5 Tips to Designing the Perfect Logo for Your Brand What makes a perfect logo?
So, you’re starting up a new business? Or maybe it’s time to refresh your brand’s look. Whichever the case may be, your company’s logo and brand is often the first impression a client will have of your business. Cutting corners can result in loss of engagement with your potential clients.
Good branding is key to getting your clients to involve themselves with your products. Whether the medium is physical or digital, most consumers’ first impression comes through visual perception. At the same time, an attractive logo and branding strengthens your image, promotes
your professionalism and tells potential clients that you care about quality.
Here are 5 tips to consider when designing the perfect logo for your brand or business:
1. Logo Simplicity
The logo may look great on your business cards, but does it looks as nice on your social media profile pages and website?
Keeping it simple is one of the best approaches when it comes to logo design. Think of where your logo will appear: business cards, brochures, websites, apps, mobile devices, vehicles, embroidered on fabric, etc. The simpler the logo, the more likely it is to suit all environments. Your logo needs to look good on a range of media; if it’s too complex, it will conflict with the environment it’s being used in.
2. Logo Colour
Think about the message your company needs to convey. Environmental sustainability? Perhaps using the colours green, blue, & yellow will help. Take the time to pick the right colours—they play a big role in the way your brand is perceived. For example, blue represents authority, dependability, and responsibility. This is why blue is so often found in life insurance and investment firm branding.
Take the time to understand the psychology of colours and apply the principles accordingly to your brand.
Red: energetic, sexy, bold
Orange: creative, friendly, youthful
Yellow: sunny, inventive, optimism
Green: growth, organic, instructional
Blue: professional, medical, tranquil, trustworthy
Purple: spiritual, wise, evocative
Black: credible and powerful
White: simple, clean, pure
Pink: fun and flirty
Brown: rural, historical, steady, rustic
Keep in mind: too many colours will make your logo difficult and expensive to print or embroider. Virtually all of the world’s most recognised logos are made up of just one or two colours, so keep it simple! Also, it is very important to choose the appropriate pantone colour code, also know as “PMS” Pantone matching system. Selection of pantone colour codes will ensure that your colours remain consistent throughout all your print and digital media.
3. Fonts To Use In A Logo
If you are using Comic Sans, Times New Roman, or Arial, odds are you are using the wrong typeface. Find a font that is original, a font that makes your brand appear unique and that stands out from the rest—but not in a negative way. Avoid at all cost any fonts that come across as gimmicky.
The choice of font you use plays a major role in whether or not your logo will be successful. Choose a font that speaks immediately to the image of your brand. Avoid overly trendy fonts as you may find your logo becoming dated fairly quickly. Try to use the classic fonts, such as, Helvetica, Bodoni, Clarendon, Akzidenz Grotesk, Avenir, FF Din, Futura, News Gothic, Frutiger, Gill Sans, Garamond, Myriad Pro, Optima, Univers, Bembo (and there are many, many more).
4. Understanding Your Brand, Understand Your Logo
Your logo is an introduction to your brand and products. One thing to keep in mind is that your logo and brand must be designed to reach a specific audience. Write down what your brand is about, who your typical client is and what kind of aesthetics and imagery your typical client would be drawn to.
Don’t overthink it. It’s nice when a logo has a deeper meaning, but don’t get stuck making a logo whose meaning is so deep and complex that no one gets it. A logo should be quickly understood, clever and welcoming to your potential client.
In the end, your logo should be an image of what your customers care about, while remaining true to who and what your business does. Know what your logo means.
5. Logotype or symbol? Which Is The Right Logo For Your Brand
A logo typically consists of two elements, a symbol and wordmark (also called a logotype). A new business cannot solely rely on just a symbol for representation. A lot of marketing and advertising must be done before that symbol becomes well known (think Starbucks, McDonalds, Apple, Mercedes, and many other established brands). When creating your logo, you must consider the name of your company.
If your company has a unique name, a logotype or wordmark could be a great choice. Take a look at these well-known logotypes:
If your company’s name is very generic, then a symbol will be an important element to help it stand out and give it that touch that makes it part of your brand.
As mentioned before, avoid gimmicky fonts. Look at websites such as fontsquirrel.com & myfonts.com to help you find an appropriate font. Also, make sure you have and own all the required rights to the font you are using. For free, good quality, open source fonts, take a look at google.com/fonts.
When in doubt: Don’t hesitate to turn to your friend Helvetica, a simple and beautifully crafted font that has been utilised by many large and established companies. Just take a look at Target, Crate & Barrel, Jeep, JCPenney, Toyota, and many others.
What Does It All Mean?
Logo design is not a quick or simple process. You have to understand your brand, your customer, your product and your competitors before creating or moving a single pixel. Just like any other form of marketing or advertising strategy it takes time and a lot of research.
