When creating a logo, you consider many things to get a perfect result: colors, fonts, style, concept and so on. After you put them together, you still have some blank space you may have no idea how to use. If it occurs to you, learning how to use negative space in logo design will be super helpful in order to create more eye-catching, memorable and overall well-balanced artworks. Here you will find technical tips on how to do it and some inspiration to lighten your creative mood.
It is important to know not only how you should do something, but also how it shouldn't be done. That's why it may be useful to look at bad graphic design examples before you start creating your own, as it will help you avoid many mistakes.
What is negative space?
To speak theoretically, the void area around and between an image's subjects is known as negative space in art. When the area surrounding a subject, rather than the subject itself, takes on an intriguing or aesthetically significant shape, negative space may be most noticeable. Sometimes, this empty space serves as the "true" subject of a picture for creative purposes.
Simply saying, the area around an image that looks empty is known as the negative space. Between two letters of your brand's name or around a symbol, there is no text there.
As a result, a designer may give the appearance of some figures in a negative space, which becomes the design's main draw. The shape that starts to take space in the area frequently conveys a marketing message since it stands for an associated concept.
It's challenging to employ negative space creatively, though. When starting their career, many designers are interested in investigating this element for their own gain. Therefore, be sure the usage of negative space appears natural.
Tips on how to use negative space in logo design & examples
1. Create a meaningful layer
Professionals with much experience in creating logo designs are adept at exploiting negative space to trick visitors. The logo for "The Guild Of Food Writers" is one of the greatest examples, which shows two main points of the brand. A spoon represents food and an ink pen nib represents authors in the empty area between its two prongs.
The designer used the nature of the main item to construct a layer inside of it. This action gives the design an entirely new meaning. While the ink pen nib represents writers, the addition of a spoon inside the symbol makes sense, making you think of food.
2. Try making unusual combinations
Negative space can occasionally be used to create a distinctive logo design by combining two features that seem incongruous. An excellent illustration is the emblem of the electric supply business, ED. The emblem first seems to be an electrical connector and nothing else. But after a few moments of searching, you find a capital letter "E" concealed on the plug figure's left side. The brand name's initials, ED, are now complete. Here, the designer combined form and function in an innovative way.
The simple and minimalistic nature of such designs is a benefit. By creating one figure, you may really produce two pieces. Therefore, the plug was the only thing the designer made, giving it a simple look. The viewers' preconceived notions lead the letter "E" to appear there.
3. Combine the Elements
Designers who are adept at doing so produce mystical logos that spellbind onlookers. This technique creates a new perspective on the design by using two elements to overlap one another. Use one element as a positive space and the other as a negative one to get this effect. Such a picture is more stunning and successfully communicates a marketing message.
The company logo for USA Network is a great illustration of how the parts overlap. Instead of explicitly developing the middle letter, the designer used the font to do so.
Make sure to communicate to the customer and fully get the brand and its message if you are a designer who owns a logo design business. It will be easier to decide if the negative space should be employed as an element after having such close contact with the client.
4. Make a symbol by combining two letters
Using two letters is how you make something out of nothing. For instance, Lindon Leader joined the letters "E" and "x" in the FedEx logo design by using their shapes. Thus, the arrow begins to represent speed. The letter "d" also resembles a carrier truck's wheel.
5. Use a letter to develop a brand image
Create a product picture utilizing the blank space within a letter as another way to experiment with negative space in logo design. A good illustration is a logo for Alchemist Microbrasserie.
At the top of the custom logo, a beer bottle with the letter "A" can be seen. Since the business sells beer, the beer bottle sitting at the top instantly communicates the marketing message to viewers. This way, it builds strong associations with the company as soon as the customer sees the logo, helping them understand what is the brand about.
6. Apply shadows
To make logos using negative space, employ shadows. Keep something in front of the light source so that one phase is visible and the other is cast in darkness. It can be a letter representing the brand, its mascot or anything related to the company. Thus, the positive space will be represented by the lighted phase, and the negative by the darkened phase.
These are important illustrations of how to use the negative space component to give logos a distinctive appearance and communicate a brand message. However, such logos shouldn't have an artificial appearance. Instead, they ought to seem organic and come from the design itself. For instance, the arrow in the FedEx logo organically forms, which is why the designer had the idea to include the brand message in the empty area.
The key to success in mastering these techniques is practicing. You can either try making logo designs in your free time to see how it works and put them in your portfolio or look for new companies that need a branding image. However, don't forget that it's now the only way of creating a logo, so be careful of overusing your new knowledge.
