To design of a powerful business logo need not be over the top. Since your logo will appear on your printed stationery, website, social media posts, and products, you need to get it right. It will become a recognizable part of your brand. However, when you sit down to design a business logo, you may find the task is not as straightforward as you first thought.
A logo should visually tell people what your business does and what it stands for, and your logo should also convey the personality of your brand. So, you have a lot to get across in one small graphic. Here ten tips to help you get your message across in the design of your business logo.
- Define Your Brand
If you haven’t already done so, you will need to define your brand before designing your logo. Your business logo will need to convey what your business is all about, and the logo will need to appeal to your target audience. A logo should do much more than tell people what you sell. Your logo should convey the personality of your brand.
- Be Original
Looking at the logos of your competitors can be a good starting point. However, you want to design a business logo to be better designed and more memorable than your competitions’ logos. Don’t underestimate the power of a logo. Your business logo will be a part of what attracts people to your business. So, try to develop a logo that will stand out from all the other ones already out there.
- Remember that Color is Emotive
The colors you choose for your branding will play an essential role in conveying your brand’s personality. So, consider the meanings of colors carefully when designing your logo. Blue, for example, invokes feelings of togetherness, which is why social media platforms tend to have blue logos. Red, on the other hand, is a vibrant color, but it can also suggest aggressiveness. Think too about how your target market might perceive a particular color. Would your typical customer wear a shirt with a pink logo on it, for example?
- Make Your Logo Timeless
Rebranding is an expensive exercise, so it would be advisable to design a logo that will stand the test of time. Avoid following current trends in logo design. A design that is trending today may look outdated next year. If you follow logo design trends, your logo may also look too similar to other brands’ logos in your sector.
- Choose Fonts Wisely
The font that you use in a logo will also suggest the character of your business. A company selling children’s products, for example, might use a typeface that resembles a child’s handwriting. A company selling high-quality, traditional products could use an old-fashioned script font. The crucial thing is not to use a font that contradicts your branding. A vintage-style font might not convey the right image for a forward-thinking technology business, for example.
- Make It Scalable
Consider the many ways that your business logo will be used. Your logo will need to look good on everything from business cards to storefront signage. And remember, what will look stunning on a polo shirt may not be suitable for a website. Sometimes your logo may need to be used horizontally, however, the logo may also be used vertically or as a thumbnail. So, visualize your logo in all its intended uses, or create mock-ups of the various situations where your logo will be used.
- Keep it Simple
The most memorable logos are usually the most straightforward designs. But don’t let the simplicity of your design destroy the message you are trying to convey. The Nike Swoosh is an excellent example of a simple logo that represents a message. The shape of the emblem infers movement, and swoosh is the sound of something racing past you. Nike was also the Greek winged goddess of victory, and the Nike Swoosh resembles a wing. So, the Nike Swoosh represents flight, speed, and victory.
- Use Recognizable Images
Although you should try to be original, the images that you use in your logo should be recognizable to the public. In some cases, using well-known representations of what your business does is better than trying to reinvent the wheel. A red, white, and blue barbershop pole, for example, will tell people immediately what they can expect from your business, and a sheaf of wheat or a loaf of bread is almost inevitable for a bakery business. Even so, how you incorporate recognizable symbols to design a powerful business your logo is what will make it stand out from the rest.
- Don’t Overwork Your Logo
To design a powerful business logo should consist of a simpler yet better look. So, try not to get too creative and overwork it. A business logo is an area where less is usually better. Intricate designs may not be visible when your logo is used in a small format. An overly complicated logo might also confuse your target audience, and a simple logo will be more memorable. So, instead of adding one last embellishment to your logo, think about what could be taken away.
- Get a Second Opinion
Once you are happy with your masterpiece, run your new business logo by as many people as you can. You are close to your company, so what makes sense to you may not make sense to someone unfamiliar with your business. A second pair of eyes may also spot hidden meanings or negative cultural references in your logo that you have missed.
Conclusion
To sum up, a powerful business logo is simple yet conveys what the business does and the brand’s personality, and, of course, a logo must be memorable. Some big companies have spent millions of dollars on their logo designs, but don’t let that deter you. Some of the best-known brand logos, including Twitter and Nike, were bought for next to nothing. So, even a small business with a limited budget can have a striking and memorable logo.