Following logo design tips are important if you have decided to start your own business. While congratulations are in order, starting your own business means you have to take care of many things. One of them is designing a suitable logo that will help customers identify your brand.
When it comes to logos, one example that comes to mind is Apple. When people see the bitten apple symbol on a product, they know right away it’s from Apple. But what exactly is a logo, and why is it essential for a brand, anyway?
What is a logo?
A logo is your business symbol. The symbol or logo can be stylized text, like the Google logo. It can be a picture or stylized image, like the current Starbucks logo. It can also be a mix of both, like the Lexus logo. Whatever logo you feel like having, the important thing is that the logo helps your customers identify you. The logo also establishes your brand presence in your printed materials, billboards, products, and many more.
Why is having a good logo important?
There are a few reasons why having a well-designed logo is imperative to your brand’s success. As already mentioned, one reason is that the image will identify your product. Let’s go back to our previous example of Apple. The Apple brand is associated with having very high-quality products. Having all their products stamped with their logo helps reassure customers that the products they receive are high quality.
The logo also determines your potential client’s first impressions. If it’s their first time encountering your company, and your visual representation is just average, or worse, poorly designed, guess what? That’s the same impression they will get from your business. They might end up not doing business with you.
Your logo will also help you stand out from your competition, especially with a well-executed design. A great design will incorporate both the services and personality of your company. As an example of this, you’ll never confuse Starbucks for Seattle’s Best or Tim Horton’s. They all sell coffee, but you know their brands stand out from one another.
Now you know why having a great logo design is vital for you to have a successful business. But how do you go about designing a symbol that will stand for your brand? Here are a few tips.
Tips for Designing a Logo
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Use a professional designer.
One logo design tip you can do is to hire a professional designer. You know one of the worst things you can do as a business owner regarding logo design? Try to lower costs and save money by asking someone other than a professional to design it. Or worse, deciding to do it yourself. If you are skilled as a graphic designer, then this may be a feasible option. However, many business owners are not also professional designers. You may know the saying, “If you think it’s expensive to hire a professional – wait until you hire an amateur!”? That applies here. If you or the person you hire is not a professional designer, it could take a long time to produce an acceptable symbol. No matter how many free tools you use or videos you watch, logo creation will not happen overnight. It takes professional designers weeks to develop a suitable image – and that’s just for one option. Remember that time is limited. It would be a better use of your time to focus on selling and improving your product or service and strengthening your customer base. Get a professional for the job.
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Define your brand.
You must humanize your brand before designing a logo. Remember, your logo will represent your entire brand. If your company mission is not defined or unclear, your logo direction will also be vague. Not even the best and most experienced designers will be able to help you out of that predicament. Since you are the business owner, the label direction should come from you, not from anyone else. Ensure that you know your brand’s purpose and personality before thinking about the image you present to potential customers. After all, the brand is the foundation of your logo.
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Go for classic and timeless designs.
There’s nothing wrong with following design trends – there’s a reason they came to be “in” after all. They’re visually appealing, and a lot of people gravitate towards design trends. That’s why they became popular in the first place. However, even if you know the year’s trendy designs, you shouldn’t necessarily follow them. Creative Market notes that sound design should have long-lasting appeal. Of course, you can and should incorporate current design trends if it fits your brand, like what Google did with their new logo. However, your logo should still be timeless enough that customers won’t consider it old or dated once newer design trends emerge. One example of this is denim pants or jeans. New styles came and went, like wide pant legs or skinny jeans, but the classic cut is one style still going strong. Draw inspiration from that when it comes to your logo design.
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Think of a logo design that is usable in all situations.
Keep in mind that the logo you decide to use will be the most widely used representation of your brand. Therefore, it should still be readable and recognizable no matter what application, environment, or product features it. A more concrete example notes to envision your logo displayed on every type of paraphernalia you can imagine. Business cards? Yes. Letterheads for your invoices? Envision it there. Stickers and mugs? Make sure it’s appropriate. The point is for your logo design to be versatile and flexible since it will appear in so many different ways. If, for example, the image will look good on a billboard but not on a smartwatch LCD screen, it might be best to think about a better logo design.
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Know the meaning of colors.
Colors aren’t just something that catches the attention of the eye; they also convey different meanings. The best example of this is the movie “Inside Out.” The color yellow represents joy, and the color blue represents Sadness. Anger is shown as red, while green is Disgust. Each color symbolizes a feeling or mood. In the same way, colors convey much more than meets the eye. Also, just changing the shade or saturation of the color can change the symbolism. For example, color meanings say that light red can symbolize joy, passion, and love. Dark red, on the other hand, can suggest willpower, longing, and even something evil. So before you decide on your final brand colors, make sure that you know what meanings colors can convey. The last thing you want is for your chosen colors to be misinterpreted or not fit into your brand’s mission.
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Go for balance.
According to Graphic Designo, balance is essential to graphic design because people tend to prefer things that seem stable to them. Web Designer Depot further adds that our minds perceive balanced designs as being pleasing and appealing. Balance is also essential to keep the viewer’s eye on a logo design. An example of imbalance can be using two clashing colors, like bright red and bright purple. Another is having a logo with inconsistent measurements or shapes. So if there is an imbalance, focusing on the purpose can be a challenge. Therefore, you should make sure that your logo appears balanced to the eye. Examples of proportional logos are the symbols of Twitter and, again, Apple.
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The intention is easy recognition and recall of your logo.
Remember that you’re not trying to present a logo that will win an art show or wow art critics at the end of the day. Your focus is how a customer perceives your company and services. A creative logo is just one aspect. You want a logo that will cause your brand to be remembered immediately with just one look. So first, don’t design to be artistic; design for recognition and customer recall. The key to this is to successfully combine design elements, including text, font, and image, into a memorable logo representing your company’s purpose. The article suggests one way to test if your logo has a good recall is to invert it in a program. If you or anyone else can tell that your logo is your logo, you have indeed produced a memorable brand symbol.
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Don’t settle on just one design.
The US Navy Seals have a saying: Two is one, and one is none. The expression is related to the Seals’ equipment and planning. They always assume that equipment can malfunction at any time in any mission. Therefore, it’s crucial to be prepared and have at least two of everything. In the same way, if your designer only gives you one design, don’t just use it as your logo immediately. If you give your designer a full, clear brief of your brand, he or she should have no problem coming up with more than one design. Any designer should be presenting at least three concepts. Having more options is always more helpful. From those options, you can even see which individual elements can go together. You may even end up with a combination logo design based on all three!
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Don’t rush the process.
If you understand the process of designing a logo, you would know better than rush your designer. Yes, you might be feeling anxious that it’s taking too long, especially if you have a tight timeline to launch your business in the next week or month. But logo design isn’t quick or easy – otherwise, everyone would be doing it! If you rush a logo process, you’ll end up with a bad design which will affect your credibility. And you’ll spend more time and funds on having to redesign it than if you had trusted your designer in the first place.
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Don’t overcomplicate things.
When it comes to thinking of a design, you might be tempted to cram everything you can in your logo. Don’t do that! Think like a photographer: there is usually one focal point in any photograph. Logo design tips as Hubspot says, the best logos are the ones that give viewers a clear sense of your company. Remember that less is always more and that clean, uncluttered logos tend to be the most memorable. Examples of these cleanly designed logos are from Nike and Adidas. If you have a complicated logo, the viewer won’t immediately understand its intent. You could end up remembered for being confusing or out of touch with your own business. So always carefully analyze the logo design given to you before giving it your final approval. If you feel like there are elements that don’t belong or don’t look nice aesthetically, remove them.
Remember: having a good logo isn’t everything!
Having a good logo is definitely important, but make sure not to focus too much of your energy on the logo design. No one has ever loyally purchased a product because of a logo. A logo will absolutely get the attention of your potential clients, but you have to provide quality products as well. If your products don’t deliver on your promise and mission, then your logo cannot help. Furthermore, your logo is not equal to your brand, and vice versa. Your brand doesn’t depend on your logo alone. If you have questionable business practices or don’t treat your customers pleasantly and respectfully, the best logo in the world won’t save your company.
Keep all these tips in mind while conceptualizing or designing your logo for your brand. Remember that the logo you ultimately choose will be the one that will represent your business. Ensure that it’s memorable, effectively conveys your services and purpose, and is the ideal choice for your mission and customer base. This winning combination has the power to propel your business to a new level of success.