The familiar Nike swish - the red and white bull's-eye of Target - the reverse silhouette of the Apple brand ... you know them well.

But what makes a good logo?

The first thing to consider is that a logo is not just a mark or image; it is a reflection of the company.

Logos can represent a business or a product (e.g. Procter & Gamble or Tide detergent ... Lennar or one of its communities).

A good logo is recognizable and inspires trust in the brand.

A poorly designed logo can have negative consequences (e.g. logos that are too complicated are hard to read/understand and don't communicate well).

Effective logos share 4 characteristics:

1. They are describable
2. They are memorable
3. They are effective even in black and white (e.g. the McDonald's "golden arches" M is just as recognizable in black-and-white, isn't it?)
4. They are scalable (can be enlarged and reduced without sacrificing readability)

Other attributes of successful logos ...