Logo Design - How to Improve Your Letterforms

How do you improve the letterforms in your logos? How do you optically balance your logo designs? How do you improve the overshoots of your curved typography?
In this episode, Chris Do, carefully adjusts the details of this “devote” logotype.
0:46 - problems with the logo
0:54 - What are overshoots?
1:18 - Matching thicks and thins
1:44 - Aim for optical balance
3:18 - Finessing the letter thicknesses
3:40 - Comparing to Bauer Bodoni
4:50 - Study well-drawn typefaces
6:30 - Simplify your illustrator curves
8:05 - Compare each logo version
8:23 - How to draw an "e" in Adobe Illustrator
#LogoDesign #Tutorial #AdobeIllustrator
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Host- Chris Do
Content Director- Matthew Encina
Cinematographers- Mark Contreras, Stewart Schuster, Aaron Szekely, Ricky Lucas, Jona Garcia
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Typefaces: Futura, DIN, Helvetica Neue, Calibre
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[@fancylogic5285]

The "e" walkthrough changed my life.

[@TheFuturAcademy]

Yay!!!

[@YungPreist]

Whats so cool to me is how when you first look at a logo and think hmmm thats pretty solid, and then when you get in there and really start giving it some love and making things more consistent and you compare the two you immediately see the difference, number 3 was definitely the way to go. Thank you so much for this video it reminded me of how important the small details are. Great job!

[@TheFuturAcademy]

Paul Scott small details add up to a bigger compound effect

These videos are brutally helpful. Keep 'em coming! Thanks.

[@MalaysiaNewsTV24]

*yes*

[@AlexPresa]

Honestly agree, this channel is soooo helpful, useful and brilliant. I liked the option #3, most well-balanced piece of type in my opinion.

[@ArmandoVazquezvazmoen]

The change is brutal. A few minor but very vital improvements.

[@TheFuturAcademy]

Armando Vazquez it’s all in the details

[@farhadmammadov21]

Process of correcting was so impressive, but at the end of the video, Chris' creating process of letter "e" was mind-blowing. This guy know what he does man!!!

[@Jakeurb8ty82]

3. The second terminal gives it balance without being symmetrical. Alt/Option dragging a single anchor point duplicates the whole line for me... (UPDATE: because I didn't use the scale tool! You really do have to pay attention and watch full screen.)

[@JeezJeezy]

If you skewed the square at 4:18 it would match the diagonal stroke. So, the horizontal width of the stroke is consistent. And three is best, the elements are more in harmony.

[@jwalzer]

I like the balance of the terminals in #3

[@manpreetkansla1007]

Number 3. it's much more balance than other two. Great Work.

[@rivagess]

A guide to typeface and how to use them depending on the context (web, print, subject) would be really helpful.

[@ProfNomis]

Great video. I personally really like these type of videos where you go a bit deeper into the technical stuff. And my favourite is #3, each letterform looks connected to the others and it has a beautiful balance.

[@medbouchi]

Number 3, feels very balanced and all the contrast of thick and thins have been fixed .

[@munchingorange234]

I like the third one but the D still feels quite funky. It just feels more cartoony and not as mature as the other letters. I think the round in the middle of the D needed some adjusting to make it a bit more sharp and a better curve in the inner circle.

[@jfosterdesigns]

Agreed

[@soejrd24978]

Just a tip for the audio. In this video the audio is heavily compressed, which is typical when you're dealing with vocals or speech, but when you do that in a roomy-sound (room mic.), the audio gets really "pumpy" and brings a lot of "room-artifacts" to the front. Compressing vocals from a condenser mic is fine, but make sure you minimize the room sound.

[@DeepakRai-tf8un]

Did he said "Namaste" ......... love from INDIA BRO .. both cahnnel are awesome ...

[@TheFuturAcademy]

Yes I did.

[@DeepakRai-tf8un]

namaste ! @@TheFuturAcademy

[@shakunlejohn2238]

Thanks for the "e" walkthrough

[@AnasAhmed-ib1my]

Brutally Brutally Brutally Brutally Helpful!!!!!

[@TheFuturAcademy]

Appreciate it

[@willpatersondesign]

Love this video guys x

[@fatherodd7344]

YOU AND YOUR TEAM & THE COMMUNITY YOUVE INFLUENCED ARE A GODSEND!!!!!

[@diegocastillo6470]

What an amazing video, loved the presentation, style, music, wow, really nice pleasurable video

[@saurabht7987]

All the time I was thinking, "This is not the way we indian designer think. Than at the end he says namaste. Mr. Chris Do I am in 🙏Namaste.

[@hiyduhgg]

Wow I love this channel so clear and helpful. Also you could try putting a poll on the video so we can vote our choice?

[@Dan-lu7vi]

You probably hate these comments, but at 9:35 you can drag the stroke color into the fill box. You don't even have to hold option!

[@riseagainstfanatic88]

I like the third the most you really made some great changes there on the "d" and the "e" but I would keep those little courvy elements on the e"s to give it something more unique for the brand.

[@platypus85]

Super stuff, learning something everytime I watch these videos! Love from Norway

[@yacoub7668]

i leared somthing new today THANK YOU.

[@philippschumann4556]

Love how you focus a bit on type design and recommend looking for reputable foundries (a daunting task in and of itself imho), which is super important when doing anything typographic whatsoever. You don't wanna be using a bad typeface, ever 😄 Also if you want to really improve your type designing skills, I think you wont get around drawing whole alphabets. It makes you understand the whole concept and the relationships between letterforms way better than just drawing one word. Great video, much love from Germany! ☺

[@DesignMedium]

Another very informative video. Nice. 👍

[@Artist77osi]

Love the changes, I never thoughts about those while creating letterforms for logo design. thanks lot

[@mykolaspetrusevicius3711]

Awesome video!

[@AtmosphereDz]

i like the 3rd one i've learnt so much thank you the futur

[@sahilnambisan6461]

I like the 2nd one the most.

[@haniyahejaz1434]

I never understand people who dislike your videos. :/

[@TheFuturAcademy]

haniyah ejaz 🤷‍♂️

[@VEE727]

I hate that mosquito music. They did it again

[@abdullahdesigns00]

You guys are gems

[@MalaysiaNewsTV24]

*amazing work*

[@funkypanda5700]

you just saved me from trashing an assignment . Thankyou!!!!!!

[@t.t.cooperphd5389]

Love these videos

[@mohamedlabeeb7162]

This is awesome stuff ♥️♥️♥️

[@infographie]

Excellent

[@janus1450]

I prefer the "trois" (third). Love your videos

[@TheFuturAcademy]

Merci beaucoup

[@franciscoleyva4378]

Best content ever! Can't wait for the event.

[@seymourbeetle]

My vote goes to the 3rd iteration, but I'd like that little ball on the "t" to get cut out so only the ball on the "v" is left. It looks cleaner and easier to read in my opinion.

[@hamidmarji7677]

I liked the option num 3 was such pure

[@55555harris]

Learning daily something very useful.. keep doing..👍

[@11Virgo11]

I love your videos. And the background music makes it even better! Thanks you guys are AMAZING creat/ures/ors/

[@tanmaypanadi1414]

The third logo attracts my attention little bit of fun and fancyness.

[@crea2rs133]

Very informative Thank you

[@colleenstudio]

love it, THANKS

[@AntoineLanau]

Numéro 3 for sure!

[@rainbow-er4py]

i like the third one thanks for the video

[@dhrumilshah9442]

How someone disagree 😎. Thanks for video ✌️✌️

[@MyLivingLife]

This was an information packed video! Expect nothing less from the Futur team of course. 😍 I am a little confused about the letter 'd' at 6:16 . The 'o' should have flattened correctly into the 'd' like it did in the Bodoni font, right? Since you'd fixed the thickness of the 'o' earlier? So why didn't it? I feel like I need to know this so that I know how to spot stuff like this in the future. Thanks again for your amazing content and hard work @TheFuturAcademy!

[@tailsmelv025]

I'm also confused about this. I'm hoping someone's answered somewhere in the comments.

[@kevlawrence]

Defo number 3

[@anika6558]

GREAT GREAT I LOVE IT

[@andreswanepoel80]

3 years late, but definitely #3!

[@trevorayala7368]

I really like 3

[@rehanhayat]

i wonder why this channel has such low subs - Great Work , keep on going (Y)

[@AbdulKarim-dk6vn]

Awesome

[@dinabro5739]

very Thank you

[@umastrategic9692]

Master Do!!!

[@brentmcdonald7319]

I like 3 most.

[@AbualHassanPervaizAkther]

i would love to go for 2nd sine its more simplified but i would take e from 3rd and put in 2nd one. may be it will make logo thinner but i will just try if it will work.

[@SD-ez8yo]

Love Futur ,Thanks :)

[@IndrajaSalunkhe]

Awesome...

[@jonasauernhammer1886]

really really strong video

[@armenberejiklian4230]

Useful 👌

[@David-wi1ou]

Can you form the "e" with Width tool?

[@nasirraza6775]

3 is look minimal modern and beautiful

[@anika6558]

nice

[@ebadfaiz6326]

Have your any courses on skillShare? Kindly provide link if have.

[@AvantGrade]

I don't think we are eligible to disagree on the changes 😂😂 We like them we kinda know why ❤️

[@elizabethdecena154]

You guys are such cool beans. 😎

[@paulinemorare5509]

Seems so easy, which software do you use?

[@MTajvidi]

9:08 How come I can't do the same thing? when I select that anchor point with the direct selection tool and hold alt/option and drag the anchor point, the whole stroke moves to the right! my cursor show a + sign instead of double cursor icon when I hold the alt/option!

[@robertfigueredo5481]

He's selecting the anchor point and the path, are you just clicking the point or are you drawing a box over the path and the point?

[@emilyjackson6409]

Geezus, the meticulousness. Well done :)

[@maryocecilyo3372]

Muito obrigado!

[@shakunlejohn2238]

Still prefer the No.3. Just those slight changes have it a different feel

[@dvtrbl]

Agree 3

[@chrisanson243]

I like no. 3 but there are still some issues with the spacing between letters.

[@allangomes529]

Please put the name of the songs in the description. I always want to hear it more but never find it. :

[@anettechahalane7523]

Merci

[@hi-xu5sk]

Awesome✅✅✅✅✅

[@ryand76]

Hi Chris and Futur peoples! I've been a Sustaining Member since 2017 and have been applying everything I have learned to my designs and they have been 100 percent better! Now I want to up my game and start charging more for my designs just because I already undersell myself and I know that. I need the confidence of "a formula" in the form of spacing in typography. I'm looking for some serious ways to train on type like this video. I just really want to be confident in my typography spacing and know how to spot it across a room like Chris. I want to buy a typography course with my tax refund and I am very committed to it. So the question is. which course should I start on? I am a failed animator with a degree turned to dust. I have rebounded in graphic design through your channel and others like it and have gained many clients since then. So really what is the best course to take if I'm looking for tight type design and have a basic concept of typography but not traditionally trained?

[@TheFuturAcademy]

Take our typography course. Thank you for your support these years.

[@saimusaddiq7787]

Slight Changes made a lot Difference in it.

[@pennyohalloran449]

I like 3

[@MrsPEAR-ye3er]

3

[@AkshaySharma-sy9zf]

what is the name of devote font

[@spycounter]

3 for me

[@kitj2820]

3 with the ball in the "T" off

[@Bernarkdar]

The overshoots for the rounded letters were DEFINITELY fine before. You said they were too big and then took them down to nearly the same height as the v. Obviously, this is a purely subjective thing, but saying that overshoots can't be that much taller than the x-height, and ESPECIALLY saying that they should be that close to it, is very dangerous misinformation to spread, especially when it's already difficult enough to find good information about what makes good and bad type. Overall, good video, especially when talking about thin and thick strokes. The style of font that you're referring to that has great contrast between stroke thicknesses would be a didone style font in case anyone wanted to look for more examples of this.

[@nonsookolo9833]

Number 3

[@jhonsh6206]

number 3

[@yashrotliwala5254]

What to do if I want my logo to be critique?

[@SilverAphelion]

it`s weird how the first letter set the tone for the rest of the word, i dig number 3.

[@Daani213]

that a great

[@SoloC852]

Number 3 without the dot on T

[@manzarkhan3959]

Sir, I am from Pakistan and i like the way you teach big fan of you, sir, I have a problem when I design a cv or letterhead and go to export save as jpeg and save it when I print letterhead or cv content is blur it looks low quality could you tell me for print how to save properly Thank you very much

[@jerryyoung7871]

omg, what's the name of the typography? D:

[@user-zl8td5co9q]

جيد جدا وفقك الله