Logos and Graphic Design

As a writer, I have a tendency to become involved in the graphic design procedure only peripherally, but I still manage to find out useful lessons from it. Among the very insightful design lessons came from somebody who knew absolutely nothing about typography and color theory.
I am fascinated with the process of logo design - not the amateurish attempt of slapping clip art collectively, but also the thinking and execution a specialist brings to shooting the vision of a company in a superbly simple art element. I've observed the process many times and heard designers receive many fascinating requests from their clients.
The most memorable came from the manager of a business that manufactured tow trucks. As the designer started to describe the logo creation process and produce a sense of the company's expectations, the rough-edged boss waved his hands to prevent him in mid-sentence. He then talked.
"I truly don't give a (bleep) what the (bleeping) emblem looks like," he explained. "All I care is that someone going the other way on the (bleeping) Interstate at 70 mph is able to observe that the (bleeping) item and understand it's my (bleeping) truck."
Folksy? Perhaps. Crude? Definitely. But sound? Absolutely. He knew it was critical that additional tow-truck operators knew who left that truck that was handsome. It's a business where appearance is every bit as important as function, and also his competitors would include any touch that might give them an edge. Fashion models would have been overlooked among the chrome.)
It's all too easy for those of us who work in the services industry to eliminate sight of this fact that our job exists primarily to make business for our customers. All things considered, we take great pride in blending our talents and what we've learned to come up with work which makes us proud and our peers. Most advertisements and graphic design award shows encourage that focus by rewarding fashion, instead of substance.
We sometimes forget that logos, headlines, along with other elements of marketing communications have to be viewed to work. Professional Logos if we can accomplish that and make them visually attractive at the same moment. But the most intrinsically beautiful design will fall flat if people can not tell exactly what it is or who it is supposed to identify, and the most award-winning ad concept is going to be a humiliating failure if it fails to drive sales or match the client's other expectations.
The best customers for whom I've worked have given me a great deal of freedom and trusted that my recommendations were sensible and sound. But with this freedom and trust came an understanding that I'd be held liable for results, too.