Ah, back to the ol’ days, when all we had to do was design a logo that reflected our brand well, and could fit on the side of a pen, as well as a billboard. Living was easy then ….
Now we need to be sure the logo, or an element of it, can be shrunk to 16×16 pixels (that’s about the head of a pencil btw), to make it as a “favicon”.
A favicon (this is great fodder for your next cocktail party trivia conversation!) is the small icon that appears to the left of the URL in your browser window.
Look up and you’ll see a little red outline of a lightbulb, like this image here:
. That’s the favicon for ThinkResults Marketing. An element pulled from our logo. Because when we designed it a mere eight years ago, no one knew what a favicon was, or considered making a logo that would fit such a small space.
It’s funny because traditional branding rules say to never separate the elements of a logo. It’s like pulling a tire off your car thereby ruining the functionality of the complete package – not to mention the look and feel especially if you drive a statement vehicle. And your logo had better be making a statement!
Traditional branding rules, however, were invented long before the age of the internet. So we need to adapt and grow.
TIP: Next time you are having a logo designed, be sure to ask your designer how the favicon will be created so you can be sure your logo works for you in the modern age.