Your company’s logo is the first thing that your audience will see when they come in contact with your brand. It is, of course, important that we offer amazing customer service or to deliver high quality products, but in order to create repeat business and to attract the right audience, one of the most important aspects is creating memorable branding. In short, your sales can increase dramatically if people can remember your brand. Now, at the base of your brand is always one element: your logo.
Creating a successful and memorable logo, however, is not something that comes easy for everyone. The good news is that it is a skill that can be acquired, with dedication, practice and using the right resources. In this article we will look at a few tips and tricks for successful logo creation, so keep reading.
Why Are Logos so Important?
Before everything else, we need to understand why your logo can make or break your brand, and what gives it so much power.
Logos have the gift of saying everything about your brand without actually saying a word. A good logo conveys trust, pride, integrity and a commitment to excellence. It communicates your brand’s values without the use of pages on top of pages that talk about your mission statement and business goals. Above all, however, it creates a connection between your brand and your audience.
Forbes reports that you only have a seven-second window to create a first impression on a potential consumer. Your logo, when done correctly, has the ability to compel a person to interact with your brand on the spot. Once you have a potential customers’ attention, studies show that they will be more likely to make a purchase.
A Logo Can Make or Break Your Brand
On the opposite end, the absence of a logo can very successfully alienate potential clients. It is actually less relevant if your products or services are of the highest quality if your audience doesn’t remember you or even worse, doesn’t notice you in the first place. The inability to create a positive first impression will directly influence the growth of your business.
That being said, the main takeaway here is that we only have one shot (and a very small time frame) at capturing and retaining our audience’s attention. And the most effective tool in doing this is our logo. This explains why logo creation is a million dollar industry, with big brands constantly improving and perfecting their logo: Because your logo can make or break your brand.
Logo Design Dos
Moving forward, let’s take a quick look at a few “Logo Design Do’s” to help you create a more visually appealing and exciting logo.
Keep It Easy to Read
Your logo must be legible in order to make an impact on your audience. Try to avoid typography that is too complicated or intricate. Instead, use font types that are clean, simple and easy to read.
Be Mindful of Dimensions
You might think you just need your logo on your website or your business cards, and that may be true for a short period of time. The truth is that you want your brand to grow and you have to keep that in mind when building your logo. Think of future possible uses, maybe you will want to add it to a giant billboard or as part of a presentation, alongside 40 other logos.
Your logo should look great regardless of the size you need to use it at. Ideally, avoid small details that could potentially be lost when the logo is shrunk.Another solution to this issue could be creating alternative versions of the same logo that could be used in different situations. If you go this route make sure to note the correct usage for each version in your Brand Guidelines.
Use Variation to Your Advantage
Your logo should look good on anything. Having different lockups (vertical, horizontal, square) will ensure your success with that. It is also important to include different color variations in order for the logo to stand out on any type of background. These practices will also help protect your brand from any printing limitations.
Leave It to the Professionals
Your logo will be used on every part of your brand and it is very important to invest in quality. Although it may come at a cost, you need your logo to be able to survive over the years without having to redo everything. Rebranding can sometimes be a good marketing decision, but it usually comes at higher costs and it is not always guaranteed to be a success. The better your logo and brand are designed from the beginning, the less you will need to rebrand in the future.
Logo Design Don’ts
You also need to know what to avoid when it comes to logo designing. Here are a few interesting aspects to be mindful of.
Don’t Choose the Wrong Font
When designing a logo, your font can make or break a design. Choosing the wrong font could make your brand look unprofessional or silly. In fact, poor font choice is a very common reason for logos to fail. All brands have their own personalities and your font should express your brand personality as best as possible. For example, a playful, cartoonish font versus a serious, classic font will send a different message and express different attributes of a brand.
It’s a good idea to research multiple fonts that match your brand and your vision, try out multiple options and even have your own font created.
Don’t Overcomplicate Your Design
It could be tempting to add as much detail as possible to a logo, but it is often a bad idea. A simple logo is usually more successful because it is moreversatile. You can use it on different mediums, in different sizes and your logo will still convey the same message. A simple logo is also memorable. When people think of your product, your logo and name should come to mind. The more complicated a logo is, the harder it becomes to remember.People should be able to understand your logo only by looking at it. With that one glance, they should know what your brand is about and what it stands for. Overcomplicating your logo will make it hard for people to understand it, which, in turn, will work against you when it comes to how impactful your brand is.
Don’t Go Too Far With Simplicity
While a logo that is too complicated can hurt your brand, so can an oversimplified logo. You are still trying to communicate a pretty complex message to your audience and if your logo is too abstract you risk confusing people. The happy medium here is having a simple logo design that still communicates effectively to your audience.
With that in mind, it is important to add details to your logo, without overdoing it. If done properly, you won’t need a lot of complexity in order to successfully get your message across. So focus on details when picking your font, colors, and imagery.
Don’t Be a Copycat
Regardless of your other design choices, it is crucial that you stay original in your logo design. Having a logo that looks similar to that of another company could hurt your brand in a lot of ways. Aside from it being illegal, your brand will be seen as less trustworthy, a knockoff or, worse, fraudulent.
Plagiarism is never a good idea, your logo should never look too similar to a different brand’s logo. This becomes exponentially worse if the logo you are copying is that of a famous brand. While you can’t check every design in the world to make sure there are no similarities, it is a good idea to try and do a quick check of your competitors for any significant similarities in branding.
Now You Know The Basics of Logo Designing!
Designing the right logo for your business can be an endeavor that feels both frustrating and daunting. It is important to give yourself the time to identify the attributes you want your audience to remember about your brand. Your chances to get it right increase when you focus on the right steps: doing your research, following the best practices, knowing to avoid common mistakes , and understanding your target audience.
