The Order of Cognition: How We Remember Logos

First let’s define cognition: Cognition is the scientific term for “the process of thought.” Its usage varies in different ways in accord with different disciplines: For example, in psychology and cognitive science it refers to an information processing view of an individual’s psychological functions.

Why is this important? Our brains can only process and hold so much at a time, especially if our brains are trying to discern and remember visual information for long or short term periods… In other words, how can our brains “trim the fat”? So how does our brain trim that information? It does it through a process.

The Process of Cognition

The first step in the process of cognition is shape. Visual images can be remembered and recognized directly, while words have to be interpreted into meaning. Reading is not necessary to identify shapes, but identifying shapes is necessary to read. Since a shape makes a faster imprint on our memory, it is essential to first have a unique shape to your logo.

The second step in the process is color. Color can do many things from emotional trigger, behavioral influence to brand recognition. As each of the processes needs to be carefully chosen, color is one of the most important for each of the reasons I just mentioned. Another reason to carefully choose a color is differentiation in your brand. Just as Starbuck’s uses green as its signature color, Seattle’s Best uses red. If they strayed from their signature colors, their brand would stray and their customers’ would be confused. It is important to make visuals strong and quick.

The third step in the process is content. This step means the brain takes more time to process language than it does shape or color. So you can see from the examples to the right, what was a simple shape that had no relevance to you is now the most recognized financial services firm in the nation!

Let me try another approach with people since we are mostly photographers. How many times have we remembered a face, but fail to remember their name? We all have unique styles to our work that we see, but sometimes to the untrained eye, a potential client who is comparing photographers just sees a bunch of photos by more than one photographer. How then, do they see differentiation from one photographer to the next? All of a sudden brand becomes very important. Now let’s add another obstacle. Many photographers tend to migrate toward similar fonts and colors. So now we have many photos by many photographers with similar watermarks (fonts spelling photographers name) on their images. Do you see the dilemma that I am bringing attention to? The reason I say “bring attention to” is because it is not a created fictitious scenario. Brand, uniqueness and quality are not just characteristics of a successful brand, but requirements. Take a look at your brand. How can you apply these principles and processes?

Branding used to be the privileged purview of big company products. Now every business talks about the brand insistence, and even individuals are challenged to become walking brands. Why have brands become so imperative? Bottom line: good brands construct companies. Ineffective brands sabotage success. As products and services become indistinguishable, as competition creates infinite
choices, as companies merge into faceless giants, differentiation is required.

While being memorable is vital, it’s increasingly more difficult each day. A strong brand stands out in a crowded marketplace. Converting the brand into action has become an essential mantra. There is overwhelming evidence that businesses whose employees understand and are receptive to the brand are flourishing. What started as business culture under the compass of human resources is fast becoming branding, and marketing runs the show.

While brands resonate with the mind and spirit, brand identity is physical or real and charms the senses. Brand identity is the visual and verbal manifestation of a brand. Identity affirms, conveys, communicates, synthesizes, and visualizes the brand. It is the shortest, quickest, most omnipresent form of communication today. You can see it, feel it, hold it, hear it, see it move. It starts with a brand name and a brandmark and builds exponentially into a infrastructure of resources and communication. On applications from calling cards to the web, from ad campaigns to signage, brand identity increases awareness and builds business.

The requirement for effective brand identity cuts across public and private areas, from new companies to merged organizations to businesses that need to reposition or reconstruct themselves . The best brands are memorable, genuine, meaningful, unique, sustainable, flexible, and have measure. Recognition
becomes prompt across cultures and customs.

Brand identity is an asset that is compelling and ever present. Brand identity is an asset that must to be managed, nurtured, invested in, and leveraged. Done well, it is the unchanging reminder of the definition of the brand.

Creating consciousness and acknowledgement of a brand is directed by a visual identity that is effortless to recall and quick to recognize. Visual identity activates perceptions and unlocks associations of the brand. Vision, more than any other sense, provides an individual with information about the world . Through constant. repeated exposure of particular brand identities, symbols are so recognizable that companies such as Apple and Nike have actually eliminated the name or text from their corporate brand or logo in national advertising. Color becomes a mnemonic device-when you see a brown truck you know it’s UPS.

The brand is the nucleus of sales and marketing activities which result in increased awareness and loyalty when managed strategically.

Identity designers are in the business of managing perception through the fusion of meaning and unique visual form. Understanding the steps or process of visual perception and understanding provides designers and their customers with priceless insight into what will work best. The science of perception analyzes how people recognize and render sensory stimuli.

Some content by Alina Wheeler.