CDA Branding & Identity Design Flashcards

What is negative space in logo design?

Answer: The intentional use of background space to create secondary shapes or meanings within a logo

Negative space in logo design deliberately uses the background area to suggest a hidden shape or secondary meaning, such as the arrow in the FedEx logo.

What is scalability in logo design?

Answer: The ability of a logo to be reproduced clearly at any size, from a business card to a billboard

A scalable logo maintains its legibility and visual integrity whether it's shrunk to a favicon or enlarged to fill a building wrap.

What is a brand mark (or logo mark)?

Answer: A purely graphic symbol or icon that represents a brand without any text

A brand mark is a standalone graphic symbol used to represent a brand, such as Apple's apple icon or Nike's swoosh, without accompanying text.

What is a tagline in branding?

Answer: A short, memorable phrase that communicates a brand's core value or personality

A tagline is a concise, memorable phrase associated with a brand that encapsulates its promise or personality, like Nike's 'Just Do It.'

What does a combination mark logo consist of?

Answer: A wordmark and a graphic symbol or icon used together

A combination mark integrates a text-based wordmark with a pictorial icon or symbol, giving brands flexibility to use them together or separately.

Why is it important to design a logo in vector format?

Answer: Vector graphics are resolution-independent and can be scaled to any size without quality loss

Vector logos are built from mathematical paths, meaning they can be enlarged to any size without becoming pixelated or blurry.