A logo's shape may be just as important as color, line or simplicity. Shape visually tells a customer what style your organization has. For example, square shapes portray a more serious, solid image, while softer angles indicate that an organization is more relaxed and friendly. Circles, the ultimate round shape, portray fun perhaps better than any other shape. Ovals are often used in traditional-looking logos. Triangles, with their angular appearance, can tell a customer that your organization is cutting edge, different, and not run of the mill.

Of course, these meanings are not set in stone. For example, the edges of a square can be softened to look like a child's building block. Circles can be made to have sharp stray edges (as if someone were sketching a circle and some of the lines went stray) to make it look much harder. Triangles can have rounded corners so that it ends up looking like a triangle from an orchestra.

All the design elements combine to create the complete message. The message portrayed by the shape of a logo is only part of the total package. The use of colors, lines and other artistic design elements all combine with the shape to form the complete message you will send through your logo.

Jonathan Munk writes articles for major Logo Maker companies such as http://www.LogoWorks.com and http://www.LogoMaker.com

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