Today, we are going to look at a tool from ShapeFactory that lets you create a logo. So, you go to the ShapeFactory site. And you click on this option that lets you create a new logo.
It asks us to type in a business name. So I’m using a fictional consultancy business called Tomato Rice Enterprises.
Let’s get started. So you’re asked to select a wordmark. Essentially, you have to decide what sort of typeface you want to use for the logo. The ShapeFactory folks call this a wordmark since you’re designing a logo, but you need to look beyond just a logo at this point in time because your type identity will extend beyond a logo because you will need a body typeface or font that can complement your wordmark. So, choose your options carefully. Also, your sphere of business is important here. Your wordmark should work with your work area. A restaurant will need a different identity than an engineering company. Our imaginary company, Tomato Rice Enterprises, is a consulting business. So we’ll go for something which is confident yet understated. So let’s explore. Some very nice options here, but let’s scroll down a little more and see if we can find something better.
I think this looks great. It looks very confident and it’s also understated. So we’ll go in for this particular wordmark.
So, now what we need to do is look for a logomark. In ShapeFactory parlance, a wordmark, that is what we did earlier is a font or the typeface you choose, and the logomark is a visual that you will choose. In most cases, the visual that they provide is an icon. Okay, so we’ll go and look for tomato and see if there are any choices, although it would be best if you look for tomato rice, but let’s first go and look for tomato. I think they are all good options, but I’ll still go and look for tomato rice.
They don’t have any options. So, let’s just go and look for only rice.
As you can see, there are many options, but I want something that does not have an Oriental touch with chopsticks or stuff like that, because I want it to be very generic. I quite like this one, but let’s go and scroll down further and see what other options are available.
This is nice, but the lines for the rice stuff are very thin here and they have a mix of thick lines and thin lines, so that would really not work too well with the logo. This, on the other hand, has everything of the same style and it would work better. So let’s go and select this one and there you go. Your logo is done. You have your font chosen, your visual chosen over there, and you just have an idea of how your logo looks like at this point in time. If you want the actual logo, you have to pay them $40 to download the content.
You can see what’s included. You get vector files PNGs, some layout options, container options. You can choose variations in colors and transparent backgrounds and you have full ownership to what you download. It’s something you can use commercially.
You can just go and see how different colors look like. They don’t even let you download a PNG at this point in time because it’s not a PNG. If I just go and right click here and choose Inspect, you’ll get this code here and you can see these are all actually SVGs created on the fly over here, so there’s nothing you can really download. If you are very persistent, you can take a screenshot, but then you don’t have the legal rights to use that, unless you go and pay them $40.
You can even add animation styles for another ten and you can then go and download a logo kit. If you want to save the work you have done and then decide, you can actually email this whole link to yourself so that you can come back and you don’t have to make the initial choices again.
So, I hope you enjoyed this small video and we look forward to seeing you again and have a wonderful day.