Logo Design 101

If you need a plumber you wouldn’t call an electrician. So, if you need a market friendly logo you should depend on the experts to deliver the most effective designs. A logo design represents more than a mark associated with your business name, it also represents your brand in the form of words, images and color. A logo should inspire your business’ core values and capture the attention of your targeted consumers as quickly as possible.

When it comes to logo design, there are some key principles. We have touched on these in a previous post, but here they are again in a simpler form. Your logo design should fall within these four categories: describable, memorable, effective without color and scalable. But that’s not all, when developing a logo design you must take a few things into consideration. For example, sometimes simpler is better. Complicated logo designs can be hard to reproduce onto promotional products and within other mediums and they may also be difficult for consumers to remember. Additionally, your logo does not have to literally define your business. Take Apple, for example, their logo is minimal and doesn’t include any computer or iPod references. Nike too, the swoosh does shout sneakers and performance apparel on its own, Nike is solely responsible for creating a relationship between the two. It is best to have a simplistic logo that can be adapted corporate wide without needing to be altered.

If you decide to incorporate your business name into your logo, you should detach the text from the image. By not intertwining the two, you leave room to use them both together and individually. After all, one of the main goals of an iconic logo design is to be able to associate the brand name with just a graphic. While together, they can be the “true” version of the logo, they should also be able to function separately easily. Same goes for taglines. While they are a great way to sum up your corporate identity in a few words, your logo design should not be focused around them.

Remember to keep your theme in mind. Making an impact is important but you want to stay within the essence of your industry. For example, a more conservative company such as one in the financial industry is more likely to have a structured design rather than a cartoon like logo. Professional graphic designers understand this concept and are able to work within these parameters, while still developing something creative.

Finally, strive to stand out from the crowd. Often businesses share similar logos. When this is the case, consumers will find it difficult to differentiate between the two, especially if they are within the same industry. Not only does this defeat the purpose of a logo design, but it may also hurt your business in the long run. While it is a good idea to look to competitors for inspiration of what to do and what not to do, you want your logo to be just that, your own.

Working with a professional graphic designer for your logo design is the best bet. They know the laws of logo creation and are also educated on how to capture a target market with graphics, as you often only have seconds to make an impression with a logo design.

Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you create a unique and effective logo design for your business.