Once available only to developers, Apple has recently released its "iOS Human Interface Guidelines" to the general public for free in iBooks. Although the guidelines are generally focused on providing tips for designing a user interface for iOS apps, hidden within this 245 page document are some excellent pointers for designing a trademark that will look fantastic in an iOS app (and anywhere else for that matter). Here are the top six tips for designing a trademark from the most powerful brand in the world:

Colors should look great individually and in combination and on both light and dark backgrounds

[caption id="attachment_2336" align="aligncenter" width="300"]

This is the color scheme used by Apple in its native apps[/caption]

Text should legible at any size

Use a single font

The best logos are "uncluttered, engaging, and memorable"

Logos need to look good on different backgrounds (and in black and white)

Logos should look good at various sizes ("Details that might enrich an icon at large sizes can make it look muddy at small sizes")

Much more detail on these points and iOS app design in general can be found in the "iOS Human Interface Guidelines," which can be downloaded here.

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