The TOP TEN most overused Graphic Icons in American Logo Design: (If you see them in our portfolio, it's probably because a client INSISTED on it.) 1: The Swoosh: That college kid that developed the Nike logo for $35.00 back in the 1970's is losing out, if he had kept the rights to his creation he could make a living just off of the copyright infringement lawsuits. 2: The Swoosh Man: Take one swoosh and put it on its side, take another and put underneath it, add a circle for a head and TADA! Anyone that owns Microsoft Paint can pull off this number in about a minute flat, yet people keep PAYING for someone to do it for them. 3: Gears: We get it, they are turning, turning, turning. They provoke the idea of thought for some. For us they promote the idea of ancient clocks ticking away in a dusty antique store. So unless you are having a logo designed for a dusty antique store, clock store, or if by some chance you literally sell gears, just say NO. 4: Light bulb: Ding! Your logo is a cliché. 5: The Glowing Orb of Doom!: You've seen it because ALL of the so-called Do It Yourself logo makers have it in their library. It's a glowing orb with a drop shadow, normally its in so many colors that you would HAVE to do ALL of your printing in full color, which equals EXPENSIVE. 6: Magnifying Glass: While it's true that it's very hard to come up with imagery for "search", "investigate", or "inspect" this one has just been done to death as far as logos are concerned, especially home inspection logo designs. 7: Napster Head Knock-Off: Not as popular as it was a few years ago, we still see some designers slipping one of these in from time to time. And to make matters worse the company they are knocking this logo off for is often music industry related. 8: Globe: Yes, it's useful, yes we use it, but dang does it get old. 9: The Cross: While it's true that this one is hard to get around when you are developing a Christian Church Logo, it can come across as a cop out in lieu putting some effort into developing a good Church Logo. 10: Lightning Bolt: The old electrician's standby, it's the first thing that pops into a designer's head when we think about energy, light, and even brainstorming, how ironic. It isn't the end of the world to have one of these overused graphics in your logo design, especially if your designer has managed to represent them in a new and fresh way. Start your business off on the right foot by using a professional logo design services. We are fast and affordable, read more about our logo design services here. ©, CJ Hughes for LogoDesign-WebDesign.com |