Don’t Even Think About Logo Design Without These Tips
The old saying “you only get one chance to make a good first impression” sums up the purpose of a logo. Often the first taste of the company, a logo can mean the difference between a person becoming a customer and the one who got away. That’s because a logo is multipurpose – it symbolizes an organization and therefore serves as a marketing tool. A good logo is unique enough to stand out in people’s minds as well as simple enough to stay there.
Designing logos is an integral part of any graphic artist’s career. It’s a chance to be creative by making designs that a mass audience might notice. A well-received logo will likely generate more work, so it’s like having your portfolio distributed to people you might not have otherwise networked with. That’s why it’s vital to consider the following when you receive a logo-design assignment.
Theme
What is the company trying to sell? If it’s a restaurant, you want to create a sense of hunger fulfillment. If it’s a tech company, you want to convey precision. If it’s a day-care facility, safety is important.
Symbolism
Once you come up with a theme, how do you express it? Not every logo needs to have an obvious central object; a dog-walking company doesn’t necessarily need to have a dog on a leash as its logo. How about something more symbolic such as a bone? I like the use of lightning bolts to signify speediness and wafts of smoke to mean delicious cookies that are hot out of the oven. Water can mean serenity (for spas, yoga, etc.), while clouds convey opportunity.
Color
Color brings out emotions in people. It’s a subtle choice that creates powerful feelings. You don’t want to turn off potential clients by making poor color judgments. When playing with colors, do your homework about what your choices mean and use other people as guinea pigs to see what they feel when presented with your logo concept. Some color choices are obvious, such as green conveying eco-friendly and blue meaning clean, but what colors are harsh? What symbolizes strength? And what does away with hunger?
Branding opportunities
Finally, how is this logo going to be seen? If the client is a small company that won’t be featured on billboards, the logo shouldn’t be too fussy, since detail can get lost in a small space or when printed on newsprint – you don’t want ink to run together. Is it going to be on a glass window or door? Be sure the colors stand out.
Those are the items to be aware of when designing a logo. There are also a few things to avoid.
Trends
Each year bloggers grasp onto predictions and trends in graphic design: What will be the hot color; which era design will be inspired by, etc. Ignore these; you don’t want your logo to be a cookie-cutter image of all the other new logos. Graphic design trends are just like fashion trends – a good logo will stay in style for years to come, while a trendy one will look outdated next season.
Complexity
There’s a reason McDonald’s and Nike are recognized worldwide – their logos are simple, striking and memorable, and people know the companies they represent even when the name isn’t present. Your client’s business might not be as big as those mega-corporations, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t follow their examples. Don’t try to mash a lot of details into the logo – look at it was a teaser to catch people’s eye, lure them in and then inquire more.
Jennifer Moline is a writer for PsPrint and the PsPrint Design Blog. PsPrint is an online commercial printing company.
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Hi Jennifer
Good post. Logo creation is very important when creating an identity for a client. You touched upon important aspects of this.
I would add that the logo should be able to maintain it’s strength across all media (business cards, merchandise, TV, web, etc.) and all sizes, so keep that in mind when designing.
I always go back to IMB or ABC as examples that you don’t necessarily need a fancy icon or graphic element to mark your company.
Chris
Good points. I’m getting into logo design more and more, and the saying “you only get one chance to make a good first impression” is the most valuable advice in terms of testing the logo. I always test my logo concepts, showing them to people around and if the logo doesn’t make a good impression, I throw it out of the window and start from scratch. Starting from scratch instead of just updating the concept might be too tough and time consuming sometimes but it’s worth it, if I really consider the job seriously. And thanks for the link to colormatters by the way.
Interesting ideas. I completely agree with the Trend, Color,and Complexity.
I have to say a logo is not a marketing tool. It’s the identity. You market your identity, not use it to market. Thinking of a logo as a marketing tool is what leads to the mistake of trying to cram everything on a logo, like what the company does or all the colors the board of directors like.
A well done logo gives a good first impression, represents, and aids costumer loyalty. It doesn’t say who you are, it represents who you are.
I’m almost afraid of logo design. It’s dangerous. It’s so easy to copy someone else. But to create unique and EFFECTIVE logos, that takes years of experience….or lucky!
Good stuff, Jen. Another thing some people forget when designing there logo is how the logo will look when faxed. People still fax and nothing looks worse then a blob of black ink where the logo is :-)
I think creativity is the most important aspect of logo design. However, I like you post because it serve as a checklist reminder once I have a concept to see if it satisfy these basic requirements.
I couldn’t agree more with the point you make about ignoring design trends when it comes to logo design. A logo is much like a monument, it’s built to last!
I always strive for simplicity in logo design, which is very difficult. The fewer elements in a logo the more perfect each one needs to be.
Another good tip is to design a logo in black and white first, then add colour. Most logos need to work over a range of media, and it’s important that it’s message isn’t diluted in application.
I don’t know much about logo design … i think it is a really difficult field ! But i can appreciate a good design! Interesting article !
This is a really interesting post for me as i’m just beginning to built websites for companies who also require a logo re-design. The comment about colour is important, if the logo is right then the rest of the companies print/web work will often follow the colour scheme.
Logo design and company branding is something i’m hoping to learn and improve on in the next few years.
Jennifer:
I also agree with Florida Design regarding how the logo will look when faxed. Another thing to consider along those lines is how it looks when printed in black and white. Often just asking the designer for a copy that is more suitable for B&W printing can do the trick.
Great suggestion on not necessarily following the trends because of “looking like everyone else”.
@ProjectCenter
Great article and very helpful tips and also I agree with the comment by Project Center: its should also be designed so it can be printed Black and White since most companies don’t always print in color and also you bring a good point about making a logo readable / understandable when struck to small sizes.
Overall a great article and very important tips for logo designers.
You left out a key step/idea. Design the logo in black and white first. This forces simplicity and clarity on your logo, while helping to ensure it’s ability to be reproduced anywhere. It’s always harder (and usually less effective) to convert am color logo to black and quite than the other way around.
Speaking of color, this color wheel at Sessions College is a nice tool:
http://www.sessions.edu/Design-Career-Center/Design-Tools/Color-Calculator.asp?fmid=0
Very nice Article, thanks for sharing !
Great article and great tips, these will help a lot!!
Thanks.
Hi. I think that the best logos in the world are those that incorporate these elements into the design. Thanks for the rundown, it’s really helpful to have a checklist of the things that you should see in a good logo, to remind you from time to time!
Great article and great tips, thanks for the article!
Nice article. Thanks for giving tips for logo design.
Nice short and sweet article and great points mentioned. When designing logos I regurlarly go back to the simplicity of the likes of Nike and Mc D’s, another simple one that I think of often is Shell’s logo. Thanks for the tips.
Interesting article. Being a brochure designer, I always struggle with logo design to be honest. Creativity and simplicity are the key elements I always try to adhere to. I think the Nike logo works as it is now only because of the brands awareness rather than it being a great logo.
You forgot the most important factor: personality. A logo without an identity behind it is just a mark. Your logo can meet all of these criteria without ever capturing anyone’s attention by not representing the feel of the organization. Unfortunately, there is no tried and true means of capturing a company’s personality in a logo. It takes years of experience, grueling trial and error, and inspiration. It is more art than science.
Great list!
are you kidding me? that logo is HORRIBLE!