Without a doubt, logos can make a huge difference to brand recall. You don\u2019t need someone to tell you the brand name when you see a \u201cswoosh\u201d sign or a half-bitten apple sign. You can instantly connect to their brands \u2013 one belongs to Nike, and the other is Apple. That is what a good logo can do to your brand recall.
\nYes, a well-designed logo speaks volumes about your brand. It becomes the face of your brand. A logo appears everywhere \u2013 on your products, marketing, website, in-store signages, and practically everything that you put out for your existing and potential customers.
\nEvery business, be it an established organisation, or a start-up, needs a good logo.
\nHowever, designing a great logo, one that truly represents a brand, is not an easy task. You need to understand that a lot of thought and hard work goes into creating a great logo design. From concept to research, you have to take into account a lot of factors to design a good logo for your business.
\nLet us, therefore, take you through designing the best logo for your business \u2013 does a business logo really matter, what to consider when designing a logo, and mistakes to avoid when designing a logo.<\/p>\n
Does a business logo really matter?<\/span><\/p>\n When we talk of logos, the biggest question to understand is this \u2013 does a business logo really matter.<\/p>\n Yes, it does, and every business needs a good logo. A logo is a visual representation of your brand. It is a symbol that can easily get etched on to the minds of your customers if they connect with it.<\/p>\n Here are a few of the reasons why your business needs a logo:<\/p>\n Visual representation is a better way of communicating with your customers<\/b><\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 It is much easier to retain a visual image than the words you read or things you listen. Hence, if you want your customers to remember and recollect your brand, then you need a great logo for your business.<\/p>\n You can create branded swag with logos<\/b><\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 You can hand out branded swag to your potential customers at trade shows, pass it on as gifts, and even sell them. People love souvenirs. For example, a branded key chain can stick around with your potential customers for long. It is a better form of publicity, where your logo keeps reminding them about your brand.<\/p>\n A logo helps you create brand consistency<\/b><\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 To create a lasting impression on the minds of your existing and potential customers, you need to be consistent with your branding. With a logo in place, you will not have problems in designing other marketing elements.<\/p>\n A logo helps create an identity of your own in the crowded market<\/b><\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 With so much competition in every vertical, you need to create an identity of your own so that your existing and potential customers remember you easily. A logo helps you stand out from the competition. A distinct logo makes it easy for your customers to recollect your brand.<\/p>\n As mentioned earlier, every business needs a logo. If you don\u2019t have a logo, people might not take you seriously. A good logo instils trust among your customers. It makes your business look more professional.<\/p>\n If you want to design a good logo for your business, it is important to understand what to consider when designing a logo.<\/p>\n There is no point in complicating things when it comes to designing a logo. You need to understand that most of the great logos have a simple design. Take, for example, the logos of Apple, McDonald, Nike, and Starbucks. These are all simple logos that have a subtle message for their consumers.<\/p>\n A good logo conveys to your consumers your brand story with the right mix of colours, fonts, imagery, and shapes. It lets you stand out in this crowded market place. Also, a logo becomes great only if it can be used seamlessly across all mediums. From your business cards to social media platforms, your logo should fit in everywhere without any issues.<\/p>\n According to Tamarin Morley, a brand designer based in Australia, \u201cit can be as pretty as you like, but if it doesn\u2019t mean anything and doesn\u2019t communicate anything, then it\u2019s not going to be a good logo. It needs to be effective at communicating the brand\u2014its purpose and personality\u2014and it needs to do that in a very simple, clear way. It also needs to be memorable and recognizable.\u201d<\/p>\n Let us try to understand the design elements of a logo. Here are the design elements that make up a logo \u2013 colours, font\/ typeface, shape, line, negative space (the arrow in the FedEx logo), graphics, and layout.<\/p>\n If you want to design a good logo, you need to make sure that you have a strategy in place. It is crucial to understand the core value of the business, what it offers, and how the business differs from others.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s pointless trying to work out what you want something to look like until you understand what the point of it is. Once you\u2019ve got a good understanding of that side of things, then you\u2019ll start mood-boarding,\u201d says Tamarin.<\/p>\n Once you understand the objective of what your logo needs to represent, you get down to the sketching stage. When you reach this stage, make sure you follow these points to design a great logo:<\/p>\n Keep it simple<\/b><\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 Simple things click more with the audience. Take the example of Apple; they had a complicated logo when they started in 1976, but now they a simple logo that rules the roost. According to Tamarin, \u201cSomething that\u2019s bold and simple is going to be far more memorable and recognizable than something that\u2019s got an awful lot of detail. The detail can come in the visual language and be expanded out in other applications, but the mark itself does need to be simple. It doesn\u2019t have to be\u00a0super\u00a0simple, but it has to be something that translates from large-format signage to a tiny little digital icon.\u201d<\/p>\n Don\u2019t overlook the principle \u2013 less is more when it comes to designing a logo.<\/p>\n Always keep your audience in mind<\/b><\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 Every business has a target audience of its own. And, when you design a logo, you should always keep your target audience in mind. It is, therefore, crucial to factor in age, gender, income, location, profession, etc. Also, do factor in the competition while designing a logo, but it is not necessary to always play by the book. According to Tamarin, \u201crules are there to be broken. You\u2019ve got the fundamentals but they\u2019re well and truly worn and people get sick of them. There\u2019s a lot of really great branding that has quite a na\u00efve approach that is very much aimed at a higher-end adult audience, it\u2019s all in the way it\u2019s executed.\u201d<\/p>\n Make sure the logo is memorable<\/b><\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 With competition in each vertical growing by the day, you need to ensure that the logo you create stands out in the crowd. But creating such a logo is a challenge. Try to avoid using generic themes and symbols like the globe and cityscapes. To make a fresh logo, dive deep into the brand, and use your creativity to design the logo. If you can tell a brands\u2019 story in a symbol, there is no reason why you can\u2019t make a memorable logo.<\/p>\n Also, ensure the logo is timeless<\/b><\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 If you look at the logo of Coca Cola, you would understand what a timeless logo means. The logo has been in existence since 1985 and connects pretty well with its audience even now. There is no point in creating a trendy logo because it can soon go out of fashion. Making a typographic logo is a good idea because these are simple logos that can remain in vogue for long.<\/p>\n Try to make the logo versatile and scalable<\/b><\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 When you design a logo, you need to make sure that it looks good on all the applications. If it looks good on the computer screen, it should also look great on a pen, web banner, or a billboard. \u00a0Colour is another thing that you need to factor in seriously. According to Tamarin, \u201cA lot of people design with just RGB in really bright colour and then go to print it and it looks flat and horrible. Make sure that you understand the difference between RGB, CMYK and Pantone, and how things are going to translate between digital and print.\u201d<\/p>\n The logo should have a quality typeface<\/b><\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 The font you select for the logo is also an important factor to consider. The font you use in a logo represents the story of the brand. \u00a0For example, Google switched its typeface from serif to sans serif, and the logo is doing pretty good for the brand. Hence, it is crucial to select a quality typeface, one that turns a word into a recognizable brand.<\/p>\n Use colours strategically<\/b><\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 Colours have a significant role to play in a logo. Different colours have different connotations. For example, the colour blue stands for trust, stability, and calm, and the colour red denotes action, energy, and passion. That is why you will see many logos in shades of blue and red. Most of the brands use two colours or less. Using a signature colour can boost recognition significantly. However, logos can look great in more than two colours. When executed properly, logos can look great in more than two colours as well.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t forget black and white<\/b><\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 Your logo should look good in black and white as well. Look at the logo of Adidas; it looks stunning in monochrome. Factoring in colour is fine, but you should never ignore how your logo would look in black and white. There are many instances when your logo will appear in black and white. For example, in sponsorship, the logo appears in monochrome. Hence, always make sure that the logo looks great in greyscale or black and white.<\/p>\n Make a balanced logo<\/b><\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 Humans consider balanced images as attractive. There are some ground rules in logo designing like the golden ratio and the rule of thirds. Do remember that balanced here means optical balance and not mathematical balance. The point is the logo should appear great to your eyes like the logo of Twitter.<\/p>\n Always stick to what has worked for you<\/b><\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 Creating a brand identity is difficult, but rebranding an existing identity is even more difficult. Remember what happened when GAP changed its logo. Things did not work out well for them, and they again had to revert to their old logo. \u00a0A lot of thought, concept, and strategy goes into making a logo. And if things click, there is no point in experimenting with a winning solution.<\/p>\n Just as there are some principles you should follow to make a logo, there are some mistakes to avoid when designing a logo. Some of the mistakes you should avoid are:<\/p>\n Never over complicate your logo<\/b><\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 As mentioned earlier, simple logos connect well with audiences. Don\u2019t put too many icons in your logo. It is easy for consumers to remember a simple design. Don\u2019t use too many colours. Using too many colours can complicate your logo design. Remember that monochromatic logos can also have a similar impact.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t create too many different variations of your logo<\/b><\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 While it is important to create variations of your logo in different sizes, make sure you don\u2019t re-arrange and re-align too many elements. Also, ensure that you don\u2019t change the logo design to fit the size.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t copy other logos<\/b><\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 While it fine to get inspired by other logos, you should not copy them too closely because you will not get a chance to stand out among your competitors. Also, copying amounts to plagiarism.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t try to be too trendy when designing a logo<\/b><\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 Don\u2019t fall for trendy themes and colours when designing a logo. Trendy themes and colours fade out quickly. Always stick to the contemporary theme. Remember that you are not designing your logo for a few years, it needs to stand the tests of time.<\/p>\nWhat to consider when designing a logo?<\/h3>\n
Mistakes to avoid when designing a logo<\/h3>\n