XHTML, stop designing and get learning. the W3C offer a great resource where you can validate XHTML, Dreamweaver has built in validation tools, so there really is no excuse. Validating your code isn’t just about being a perfectionist, it points out small errors in your code which might not show in some browsers. Valid XHTML is another no brainer, if you are going to do something, do it properly. Think of it as a spell checker for the XHTML language.

8. Thou shall always test cross browser & cross platform compatibility.

As a general rule I test all my websites in IE7, Firefox 3 and Chrome in Vista, IE7 and Firefox 2 in XP and Safari and Firefox in OS X. Seems like a lot but it doesn’t take that long and you would be surprised at some of the differences in the way they render pages. This is a great cross section and loosely based on the W3C monthly browser usage stats. I refuse to test in IE6 because it is over 7 years old and anyone still using it to browse the web doesn’t deserve to have access to it. Designers who still test in IE6 are keeping it alive by doing so, don’t do it.

9. Thou shall avoid using too many DIV’s

One of the things about learning CSS is using DIV’s. At first it seems like an endless amount of DIV’s are required to contain, wrap and assign classes but it’s not the case. Look harder at your code, ask yourself, do I really need a DIV there or can I assign a class to another element? For example, your footer, does it need to be in a DIV or could you not simply assign the footer ID or class to the <p> or <a> and use CSS to do the rest? Many designers suffer from ‘divitus’ when experiencing the CSS learning curve, but hopefully you can use your skill to rid yourself of this infliction and start designing more elegantly with less DIV’s. Think of it as a challenge, avoid using DIV’s unless you absolutely have no other choice to get the desired design.

10. Thou shall not open links in a new window.

Back in the day web designers used to open all links from the homepage in a new window. The theory was the more pages open with their content in the better! What they didn’t think about is how annoyed the user would be and therefore would never, ever return to their annoying website, great job! There are almost no situations where you would want to yank control to open content in new windows from the user. It is so easy for a user to open content in a new window or in a new tab that if they really want to they will, don’t force the issue because you will only drive traffic away from your annoying site. The W3C have gone as far as taking the tag “target=” out of the XHTML 1 Strict specification, it doesn’t even exist anymore, get the hint?

Today Google released the first Beta of Google Chrome and after using it for a few hours I think it is pretty good. I can safely say it is easily as good as all the other browsers currently available. I predominantly use Safari on my Mac, although because of my work on web design I also use IE7, Firefox, Opera and up until recently I sometimes checked things in IE6 (never again, see previous post, death to IE6!), so I have a wide view of what the various browsers are like and which ones tend to be the most usable in terms of user friendliness, speed and general browsing. At first Glance, I would say Google Chrome is right up there and knowing Google and their plethora of knowledge and data when it comes to all things web, may slowly but surely take over where all have been before.

On the down side there isn’t anything really innovative about the browser, although it is still early days. They have taken the best from the rest, tabbed browsing (tabs in the title bar, good move!), Incognito Mode (Privacy mode in Safari), but apart from that it will all come down to speed and security unless a major innovation is introduced. I think Google are positioned the best out of all the other browser companies to be first with innovation in this market. They have the largest share of visitors and users by far so they can analyse how users behave and implement changes to their browser before anyone else. I think this would of been one of the main reasons the browser went into development, to capatilise on what they knowt, not to mention the upcoming release of their mobile OS, Android which will obviously need a web browser too.

So 2007 was the year of the Smartphone (replace smart with i if you want), I think 2009 will be the year that internet browsers went to war, and I think Google’s entrance into the battle will only take it to the next level. Internet Explorer 8 is in development and Firefox 3 is gaining market share everyday but Microsoft and Mozilla will be watching closely and if they are not careful they could become casualties.

If you have survived the dramatic intro paragraph let me tell you about a global movement that you should know about and get involved with, SaveTheDevelopers.org. Together with facebook groups like Internet Explorer 6 Uninstall Day, SaveTheDevelopers.org have one purpose and one purpose only, to educate users still using IE6 that it is a terrible browser that is out of date and should be uninstalled immediately and replaced with one of the many free, faster, more secure browsers easily available to anyone.

“I use internet explorer 6, and it works great”

WRONG, it doesn’t work great, it might appear to you to work great but you are misguided, not only are you potentially sharing you private information with people you really don’t want to, but you are also standing in the way of progress. The web needs to progress for the good of all mankind (a bit dramatic I know), by using this stupid browser you are shifting the focus of designers and developers from innovating by taking their precious time up with irrelevant considerations like how to make sure things work ok in an archaic browser.

Do something good today, uninstall or upgrade Internet Explorer 6! You will be taking part in a global movement and actively helping the internet progress quicker. Don’t accept buggy, unsecure, slow browsers, stand up and do something about it, Uninstall IE6 today and make the World Wide Web a better place.

Some of you may not know that Apple actually had a go at a mass email service before, it was called .Mac but as you can imagine it only really appealed to users with a Mac, could of been the name perhaps? So with the developments surrounding the iPhone, Apple have timed this very well, reducing the price of the iPhone 3G and tagging on a new service that compliments the device so well, introducing Exchange support, making the whole package more appealing, more affordable and more compatible with everyone.

The logo itself is not bad, it is fit for purpose but not really inspiring. It is similar to the Windows Me logo, Windows Millenium Edition was a special version of Windows 95 released to mark the new Millenium in 2000. The ‘Me’ is very similar, but because the MobileMe logo doesn’t stand on it’s own, it probably won’t matter.

I will be keeping an eye on the MobileMe brand. Apple get branding so right, and to be honest it would be very difficult to get anything wrong here, they have the existing ‘mother’ brand of Apple to support the new one, they have a service people want or even need depending on how much of an iFan you are, so it’s safe to say MobileMe is going to be big. I will be looking to learn from how the brand is presented to the public, how they take advantage of the user base in terms of monetizing the web app when it is launched, following the success of the iPod service, iTunes.

Well it’s all a matter of opinion I suppose but that’s the great thing about the web, it allows you to survey opinion unlike any other research tool. Some might say whichever logo has had the most exposure is the most famous, a logo that has been in existence longer than any other. In that case the most famous logo would probably be the Christian Cross. First used in errr, the year 0, according to religious types, this logo or symbol has definitely stood the test of time and is certainly known throughout most of the world. You could also consider other religious symbols like the Star of David, Ying & Yang etc. the symbols are the original logos, symbolism at its best.

Of course, logo’s and brands can be famous for all the wrong reasons. A recent example is the 2012 London Olympic logo, having created such controversy the logo is now recognised everywhere but only because so many people weren’t crazy about it. How ironic is that, the more people don’t like the logo you design, the more impact and exposure it gets! Maybe we should all start aiming to create horrific logo’s for this exact reason, as they say, bad publicity is better than no publicity.

There are also logo’s that are famous for what they represent. The big tech companies, Microsoft, Apple, IBM, Dell, among others represent technology and the future of how we live and work. Their innovations are in the news a lot so we are constantly seeing their logos not to mention most of us use their products to work or surf the web, more logo exposure. Similarly in the motor industry, they put their logos on the front and back of the vehicles so again we are bombarded with logos on the road, most of the time without even realising it, those motor companies who produce the most cars will have more exposure, Ford springs to mind.

I guess the only true way to name the most famous logo in the world would be to survey a demographic who are very remote, not too remote like the recent ‘last uncontacted tribe on earth’ recently in the news, but a group of people who don’t interact with western culture a lot, I wonder what logos they would recognise and which they would identify with. My guess would be some sort of religious icon, because these have been around the longest and had time to become part of even remote cultures. What do you think?

These visual associations and reinforcing messages are also constantly thrust into your brain using billboards, TV, radio and of course the internet. Marketers can then manipulate your perception of a company’s brand using advertising and other visual methods like the way the shop is designed and laid out (visual merchandising), the customer service you receive, to help you build up loyalty and more associations of positive feelings, making you go back for more.

Having the right logo, the one constant in all these aspects of the brand, is of the highest importance to any business wanting to achieve ultimate success. It is something a company can anchor to your loyalty something easy to remember that you will associate with your feelings. Here’s 5 of the all time greatest.

Number 5. Kelloggs

You can almost hear the sound of the spoon hitting the bowl or the Snap, Crackle & Pop just from talking about this company. The company has been around for a very long time (100 years, in 2006) and the logo which hasn’t really changed all the much has almost been around just as long. It’s international and appeals for the simple reason that people know Kellogg’s cereals are generally the best tasting. The logo itself is warm, familiar and friendly, perfect for its purpose.

Number 4. Volkswagen

The only motor industry entry on my top 5, Volkswagen has to be one of the most well known car manufacturers ever. VW is Europe’s largest car maker, starting out life as, wait for it, “Gesellschaft zur Vorbereitung des Deutschen Volkswagens mbH” you can see why a logo and abbreviation were critical to their. A couple of world wars later VW were never really at risk from their German heritage and alleged association with a Mr Hitler, probably because of the renowned reliability of their motors. Interesting fact, the original Beetle was first produced after the British Military Government took responsibility for Volkswagen after the second world war. It was not produced by Adolf Hitler as some people believe.

Number 3. Adidas

Not 1 stripe, not 2 stripes, but 3 is the magic number, everyone recognises the shoes with the stripes, born from the vision of one man, Adi Dassler created Adidas in 1949. Half a century later Adidas now enjoy being the second largest sport retailer in the world. Interesting fact, owner of Adidas, the Adidas Group also own Reebok.

Number 2. Coca Cola

Now, don’t get me wrong, this is probably the most well known brand in the world, but as for the logo, it has been relegated to number 2 based on it’s textual and less symbolic look. That said the swirls of Coca Cola resonate around the globe in a way no other can (see what I did there), and have done so since 1886. Born in a Pharmacy (irony for you) in Atlanta the inventor John Pemberton hired a book keeper who named the syrup Coca Cola and wrote it out in the exact, distinct script we all know and love today. Interesting fact, Coca Cola effectively rebranded Santa Claus and gave him a friendlier look to help sales of their drink. They did not, as many people believe, invent the overall image of Santa as we know him today.

Number 1. Nike

The winner on my list is Nike. Probably no surprise to most people this bad boy is one of the all time greatest logos ever conceived. Don’t get me wrong, when it was designed it was by no means outstanding or amazing, it was sufficient. But overtime with a little bit of luck, great products and innovation this logo now represents a very special brand. The Nike brand is known around the world and is synonymous with quality and prestige of the highest level in sport and sports fashion, it is known for being at the forefront of footwear and clothing, and based on its success to date it will most probably never be knocked off the top spot. Interesting fact, the original name for Nike was Blue Ribbon Sports, I bet they are glad they changed it.