Jan 23 2009
Top Characteristics of a Web 2.0 Logo
Any project involving Web 2.0 design inevitably includes a logo. That tight, carefully designed and executed graphic that is symbolic of a thought, a concept or an entity, whether personal or business. When you see a logo, you usually understand its implication and what it tries to define, much as you would if you could read Chinese characters. But what about a Web 2.0 logo? Will you recognize one if you saw one?
And how could you keep up to the standards if you want to create one? Here are some of the characteristics you can expect from a Web 2.0 logo:
Color and more color!
A distinguishing characteristic of Web 2.0 is the intelligent use of color. Older versions of logos preferred to jump at you and grab your attention by providing you with the most garish, most attractive colors that jumped off the page. Web 2.0 has allowed subtlety to move into marketing, something that was under-utilized before.
Thanks to the technology that came along with Web 2.0, it has become easier to go wild and be more adventurous with your choices of color or be much more subdued. Colors are more vibrant but soft, making them more reflective of modernity. There is also some trend leaning towards the use of more basic, primary colors such as red, green and blue.
Use of imaginative yet appropriate fonts
Fonts used with Web 2.0 logos are designed to work well with the colors chosen. Fonts are a vital consideration for logo design and as such, play an important part in the overall look. There are hundreds of fonts available today and each one can express a particular emotion or sensibility or point of view or attitude.
The choice of a specific font, for example, can express whimsy, humor, seriousness, formality, friendliness, etc. Furthermore, the font used on a Web 2.0 logo usually carries with it the name or acronym of the person or establishment. If it’s too intricate, users of the site might miss what it says. If it’s too bland, it might fail to attract. This is why careful consideration goes into choosing a font for a Web 2.0 logo.
Style
Web 2.0 makes it possible to experiment with the look of a logo. As a result, many designers have come up with a variety of ways to spruce up their emblems. This is why Web 2.0 logos appear with some special effects, including characteristics such as a certain texture, use of multiple colors, use of reflective surface on the font or graphic, shadow effects, even fades.
The point here is not just to amaze end-users with the technological advancements that have made the design of these fonts possible but also to bring them in. Logos are not just representative of something when used with Web 2.0 technologies. They are also often used as portals or links to web pages.
Innovative
Design is a rather complicated matter, particularly because it tries to adapt to whims, trends and the prevalent sentiment of an era – which, if you looked at it, is quite changeable indeed. Another unique characteristic of a Web 2.0 logo is innovation, which allows it to reflect the changes currently taking place, particularly in the Internet. Generally, the use of more futuristic elements is involved in order to keep up with the times.
Reflective of the mood or style of the site
This is a characteristic of Web 2.0 logos that is shared by every other design component, whether it’s used for the Web or not. A Web 2.0 logo is like the ambassador of the site and as such, wears its ‘uniforms’ – the colors, fonts and styles prevalent within the site.
Here is where this lesson ends for today. We really hope you enjoyed this lesson too.
You will receive the next lesson in 7 days. Next week’s lesson will have the following title:
“Steps on How to Create a Web 2.0 Logo”
Copyright(C) 2009 by John Delavera & Reimund Lube
