A logo is the most important symbol a business can have. Because it’s almost always the first marketing piece potential customers see, it is the most recognizable feature of your brand identity. It’s essentially the “face” of your company. Just like people’s facial expressions convey thoughts and emotions, different logos send different messages to customers.
Any logo’s success lies in its ability to accurately portray a brand message. That’s a pretty tall order, especially if you’re a business owner who lacks graphic design training. Luckily, these 7 simple steps to logo design will help ensure your logo is saying all the right things to customers.
1. Be Enticing
A logo can be perceived in totally opposite ways by different people. For instance, what a woman admires as “cute” might make a man think the company is “too girly.” Before you start designing, decide who your target audience will be. Then design a logo that appeals to their age, careers, education, and other interests.
2. Be Unique
You’ve seen airline logos that look just like planes, or veterinary logos that look like a cat and dog together. These are clichés—logos that are popular because their images easily convey what an industry does. However, clichés are hard to remember, and the point of a logo is to make your brand memorable. Invest the extra time to create a truly unique logo instead of just using what’s popular in your industry.
3. Be Timeless
When you chase the design bandwagon, you’re likely to get run over. Logos that look trendy now won’t be so cool next year, or even next month. Redesigning a logo takes a lot of hard work, so it pays off to use classic elements as the building blocks for your design. That way, it will stand the test of time when trends fade.
4. Be New
Think of the timeless elements as the foundation for your logo—then add some interior decorating! Include some bold or innovative elements to give your logo just the right amount of flair.
5. Be Simple
Before you go overboard adding new stuff to your logo, remember: complicated logos are harder to recognize. That means potential customers might decide to just work with a company whose logo they know, rather than trying to remember who you are. The way around this is to keep your logo simple, so people can recognize and remember it right away.
6. Be Consistent
It’s easy to get sidetracked with cool designs, rather than focusing on how those elements should portray your brand identity. Be sure the following elements help convey your brand’s message:
- Symbols or pictures
- White space
- Shapes
- Fonts
- Negative space
- Colors
7. Be Adaptable
Logos don’t just appear in one place. Your logo might be printed in black and white ink, shrunk to fit a website, or blown up to occupy a billboard. Make sure it scales to any size and looks good both in color or grayscale. That way, your logo can transition smoothly from one place to another.You now know the secrets to designing the perfect logo for your business. Follow these 7 design tips, and your logo will start to truly reflect your brand identity in no time.
