A logo design may seem like a small symbol, but in reality, it’s way more than just a mere insignia.
By Loius Martin
It’s a symbolic piece of art which is designed to represent a company’s identity in the most effective way possible. Putting it differently, a logo is not something that you can turn a blind eye to. It’s a visual identifier of your brand that promotes your business even when you are not present to promote it. Considering its importance, a logo should be designed by keeping all the dos and don’ts of logo designing in mind.
Small business owners and startups often neglect the need of getting a logo designed at the early stages of their business planning. Not to mention, they have enough tasks to fill up their day, so they don’t pay much attention to the logo design. It does not take them long to realize that they have made a mistake and they should get it designed without further ado.
A logo is like a foundation for the further branding hence it should not be left to get through with at the nick of the time. If you are on the cusp of starting a new business and find yourself baffled on how to design a perfect logo for your startup then this blog is for you.
Know Thy Audience
Before getting on the actual logo design process, you need to know who is your audience and what are their preferences. Remember a logo is designed with the purpose of creating an impact on your brand’s target audience. If it does not resonate with them in the first glance, all your logo design effort will be in vain.
As San Francisco based graphic designer Joshua Brewer said; Socrates said, “Know thyself.” I say, “Know the users.” And guess what? They don’t think like you do.” This one quote sums up how important it is for you to conduct thorough research on your end-users as they are the ones who are going to consume what you are offering and they do not think in the same manner as you do. In a nutshell, when you know your audience, you come a with a design that is perfectly appropriate for the target market.
Strive for Simplicity
If you think that a logo design filled with complex details and intricate elements is going to be the best identifier for your company, then you are under a wrong impression. Have a look at few of the most iconic logo designs of all time- the majority of these have been evolved into a simplistic symbol that efficiently embodies their brand core identity. Be it Apple, Shell, or Pizza Hut; all of them at some point decided to omit the intricate details and left their logo clean, crisp and straightforward. Not to mention people adore these logos and they are known as the few globally-recognized and iconic logos.
Lindon Leader, creator of award-winning FedEx logo designer once said, “I strive for two things in design: simplicity and clarity. Great design is born of these two things.” Bear the fact in mind, that if you really want to make a statement with your logo, then simplicity is the key. Pay heed to the K.I.S.S principle of design, which states that simple and clear logos are easily recognizable by the target audience, and they are more likely to create a striking first impression.
Keep Your Logo Versatile
Long gone are the days when a company logo used to be designed only for the storefront, TV commercials or billboards. It wouldn’t be wrong to say that logos nowadays have bigger challenges to deal with. Suppose you have designed a logo, it looks great on the website, excellent on the storefront and then you created your social accounts and uploaded it there and… it looks terrible there. This is why logos have to be adjustable and convertible throughout all the media.
Patrick Winfield said, “I like to work first in black and white to ensure that the logo will look good in its simplest form.” The quote shows how simple sketching and black and white design helps you create an adaptable logo design that looks equally stunning across all the branding platforms.
Be Careful with Logo Colors
Colors play an essential role in your logo design. We can also say that color can be a make or break feature for your logo design. Therefore, you should choose your color palette wisely. You cannot put the random colors in your design and call it a day. Colors have the power to influence human psychology. For instance: red color induces urgency and hunger while blue color denotes trust, quality, and competency. Put yourself in the shoe of your target audience to determine will this color be recognizable for them or not? The color shouldn’t be confusing and should be able to send your brand message across in an effective manner.
Pierre Bonnard, a post-impressionist painter and printmaker said, “Color does not add a pleasant quality to design, it reinforces it.” Therefore, choose your color palette wisely as they are going to be the first and most noticeable branding element for your company. It’s always suggested to stick to a small palette for your custom logo design, preferably a two-color palette- as it makes things easier to recognize without making your logo jumbled with details.
Strive to Make It Timeless and Memorable
If you want your logo to withstand the test of time, strive to make it timeless and memorable for the audience. A logo is considered as one of the most critical branding assets for your company. Remember, good branding is consistent branding. No matter which trend is popular, what fad has taken the world by storm; your mark should still be able to stand firm, no matter what is happening around.
William Arruda, personal branding expert wrote in his article, “Consistency is the key to successful branding. And consistency goes beyond the product itself. The brand promise must be clear with every interaction each stakeholder experiences.”. Your logo can only be memorable and timeless when you hold onto consistency. Take Nike’s, Apple’s and Coca-Cola’s logo as an example- these companies have evolved since commencement, underwent several ups and downs still their logos stand firm and serving their purpose just the way they should.
Key Takeaway
Creating a logo design is not a cake walk. It requires tremendous design skills, branding knowledge, and years of hands-on experience to design a logo that has all the qualities that have been mentioned above. A professionally designed, thoughtful logo design not only sets the tone for your branding, but it also makes it stand out from the crowd.
A logo which is simple, minimal, versatile, appropriate, and memorable- has the power to grab the audience’s attention in the first glance. As defined by Paul Rand,
“The principal role of a logo is to identify, and simplicity is its means… Its effectiveness depends on distinctiveness, visibility, adaptability, memorability, universality, and timelessness.”
All in all, if you want your mark to be magnetic and want it to serve a widely-recognized visual figurehead of your brand- strive for a design that is timeless, memorable, and instantly identifiable.
Loius Martin is a Creative Marketing Manager at Invictus Studio, a custom logo design company situated in Southlake, Texas. Loius approaches digital marketing as not just a profession but a creative thinking process. He has a passion for writing about design, content, and social media marketing. Read more of his articles @loiusmartin1.
Design stock photo by Dmytro Zinkevych/Shutterstock
