#21 Creative Logos of the Week!

TRANSPARENT design

Can you imagine the time when there was no TV, no videos or DVDs, no internet or any other complex on screen media? Well, those times are not so far behind us and large number of designers that did logos only for print and similar media are still very active. But ever since the ’screen communication’ came to life people are trying to make more and more visually impressive logos searching through all the 3 dimensions for a proper way to send out a message. And that progress brought us to internet age where we can meet special visual effects in every corner. Even logo design couldn’t resist this ‘tsunami’ and a lot of new logo design techniques were born. One of the most popular of them is definitely so called ‘transparency effect’ where overlapping graphic elements offer a new dimension for visual stories. Transparent design or not, there’s one more treat for all of you: from now on we will bring you interviews with designers who’s logos we have featured in each article so after you browse through this examples learn more about one of those directly from it’s maker. Enjoy!

Robin Rutherford

Pousada Anduara

Double Vision

Andy Fiord

Max Valels Laboratory

The Creative Company

Konzentrat

Achieving your apex

Aoeq

Union

We caught one of the designers that use this technique – Dalius Stuoka, a young rising star from Lithuania. One of his logo (Union) is also featured in this article so let’s ask him a few questions about it.

1) Hi, Dalius! Tell us what was the idea behind this logo and why did you use this ‘transparency effect’?

Well, the idea was based on the word UNION. The mark symbolizes it quite well, since all the elements intersect and unite with each other and form the circle, due to the transparency.

2) Can you pick out 2 more logos from this selection and tell us why do you like them?

All of the logos in this collection are really great, but I especially admire Robin Rutherford DDS and Max Valels laboratory. I think they are perfect examples of this style in use.

3) What is your general opinion on this design technique and what could be bad or good sides of it?

I am usually against this technique, but if I find that in a certain situation it works, I’ll go for it. The bad side of it obviously is it’s impracticality and over-complication sometimes. However, sometimes it just opens a lot of new possibilities for designers to express their concepts and ideas.

4) Do you know of some big and popular ‘global’ brands that had their logo done the same way?

I guess there aren’t too many of ‘GLOBAL’ brands like this, but I know a few. A great example is probably a new logo for City of Melbourne.

5) Can you share some quick tips to fresh designers out there that might like and use this approach?

I don’t think that anyone should consider using transparencies just because they WANT a logo with transparency in it. It has to be well-thought decision and it really depends on a client and the brief. However, if I had to give a few tips, I would suggest using this approach smartly, I mean there are a lot of things to do with it, just look at the examples in this article – you can use a LOT of colors, be original, put some hidden shape in some intersection etc.

Just be original!

  

Written by Type08

Alen Pavlovic aka Type08 is one of the busiest logo designers out there. Owner of a creative agency from Croatia called Artra since 1998 he has developed more then 200 projects from the areas of design, interiors, branding and marketing in his country. Since summer 2008 he has entered the international market of freelancing over the internet and filled his portfolio with more then 350 logos with clients from all over the world. You can find some of the best of his work in books on logos and package design or stumble upon many of his interviews and articles on the same subject. We are proud to say that he also created our Creativity Den logo.Enjoy his articles!