Logo solutions, literal or symbolic meanings?

[Samcan]

I've always wondered this, and I dont think there is a proper answer to it..but I'm just wondering what you guys think.

Do you think that a logo is more successful showing actual imagery within the logo of the product they are selling...OR symbolic iconography of the product they are selling?

Example....If there was a company that sold strawberries, do you think its more successful showing an actual strawberry in the logo?..or symbolic colours and appropriate typography to pull it off?...the obvious solution is to go for the literal image, but some people find that the easy, or lazy way to complete the design.

One of the reasons I'm bringing this up..is that I need to do an identity project for a club night called the "threehouse"(purposely spelled).....which has a direct connotation to an actual three house.

I posted in the Graphic Design Gallery some examples of these..but I just feel like its not working. Trying to make the letter T look like a three..and the letter H look like a house.

Im wondering should I create a logo that visualises what we intend to do with the club?..or be more obvious with the imagery?..

any thoughts welcome .

[KevJaques]

doh
read a bit more into my last post Sam, if you had three times as many ideas from your selection of logos you put up and still no closer then pencil, paper, aims & goals is key for you to get a closing on the logo idea.

take for example the film Cocktail with TomCruise, the logo ok was maybe a bit cheesy and obvious/cliché but it left you in no doubt it was a cocktail bar.
This is not too far off the nightclub/drinking/music/dance idea

I would say in the strawberry idea a simple vector styled strawberry would work wonders, has been used by numerous strawberry farms etc..
Remember a logo is merely a simple easy to remember icon or typography of sorts, therefore actual images would seem not important. Again another simple example Nike logo.

A company may sell many things, so would be unwise to go down the route of a narrow logo type, however, a pub is going to sell drinks and food so it depends on the business.

This is also where some research of the competition would come in handy, you can get a feel for what the other clubs of similar have done and as I said on the other post the logo may well be put in signage, possibly neon lights and wall banners etc.. so it attracts etc...
So your looking for a logo which can be put into many formats so an image is just not going to work well imo.

While I don't want to give away my methods for creating logos looking at your last sentence is where the aims and goals of the club/business play a huge part, the logo can also signify different categories of social stigma and perceived looks play an important part of a nightclub before anyone sets foot in the joint, i.e. regal, posh, elegant, rich, cheap, uppercrust, popular etc...

Not sure on how many are involved with the decisions on the logo but I would have a brainstorming meeting so all ideas can be thrashed out.
I would avoid actual images completely.

Lots of help above there, please don't just gloss over it, take the time to absorb the info (I'm sure you will but many just gloss over things without giving it a second thought)

And a bit of a rant, this is a typical example of why it costs more than peoples lunch money to create a logo. It is a business which will be used by the public and it also needs to appeal to your target market and the owners aims and goals, the target market is more important though!

Any more help needed then I can be available for hire ;)

[Samcan]

Hehehe, thanks Kev, I told me exactly what I wanted to hear :)


as for the logo decisions, its mainly all up to to me, Im the "artist" of the group so they fully rely on me to pull through, and they should as I know I can do great work. Just lately I've been going through a dry patch.

FYI : The logo methodolgy I'm currently using is mixing geometric with organic forms. The organic being the percussion style music played at the club, and the geometric as the dance music that will be played, versions are located below:




In the geometric pattern I have a "T" and a "H" , If the circle wasnt enclosing the squares, they'd be geometrically balenced (I measured it out). I wanted to visually represent both music mediums withing the main logo, the typography still structured but fun.

The bottem left green logo is the Bass clef (music symbol used in percussion, you can see the "3" and the "H" (when doubled and placed back to back. I'm still unsure about that one...

What do you think?...