Bad Logos

Logo quality is a completely subjective matter, many folks would assume. Many folks would be wrong. Great logos come from an adroit fusion of multiple technical and artistic disciplines, combined with a passion to discover and amplify the essence of the client's business. Bad logos, predictably, result from deficiencies in those same areas, including:

Effort, subject matter expertise, and a cultural background to understand the client and their business, what it stands for, and its personality.
Creative ability to convey the essence of the client's business graphically - uniquely, succinctly, and tastefully.
Fundamental understanding of typography, the emotions that different typefaces evoke and why.
Knowledge of the color theory and appreciation of how different colors work and what feelings they create.
Creativity and experience making positive and negative spaces communicate in a clear and deliberate fashion.
Knowledge of the prior art.
Courage to pare down or "undress" the brand to its bare essence.
Courage or expertise to advise the business on brand naming.

Seven Cardinal Sins

Because of those deficiencies, bad logos commit one or more of these cardinal sins:

Are too literal; show a generic product or field of the client's business rather than its unique essence.
Have random embellishments that "look nice" - without having anything to do with the business.
Excessively rely on colors, gradients, and shading. Would fail in a black-and-white version.
Lack succinctness. Would not be legible as a small square icon (e.g. on a smartphone screen).
Use off-the-shelf, generic clip art or lettering not uniquely tailored to the client.
Poorly balance visual weights of various elements and white spaces.
Use tone-deaf graphics or wording that subject the client to criticism or ridicule.

Can You Spot These Sins?

Armed with this understanding, you can now look at logos with a more discerning eye. If famous brands had bad logos, they might have looked like those in the left column; I made those averaging about 15 min. a pop, intentionally committing the Cardinal Sins. The iconic brands' actual logos are to the right. Which Cardinal Sins can you spot? Hover your pointer over the logos for hints. If your logo resembles those in the left column more than those in the right, it may be time to rethink it.

See how Karasev Studio has helped others and can help you.

Update

After this article has gone live, I started getting requests (whose volume grew from a curiosity to a nuisance) from folks to please make them one of my ugly logos. Seriously? This is your business's face. If your face says, "I'll settle for less," that's exactly how your suppliers, trading partners, and clients will regard you. Don't end up with one of these!