Only Logo Design

Create a clip art logo

Don’t have the time or budget for a custom logo? Try creating a logo using clip art. Heresy? I think not. Don't get me wrong, if I was designing a identity program for a large organization, I obviously wouldn't use clip art. Not because the quality isn't up to par--there is lots of good imagery available these days--but because a large organization needs a logo that can be protected and it is questionable whether even a drastically altered clip art image can be trademarked.

Think of the clip art solution for businesses that don't have the need for exclusivity. A local plumbing and heating contractor, a small accounting firm, and a citywide real estate operation probably don't need a mark no one, anywhere is using--they need a more creative solution.

The logo above, for example, was created using clip art--a globe and a beaker. Why does it look custom made? Because the combined images create a unique concept the globe or beaker alone would not. Can you guess what the logo represents? (See the bottom of the page for the answer.)

Creating your design is a process of experimentation--deciding on an idea, finding the right illustrations and finding a compatible type style. It couldn't be easier.

Combine two or more images

One way to make a logo your own is to add two or more images together. The townhouse with a price tag used for this logo is actually a combination of two illustrations. The building is one image and the price tag is from a different clip art collection altogether. I opened the images in a drawing program, combined them and applied the same color. Because the illustrations are similar in style, the resulting image looks as if it was drawn that way. The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

Resources: House: Dynamic Graphics, dgusa.com; Tag: Task Force Clip Art, New Vision Technologies, nvtech.com; Fonts: "Real Deal": Racer, "REALTY": Franklin Gothic Book Condensed

Here's another example of combining images--in this case for a construction company. These images are from the same clip art collection in an identical style. While you might logically think of using images such as blueprints, heavy equipment, and building materials to symbolize construction, I wanted to do something unexpected. I decided to play, instead, on the organizations desire to minimize the impact of its work on its surroundings by creating a scene from nature.

Author: CHUCK GREEN