People often take logos for granted, even businesses that kind of rely on them. In terms of branding, a good logo can do more than any amount of perfectly worded copy or catchy jingle.
If a picture is worth a thousand words, a good logo would go for about ten times that. Just look at McDonald’s Golden Arches or Coca-Cola for proof. When done right a logo is like a pictogram or hieroglyphic – a simple shape or design that tells a whole story to anyone who sees it. It is a vessel that holds every memory and feeling a customer has about a product or brand.
Here are some tips for making sure a company logo gets done right.
Simple Is Good
Complex can be beautiful. Look at the Mona Lisa. It is one of the world’s most famous paintings, and people have spent centuries trying to figure out what her half smile means. That is the last thing a company wants to happen with its logo. A logo needs to be instantly understandable with no ambiguity or room for interpretation. This is something you will learn at all the small business forums you ever attend. The best way to impart an idea is to be as simple and straightforward as possible.
The Colors
To customers, different colors mean certain things. White means clean and pure, green means natural, and nothing says classic like black. A logo should reflect this line of thinking. Find the color(s) that people expect to see connected with a selling product, idea or invention and go from there. Don’t feel like every crayon in the box has to be used though. Keeping it to three of four colors is best since that makes it easier for the times it would go into print, and it keeps things from looking cluttered.
The Right Fit
Just because a logo is well done, doesn’t make it good. It still has to fit the brand. A chain of new age spas wouldn’t want a logo that looks like the font off a heavy metal album cover. There is more to this concept. Consumers have grown accustomed to seeing a certain style associated with specific industries. For instance, craft breweries love using a crest. Then there are the general trends, like incorporating a marketing character into the logo. As sad as it is to say, logo design is a lot like high school. You want to stand out, but you don’t want to be so different that everyone thinks you look stupid.
It Has Got to Work Everywhere
Within reason of course. It would never be a good idea to put a toilet paper logo on a belt sander. In all seriousness though, a logo has to provide good marketing collateral. One of the best rules of thumb is, “Can it fit on a coffee mug?” if it can, chances are you have a good logo. A company has to be able to reach its customers no matter what they’re doing or who they are, so this kind of versatility is vital.
It Is More Than A Logo
Remember, brand image is about more than just designing a business logo, especially for employer branding. This is crucial to remember. If you place too much emphasis on designing the perfect logo but forget to personalize client communications, you will be making a mistake. Building brand image for a business takes time and dedication. Logo design is just the first step on a long path to creating brand loyalty. Keep this in mind when designing you logo. This way, you will not forget to continue your efforts long-term.
Take Away
Promoting a logo is one of the most effective ways to build up a brand, whether you are a women business enterprise or a disadvantaged small business. It creates a visual link that will instantly remind a potential customer who the company is and what they do. Many companies screw this up royally by thinking that they can slap something together on the cheap, print out a few fliers and call it a day. These are usually the same companies who think they can hire a seasoned pro to do their graphic design work for burger flipping wages. Your brand is worth more than that.
Image from http://www.tahirtaous.com/how-to-design-the-perfect-logo/