Y2IG:Making a Logo
On this brief Special Lesson we are going to quickly discuss why you should get a logo for your Group and how you should go about doing it.
Why Should we Make a Logo?
Making a logo might seem trivial, perhaps unimportant, compared to a Group’s projects and recruitment, but it is a task that, if successfully accomplished, will bring many practical, long-term benefits. Let’s take a look at them, shall we?
- Morale. Having a logo is proof that your initiative is serious about getting itself known and recognized — which surely will benefit all participants of the project. Your researchers might even derive pride out of his or her Group’s logo, which is extremely beneficial to the initiative.
- Recuitment and Marketing. Having an identifiable and captivating logo is useful when you’re trying to recruit new researchers or attendants for your events. It makes it easier for people to notice your project and remember it.
- Recognition. Other institutions — perhaps well-established ones such as universities and non-governmental organizations — are much more likely to take your initiative seriously if you have high quality graphic assets such as a logo. It makes a presentation look more professional. In this sense, a logo can be useful to increase your chances of forming partnerships.
How to Make a Logo
- You and your teammates must have agreed on a name for your Group. We also recommend that you pick a name that leads to a good acronym.
- Take a look at the logos used by well-established organizations and make notes on what you find captivating or off-putting on them. Take note on things like the colors that are used, if they use geometric shapes or drawings, if they represent something meaningful or relating to their ideals and goals.
- Think about what makes your Group special, or what you hope your Group will become. Think of ideals that relate to the goals you intend to accomplish — do you want your Group to be friendly towards all potential recruits and welcoming of diversity, or would you rather have your Group focusing on a specific set of issues that require a team with a restricted set of skills?
- From your notes, compile the general ideas you want for your logo into a concise, easy to read list.
Now that you have a list with these essential informations, there are, overall, three paths from which you must choose, each one having pros and cons.
Make the logo yourself, or recruit someone close by to do it for you. It's free but you might not get a logo that is particularly good, depending on who's available.
Hire a professional. You have a greater chance of getting a good logo, but you have to pay — which is not always possible.
Appeal to the internet. There are forums and websites that are dedicated to giving Design students the opportunity to design logos, for free, for people who cannot pay for a professional service. One that is particularly noteworthy is the subreddit r/freedesign. It was used to create both the GEDI@UFRN's and Y2IG's logos. Before posting there, or in any similar forum, please take note of the rules and do your best to follow them.