While in the sketching process for a logo design, after the first couple of ideas are on the page, I regularly get stuck. When that happens, I find the best way to get unstuck is to do some browsing through logo collections online. Here are some sites that always jump start my creativity when I’ve hit a dead end:
1. LogoPond – my first choice for inspiration. The quality here is great, and there are so many to browse through. I like the use of color in this one by Logoholik:
2. LogoDog – plenty of good samples to browse through here. This simple illustration of a fox is sharp:
3. Mis i Pile – Lots of great ideas here. I like their use of shadows, and the way they show their samples in full color, greyscale and black & white. Here’s one of my favorites from their site. It’s a nice use of negative space, and the logo works as well in one color as it does in full color.
4. Identity Archives Project – this is a relatively new project, but looks very promising. Their intention is to be the “premier online keyword-searchable database of logos and brand identity designs from around the world.” You can add your own logo design work to this database as well, in fact, they encourage it (not a bad place to build some backlinks to your site, as they are already a PR4). This logo by Duffy and Partners for the Islands of the Bahamas just makes me happy.
5. Brand New – One of my favorite blogs. There is good discussion around changes in brand identity- not only in the posts, but also in the comments. Love the new Humane Society logo they reviewed recently:
6. IdentityWorks – another site that reviews changes in logos with a focus on some of the major brand names. I like the simplicity and the colors of this one:
by Saffron Consultants (Madrid), working with Odyssey (Romania)
Where do you go for inspiration when you’re stuck in a design rut?
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Thanks for the reference sites. I have used logopond but haven’t heard of many of the others. I love the look of the energy orchard logo and the humane society logo is very clever. The brand new site sound a good way to keep up with what is happening in branding. Its quite difficult to keep up with trends when you work alone.
I don’t do logos as a service, and I don’t sketch, but for design inspiration – a lot of times it just comes from life! If I don’t feel particularly inspired, I tend to just wait, go out for a walk, play with the kids, watch some tv, read a magazine, browse fabric sites, or fiickr, and that usually works for me.
Thanks for the sites though, looks interesting.
Randa,
First off, thanks for commenting on my post over at Daily Blog Tips yesterday. I appreciate it. Normally I blog at ThemePlayground.com – I only recently started at Daily, so it’s very exciting to see feedback.
As far as your site goes – very cool. I love this post on logos, and where to find great ones. I tend to take a look through my Flickr favorites whenever I need inspiration. I grab all sorts of great design pieces and elements as I’m browsing, so I can use them later when I start to run dry.
Anyway, thanks again! I’ll be subscribing.
[...] list of some very good logo design sites where you can indulge your eyes. Go take a look at her Design Inspiration: 6 Outstanding Logo Sites post at her design [...]
@Ryan- that was a good post! I really liked your recent coverage of the styling of comment areas at Theme Playground too. Flickr is a great place to get track of inspirational stuff. Several of us just started a Flickr group to post some of our work: http://www.flickr.com/groups/inspir/
It can be so frustrating when you come to a dead, but as Shaz says, you just need to leave it sometimes and come back to it later. Fixing IT issues is very much the same problem.
Jamie
Definitely, sometimes just walking away from a problem is the quickest way to a solution.
I love the simplicity of these logos. How does an artist know when enough is enough? It’s the difference between mediocre and good.
I do like that energy orchard logo.
I used to visit LogoPond a lot more than I do now, as I find a lot of the logos needing plenty of critique. Instead I subscribe to the feed and have a few of the better ones in my feed reader every now and again.
There’s a link in my name to an article I wrote:
Just how good are Logopond’s logos?
You know, against my own better (or modernist) judgement) I love that Bahamas logo – it’s colorful, sensual and yet still relatively simple and 2-dimensional. Definitely within but also outside of the box.
[...] Randa Clay offers up six websites for logo design inspiration. [...]
thanks for the information. I have been looking into having a logo put together for my blog. How critical would you say having a logo for a blog is. thanks in advance.
later all and have a profitable productive blogging day
This is a good question, and a good idea for a blog post. Look for it here soon.
i am looking for my inspiration in the women
energyorchard and hei just make my eye happy!
I used to think LogoPond was a good venue to try to cure “designer’s block”, but I just end up getting jealous of some of the outstanding design talents out there. Seriously, I have always found such sites a fantastic place to hone one’s skills, although there are a few commenters on LogoPond who seem to make consistently bitter, derogatory remarks in their criticism, yet their own portfolios seem a little slim. Sad, really. And hopefully not off-putting to newbies, as learning to accept design criticism – especially when one works freelance and usually only deals with clients who know no better than to say “it looks nice” – should form an important step in any budding designer’s career.
[...] Randa Clay offers up six websites for logo design inspiration. [...]
[...] 9. …and a look at 6 Outstanding Logo Sites. [...]
Thank you so much for this post, I’m bookmarking all of them. I need to come up wtih a logo for Not China Made and also for the design stuff I am doing… I could use some inspiration as logo work is something that I’m a bit foreign too, but I know how very important it is in branding!!!
-mommy zabs
Thanks for those links – finding a logo is driving me crazy at the moment but I’m sure I’ll get some ideas from those links.
Thanks for the sites. We are about to be in the market for a new logo for our mortgage company. We cant it kind of like our real estate logo, but somewhat different.
here’s a list of of some other great resources for logo and print design:
http://www.logolounge.com (tons of inspiration, though you have to pay a yearly fee — well worth it in my opinion) they also have a line of books for fairly cheap with tons of logos in them.
http://www.behance.com is more of a portfolio design community that helps one to network as well as show off their work. highly recommend it.
oh and I can’t forget to post this fabulous flickr link to logo’s in print:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dailypoetics/sets/72057594104389710/show/
Randa, it’s actually funny you should mention logoholik, as he is a fellow designer on a logo contest site, we’re always up against each other
which is fun competing against him since he’s such a good designer.
I really like the second logo ( the fox), it looks great. However, all of them look reall good.
I really like the Fox logo there. I find Logo design really difficult, but whenever I hit a bit of a creative block I check out the work of Banksy, it’s pretty decent stuff.
Just what i needed
It is going right in my favourites. I love sites that give inspiration.
I have been a fan of logopond, thanks for letting the other ones..
your blog rocks.. regretting why i dint fetch this earlier even though Tara mentioned on her blog..
Thanks for giving a brief summary on each of the sites instead of just placing links like I have seen at other places.