Creating a logo for your business can feel overwhelming. This first impression is supposed to communicate your business’s purpose, expertise, and mission. How can an image convey everything you want in a flat and square design? What exactly makes certain logos stand out among the rest? The best way to tackle your logo is to break it down into more manageable steps.
1. Keep Your Story In Mind
What do you want everyone to know most about your business? That you’re trustworthy? That you’re professional? Maybe that you are a ton of fun to work with? It’s important to think about what is most important to convey because believe it or not, people will have preconceived notions about your business based on your logo. Think of it as a first impression.
2. Audience
Remember to consider not only what your business provides, but your audience as well. You could be a non-profit that helps children, but your audience wouldn’t be children. Your audience would be adults who have an interest in the well-being of children. So be sure to make it appeal to adults but also clearly say, "We help children."
3. Shape
There are various psychological influences behind different shapes and what they communicate to the mind. This can be a powerful tool in choosing a shape for your logo. Here’s a quick guide to shapes and what they communicate subconsciously:
Circles and Ovals: Security & Balance
Ellipse: Modernization & Innovation
Interlocking Circles: Community & Cooperation
Triangles: Strength & Stability
Squares and Rectangles: Professionalism & Capability
Horizontal Lines: Harmony & Equity
Vertical Lines: Technology & Elegance
Diagonal or Angled Lines: Energy & Progress
The Olympic Rings are a world famous logo where the interlocking circles imply community and cooperation – perfect for the largest global sporting event.
4. Colors
Similar to shapes, colors also subconsciously communicate and unspoken message to your audience. Check out the list of colors below and pick some that are congruent with the message you want your logo to convey.
Red: Passion, love, excitement, warmth, anger
Orange: Energy, change, success, transformation
Yellow: Happiness, optimism, hunger, cheer
Green: Money, nature, growth, envy
Blue: Harmony, focus, loyalty, honesty
Purple: Royalty, wealth, wisdom, spirituality
Gray: Timelessness, practicality, neutrality
Black: Intellect, power, authority, sinfulness
White: Cleanliness, purity, neutrality, innocence
Brown: Nature, organics, stability, comfort
Metallics: Luxury, wealth, quality, prestige
Metallic colors like gold are powerful when done right but look cheap and terrible when not done well. Be careful that it looks good in both gold or silver but is still interesting in black and white.
5. Timeless
Trends come and go and you do NOT want someone to look at your logo and think, “That is so 2016.” Be careful to avoid trendy designs, fonts, or colors. Vintage designs and watercolor are very trendy right now and should be used carefully if at all.
6. Be Original
What makes your business different than the rest? Think of your product, your mission, and your company to stick with concepts that are uniquely yours. You can be original and still keep all other elements listed here in mind to keep your ideas in check. Think of the process of using your product, how it makes someone feel, or even consider the end remnants of what’s left after your product has been used.
7. Choose Your Fonts Carefully
You will want to choose a timeless font, but you also want to stand out from the crowd – consider a custom font. Coca-Cola’s logo is a perfect example of this – it is simply their brand name in a custom font. Now anytime someone uses those characteristic “C’s” the viewer immediately thinks, ”Coca-Cola.”
8. Consider Symmetry & Movement
Consider the shape of your logo and how you want the eye of the viewer to move across the design. More symmetrical or balanced logos convey stability and trustworthiness. Logos that have curves or are weighted to pull the eye a particular direction imply energy and innovation.
9. Versatility
Make a list of all the places this logo will be used, some examples include:
Website
Advertisements
Blog
Business cards
Letterheads
Social media posts
Printed materials
When you are designing your logo keep the variety of uses in mind. Your logo should look fantastic in color, black & white, and gray scale.
10. Simplicity
Keep your logo simple. Overcomplicating design can lead to confusion and negatively affect the other elements discussed. For example, a complex logo is likely less versatile and more likely to go out of style. It can be tempting to chase after flowery fonts and elaborate designs, but examining some of the most famous logos today, we can see that simplicity outshines the rest. Google Chrome, Apple, FedEx, and McDonald's are some of the most recognizable logos today and yet they are all incredibly simple.
There are different ways to get a logo design: to design it by yourself, to hire a designer, or to use a logo maker. Anyway, being aware of the points mentioned in this article, you get higher chances to explain your brand more precisely and make the impactful decision to end up getting an attractive and effective logo.
