Logo Design for Small Business

Rating:
Summary: Good book, but not what I expected
Review: I was looking for guidance in logo design. My purpose was for electronic media and print media specifically. When I got the book, the first lines of the introduction states, "This book is primarily written to address logo design as it applies to vehicle lettering and signage. Logo design for print usage has a different set of characteristics and design traits that set it apart from vehicle advertising."

The book is good for what it is intendend for. As I ordered online, I could not read that the first lines and no other reviews indicated that is was not just for small businesses in general. I rated it a three, partly because I had completely different expectations as I do not plan on doing any vehicle lettering anytime soon.

The author has a very easy style and explains through a series of hard knocks, as he has learned. If you are entering this field, you may encounter the same realizations. I like the fact that he reviews some of his early work and critiques himself and how and why it could be better based on his learning curve of practical design principles. Also, practical info on selling ideas, sales and pricing to customers. He has learned from experience.

A good book for those looking for signage as the focus is non-print/non-electronic mediums.

Rating:
Summary: Good book, but not what I expected
Review: I was looking for guidance in logo design. My purpose was for electronic media and print media specifically. When I got the book, the first lines of the introduction states, "This book is primarily written to address logo design as it applies to vehicle lettering and signage. Logo design for print usage has a different set of characteristics and design traits that set it apart from vehicle advertising."

The book is good for what it is intendend for. As I ordered online, I could not read that the first lines and no other reviews indicated that is was not just for small businesses in general. I rated it a three, partly because I had completely different expectations as I do not plan on doing any vehicle lettering anytime soon.

The author has a very easy style and explains through a series of hard knocks, as he has learned. If you are entering this field, you may encounter the same realizations. I like the fact that he reviews some of his early work and critiques himself and how and why it could be better based on his learning curve of practical design principles. Also, practical info on selling ideas, sales and pricing to customers. He has learned from experience.

A good book for those looking for signage as the focus is non-print/non-electronic mediums.

Rating:
Summary: Real World Logos, thats the point!!
Review: The last reviewer seems to miss the point of the book. Too many of these other logo design book show all these corporate logos - pie in the sky stuff - that the average, small freelance designer will generally not have the opportunity to work on. I want to see REAL WORLD logos - for the pizzeria, for the plumber - for the small businesses that most freelance or smalller designer deal with all day. Is the book as relevant for corporate gigs? Probably not, hence the name of the book "Logo Design for Small Business".

It doesn't matter if the logos are geared for signage or other outdoor mediums. Why? Because any good logo that appears well in a larger format, such as signage or vehicle lettering, will look fine in print and electronic mediums. That's the whole thing that most designers DONT get - they design for print, and then the small business owner goes to utilize it in outdoor mediums (which is their most important usage) and the designs look lousy.

The author stresses the importance of distance legibility - which, if most designers understood, would make for better logos for their clients.

So, I'm going to say, the book is great for any designer who is working for small business type clients. It explains the rationale and reasons for these types of logos having different requirements than corporate ones.

Small businesses usually don't want those esoteric designs that a prevalent in these other logo books. They want something easy to understand, and impactful. This is also one of the few books I've seen that actually explains logo concepts and breaks them down into easy-to-understand language.

Rating:
Summary: Design and Branding- Helping small biz make it happen!
Review: This book blended real life, small business logo design and signage solutions -- with tools that provided company branding. This is a book that has helped small businesses make it happen -- as they seek to grow, establish visibility and communicate that quality that makes them special. It is full of examples and real recommendations for designers, sign makers and for any businessman that needs to realize their potential. I highly recommend it's purchase and suggest you keep it out on the desk. You'll keep referring back to it again and again.

Rating:
Summary: Design and Branding- Helping small biz make it happen!
Review: This book blended real life, small business logo design and signage solutions -- with tools that provided company branding. This is a book that has helped small businesses make it happen -- as they seek to grow, establish visibility and communicate that quality that makes them special. It is full of examples and real recommendations for designers, sign makers and for any businessman that needs to realize their potential. I highly recommend it's purchase and suggest you keep it out on the desk. You'll keep referring back to it again and again.

Rating:
Summary: Extremely well written and easy to understand!
Review: This book is extremely well written. Dan takes you step by step through the design process in an easy to follow logical manner. He gives the reader important considerations that must be weighed when designing any new logo, and gives graphic examples that even an outsider to the field, like myself, can easily follow.

The book displays a vast array of styles of designs Dan has done, as well as several done by other artists. It shows some of the designs through the various stages and variations before a final design is completed, which helps the reader to see what can go right, and wrong, with a design.

He shows how you must evaluate the potential client and the clients needs before you can even begin. This helps to guide everything from color and typefaces to what the layout will place the most emphasis on.

The book takes you through several of his designs, step by step, and explains the benefits of one style over another.

Dan teaches you not only the dos and don'ts of designing the logo, but also describes how to handle the business end of getting paid for your work, and how to make the logo design just the first step in building a relationship with the clients.

Dan explains the benefits of providing additional services that are natural extensions of the logo design, such as designing and printing business cards, stationary, brochures and vehicle lettering.

Dan shows how you must sometimes guide the clients away from choices that may not work well for their company, and instead create designs that will portray the image the company is looking for in the various mediums it will be used in, while keeping within the clients budget.

The logo becomes not merely incidental, but instead it becomes a cornerstone of a carefully crafted and directed corporate image.

Definitely the best book on the subject I've ever read!

Rating:
Summary: Practical Illustrations
Review: This small book is filled with great examples of effective logo designs. It provides the novice as well as the experienced designer a library of useful logo designs and the reason that they are so effective. Antonelli draws upon his great love of the craft to share his approach to design and how to give simplicity that extra punch.

While many design books are heavy on theory with little practical application, this one can be used daily in the studio or shop as an aide to better layout and design.