Graphic Design Logo - 12 Famous Logos Designed Using Simple Symbols – The Basic Symbols!

If you take a look at famous logos that are behind major brands, you will notice that they are simple yet highly creative and meaningful. An effective logo is one that can communicate the business purpose to the audience in the simplest possible way. Similar is the case with corporate identities where a simpler design generates more memorability among the viewers. Simplicity isn’t the only feature that makes a logo design memorable. The unique creativity of revealing a hidden message about the corporate entity is also vital. Have you ever wondered how famous logos have been able to accomplish this? Well, the secret lies in the symbols they use. No matter how complex a logo may seem, they usually employ simple symbols and shapes that accumulate to create the final design. Today I will explain how 12 famous logos were created using simple symbols and shapes like circles and rectangles. This does not mean that the logo design processes involved in creating these logos was simple too. It just shows the importance simple shapes and symbols in logo design.

1. Ubuntu Linux logo

Let’s start with Linux’s Ubuntu logo, which is an ideal case of using simple shapes and symbols. As complex as it may seem for the average user, it was created using two circles and three rectangles with three circlers around the corner. The rectangles are the white spaces dividing the circular loop.

2. USA Network Logo

Another renowned brand USA Network uses simple shapes to create its logo design. It is basically a black and white typographic logo. The letter A was created using two circles and a rectangle, while the U was formed with combination of semicircles and rectangles. As for the hidden “s”, it was formed by placing a white S on a black circle.

3. Northwest Airlines logo

Moving on to Northwest Airlines logo, it exhibits a perfect example of hidden logos. It cleverly combines the alphabets N and W within a single shape using negative space. It is simple create by placing a white rectangle on the left hand side of letter ‘W’ to make it look like a letter ‘N’.

4. Pepsi logo

Before Pepsi redesigned its logo in 2009, its previous one gained prominent for its peculiar bottle cap shape. The old Pepsi logo can also be created using simple shapes and symbols. Draw two semi circles of red and blue colors and simple place a white ‘~’ sign between the two half circles.

5. Ford Octane Academy logo

Octane Academy was founded by Ford, manufacturer of automobiles. Even though the logo appears extremely complex to design, it can be made using simple shapes and symbols too. Start with an upper-cap “A” in white and line it up in the middle of a slightly bigger red triangle. Now cluster them together and overlap them with a loop shaped image as show in the logo.

6. Pia Isaksen Design logo

Pia Isaksen Design is a design studio based in Norway. Their own identity revolves around the initials P.I.D and resembles a speech bubble logo. The P and D are designed using two black circles together with two triangles, while the “I” was created with a rectangle surrounded by two semicircles.

7. Chase logo

Another creatively designed logo is for the identity of JPMorgan Chase Bank. This logo is a perfect example of symmetry in logo design. Although the symbols look like four right-angle trapezoids, but each of them is easily made using a square and a right-angled triangle.

8. Stay Positive logo

Another example of creative logo using simple symbols is the Stay Positive identity. You can easily re-create this logo by using two black circles and placing a white square in between to give negative space effect. Next, place a black cross sign in the middle to create the whole logo.

9. Oxfam logo

Taking an example of non-profit entity, Oxfam logo is ideal in depicting how simple shapes can add up to making a creative and unique logo. The logo is merely created using three half loops enclosed in a green circle.

10. ZIP logo

Another common example of negative space logos is ZIP logo. The logo shows a Zip that is cleverly placed as an “I”. The shape which looks like a Zip can be created by placing small white rectangles over two long black rectangles.

11. Synapse Interactive logo

Synapse Interactive is an IT company with a clever and attractive logo. Its logo design can be created using four circles overlying each other. I’m sure most of you can easily re-create this logo in minutes now that you know the trick.

12. Adobe Logo

For logo designers, Adobe is a very familiar brand name that creates multimedia and graphics software. Although it may look like a difficult logo to create, you can easily make it using a red square, a white triangle and a red parallelogram.