What is considered a good logo?

A good logo is a simple, distinctive, practical graphic and/or type treatment. We try to follow the below when creating a logo:

• Simple
  • We often get request to have multiple elements to a logo and we need to remind clients that a simple logo design allows for easy recognition and allows the logo to be versatile & memorable. Good logos feature something unique without being overdrawn.
• Memorable
  • An effective logo design should be memorable and this is achieved by having a simple, yet, appropriate logo.
• Timeless
  • An effective logo should be timeless. Will the logo still be effective in 10, 20, 50 years?
• Versatile
  • This is what tends to separate the pros from the amateurs. An effective logo should be able to work across a variety of mediums and applications. The logo should be functional. For this reason a logo should be designed in vector format, to ensure that it can be scaled to any size. The logo should be able to work both in horizontal and vertical formats. Will your logo still work if:
    • Printed in one colour?
    • Printed on the something the size of a postage stamp?
    • Printed on something as large as a billboard?
    • Printed in reverse (ie. light logo on dark background)
• Appropriate
  • How you position the logo should be appropriate for its intended purpose. For example, if you are designing a logo for children’s toys store, it would be appropriate to use a childish font & colour scheme. This would not be so appropriate for a law firm.
    
  • A logo is purely for identification therefore; a logo doesn’t need to show what a business sells or offers as a service.
    • The Harley Davidson logo isn’t a motorcycle, nor is the Nokia logo a mobile phone.

Sited: Jacob Cass