E-commerce websites are platforms which from a technical point of view, require special functions for all kinds of online services and products sold online. That’s why special care and TLC must be paid not only during the design and implementation phase of the website, but the creation of the logo must meet specific design rules in order to optimise the impact of brand identity. But the question is: what’s the difference between a normal company logo whose image will be used on a variety of media and an e-commerce logo? The answer: the moment a logo is designed for e-commerce it must be brought about in an entirely different way. Let’s see why.
Horizontal development of an e-commerce logo
Of course there will be exceptions,but usually an e-commerce logo is designed solely as a brand identity for an online service, and so must comply primarily to these three points:
1 – Horizontality
2 – Readability
3 – Recognisability
As far as the first point is concerned, we’re talking about a policy that involves the spatiality of the graphic creation. In the web-design world, vertical space is valuable, as the content found on the upper section of the page is that’s seen first, and so the most important. That’s why it’s better to develop a horizontal e-commerce logo rather than a vertical one, so as not to take up valuable space on the page. Saying that, there will of course be exceptions.
Readable e-commerce logos
We know that readability is important for all brands, but for an e-commerce company it’s vital. Our eyes run over a page at high speed before we realise we’re doing so, gobbling up all the most relevant information. Readability, speaking both literally and figuratively, highlights the use of colour and format that in certain contexts take on a specific meaning.
Being frank
Last but not least, recognisability. An e-commerce logo needs to be instantly recognisable, clear, intuitive. It doesn’t need to ‘defy’ or play with the user, it should explicit its meaning without semantic alchemy. A characteristic that we find very often in ‘normal’ logos where the use of the word written is far more limited, here the format and graphics are played about with. Below is a small selection of logos which were designed exclusively for e-commerce sites; an interesting starting point for all the creatives who take part in our contests . Enjoy!