What makes a good and effective logo?

When we design a logo for our clients, we take numerous considerations to make sure that the logo is the most effective it can be. Some of the questions we ask ourselves when we design logos are:

• What does it look like in black & white? We like to make sure the logo will be fax-able and usable in media such as newspaper ads and single color reproduction. We usually will provide a black and white version of the logo in addition to the color logo. Often times we will start with a black & white version first, then later add the colors during the revision process.
• How well does it scale? What happens to the readability when the logo is really small such as on a business card...or when it is blown up to be put on a banner?
• Any text in the logo should be easily read and understood. It won't be very effective if the viewer has to try to decrypt what it says.
• The style of the logo should reflect the nature of the business. For example: A florist's logo should be ornate and elegant.
• We try to make our logos unique. A logo that looks like another company's logo can cause confusion and even an infringement of trademarks.
• Is the logo clearly understood? If you can't understand what it means or you get the wrong impression, we'll revise it to make it more straight forward.
• We want you to be completely happy with your logo so you will want to use it on everything.