Logo Research Project 
Steven Cao 
   
 Graphic Logos 

 
The logo of Target is simply the literal meaning of the company’s name — a bullseye. Because of 
the connection between the logo and the name, viewers will immediately know what the logo represents 
after seeing it. The red color is a natural color to appear on a bullseye, so it creates visual harmony and 
makes the logo more effective. Target’s logo has gone under several redesigns, and the modern version 
serves its purpose very well while being minimal. 
 

 
Firefox’s logo appears to be a fox surrounding the Earth, representing the internet. The design is 
specific and unique, making the logo easily recognizable. The two main colors used have a triadic 
relationship, which creates a vibrant look. The gradient adds to this effect, but even in a reduced color 
space the contrasting colors should still be visible, although the logo is usually only seen in the task bar 
and doesn't need to be designed to save resources for printing. The logo is tailored to the current trends 
of minimalistic design while having its own individuality. 
 

 
Although the design does not appear to represent anything, the two contrasting colors and the 
unorthodox line design makes Pepsi’s logo one of the most recognisable logos in the world. The red and 
blue matches the color scheme of Pepsi, and simply having these colors reminds the viewer of the 
company. Another aspect of the design is the use of the golden ratio. If you draw a smaller circle on the 
top right part of the lower side of the white line, the ratio of the radius of that circle and the radius of the 
entire logo is the golden ratio. This makes the logo more appealing to the eye. 
 

 
Domino’s logo is another logo that describes the company’s name since it is simply a domino. 
Although it isn’t apparent how dominos are related to pizzas, I think the domino is supposed to look like 
pizza boxes. Two colors are used again that represent the color scheme of Domino’s Pizza. Furthermore, 
the domino design is slanted rather than being upright or sideways to make the logo more visually 
interesting.  
 
 Text Logos 

 
Nintendo’s logo is very simple, yet does its job effectively. The logo simply shows the name of the 
company. A sans-serif font is used as Nintendo is a video game company, and video games are for 
entertainment and not for anything formal. Furthermore, the text is easily readable and recognizable from 
anywhere. The iconic red color of Nintendo also contributes to the effectiveness of the logo. However, its 
width may become a problem when trying to fit the logo into a square area. 
 

 
Cadbury’s logo creates a sense of exquisiteness. It is placed on a purple background, while the 
text has a golden sheen texture. Purple and yellow are complementary colors, and they both symbolize 
being high-class and royalty. The font chosen is a stylized handwriting font, which makes the brand 
appear classy along with the color scheme. This logo design is powerful as it improves the perceived 
value of Cadbury’s products, making the products more marketable. 

 
Subway’s logo is clean and makes sense. Yellow and green are analogous colors, and therefore 
work well alongside each other. These colors are also commonly found in sandwiches (yellow - mustard, 
green - lettuce), which works well as Subway’s color palette. The arrows symbolize going in and taking out 
an order, and that fits the restaurant as well. The typeface used is simple and non-intrusive. Subway’s logo 
works fine as a restaurant logo. 
 

 
The latest Google logo is very simple as well, and that’s necessary so that the logo is not 
bothersome after seeing it thousands of times. The logo uses a sans-serif font, which is the staple of 
modern text design and looks very clean. The colors present are all basic colors, and that gives the logo a 
somewhat childish look which makes it iconic and memorable.  
 
 Text+Graphics Logos 

 
With the starry space background and the orbiting object, NASA’s main “meatball” logo describes 
the objective of the company well. The orange stroke adds to the logo by making it more memorable 
while fitting into the overall color scheme. However, I believe this logo is slightly too complex, especially 
with the background that has a lot of detail that is difficult to see when zoomed out. If I were to redesign 
the logo I would enlarge the stars to be more clearly visible. 
 

 
The logo of Lay’s is quite logical, with the yellow circle representing the potato chips and the 
business’s name wrapped on a red ribbon. One look at the logo and you’ll remember what products they 
sell. Again, the colors are analogous and fit together well. Note the typeface choice is a script font that 
still looks very simple, and that subtly makes the logo more attractive while not ruining its legibility. 
 

 
UPS is a well known delivery company, and its logo attests to that. The outline of the design 
appears like a shield, which shows that the packages delivered by UPS are well protected. The color 
scheme is yellow and brown, which symbolize trustworthiness. It’s interesting that yellow and brown are 
actually brighter and darker versions of the same color. Nonetheless, the contrast between the two colors 
is apparent and the name of the company is clearly shown.  
 

 
The current RBC logo has been around for half a century, yet its unique and simple design keeps it 
relevant even today. The illustration above the RBC is a lion and a globe, which is the symbol of the bank. 
Note that it is not a real picture but rather a minimalistic drawing. This keeps the logo easy to see and 
more efficient for printing. The RBC text itself uses a serif font as finances are meant to be taken 
seriously.