In order for your shadows to look authentic, avoid premade 3D effects. But people throw up a drop shadow, then all of a sudden they think it’s floating and 3D, but it’s not,” says Lippard. Drop shadows can work within the structure of the logo. Many illustrators think that if they use drop shadows, visual effects that appear to be a shadow of an object, their image automatically becomes three-dimensional. You can show the drama of the depth with a shadow.”īut don’t rely on simple shadows alone. “If there’s space between the object and the shadow it looks buoyant. “A little shadow can add dimension,” says Ooyevaar. What are some of the elements that make a logo 3D? Shadows, for one they add complexity and depth to whatever structure you create. If you fall in love with one of your sketches, you can easily turn it into a vector drawing with the Image Trace tool in Illustrator. “Graphic designers should put pen to paper just to get the ideas flowing.” Search Google, Instagram, and Pinterest for ideas and inspiration. “Sketch like crazy,” designer Lenore Ooyevaar says. Once you find a direction, put down anything that comes to mind. Refer to competitors’ work to add to your creativity. Consider this as you work on your own logo. 3D logos also allow brands with flexible identities the freedom to morph and transform them into different mediums. That’s why so many tech companies adopt 3D logo designs: The intricacies suggest there’s more to what they do than meets the eye. “3D logos work with companies that are highly complex, that need more than a shape to tell their story.” “You have to be careful because 3D logos come with a tone,” says designer Ashley Lippard.

But first, think about the tone you want your logo to evoke. If you need more inspiration on how to set your company logo apart, try it out in 3D. A unique logo is tough to come by - and even harder to create.

Logo in illustrator