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First, take a breath. Depending on your brand, logo ideas can be obvious, and sometimes they can take months to develop. Hey, it even took us a couple tries to get it right.
Hopefully yours won't take that long after reading this, or, you could always just have us design it for you (get a quote for your logo here), just saying. In the meantime, check out these helpful tips on things to consider before choosing your logo.
1. Seen first, remembered first.
Aside from you, your logo is the face of your brand. It should be the first thing your audience sees and the first thing they recognize on their next encounter with you. Over 627,000 new businesses open each year in the United States alone, according to SBA estimate
2. Don't be afraid of conceptual ideas.
In logo design, an icon is a simplified visual that captures the spirit of your brand. A common misconception is that your icon should literally be an image showing what your product or service is. While this may benefit some, it doesn’t have to be the case for all businesses. You can explore more conceptual (or even abstract) icons to emphasize what it is your company does. Consider Nike, for example. The iconic “swoosh” icon evokes the feeling of movement and speed. Very fitting for a sportswear brand. Think of your icon as a symbol rather than a picture. It needs to be highly visual and easily recognizable. The advantage of a more graphic icon is that it can often carry more visual weight. Ideally, your icon should be simple enough that clients can recall it even after one quick glance.
3. Consider the tone of your brand and let your logo be a reflection of that.
Read through these different archetypes and determine which one best describe your brand.
a. Classic
A classic style is what stays and won’t appear outdated when the trend has passed. It can help you establish your brand with a long-lasting aesthetic. Classic designs give people a peace of mind. They are simple and don’t combine crazy colors, fonts, or graphics.
b. Vintage / Retro
If you like the vintage style, this is the time to use it. Consider your brand – if the goal is to remind someone of the past or evoke a feeling of nostalgia, you should go for vintage or retro. The most commonly used colors for this design type are beige and brown palettes.
c. Minimalist / Modern
Many brands today select the minimalist style to represent how modern their business is. This makes your logo appear simple, with a lot of whitespace and minimal details.
d. Handcrafted / Handmade
Does your brand stand for a handcrafted or handmade quality? If it does, you should consider this and the vintage design option. The handmade design will drive your message home, and you can even use it in combination with minimalistic styles and fun design elements.
e. Fun
Do you want to represent your brand in a fun or young way? If it is targeted toward a younger audience or sells such products, you definitely want the quirky, fun design style. This style is cute, colorful, and gives people a friendly vibe. It also often includes an illustration or a mascot that presents the fun character of your brand.
3. Make sure your logo is scalable.
Your logo should look just as good on social media as it does on a billboard. In addition, you logo should be able to maintain its quality as a digital image, printed in ink, embroidered or on any other promotional item. Avoid "cartoon" versions of yourself or super graphic images with details that won't transfer as well across formats.
4. Think outside the box, but don't go overboard. Strive for "creative minimalism."
The goal of your finished logo should be to make memorable and tied to your brand’s values & aesthetics. Be innovative and think differently until you are able to come up with something that is truly new. Experiment with numerous styles, such as negative space, and design something that is truly innovative. Consider telling a story or hiding elements within the design such as those above.
Having a unique logo does not imply it should be visually complex. Complexity is what needs to be avoided and for that, you have to depend on the concept of minimalism. Declutter your ideas and only add or remove design elements that bring simplicity to your logo design. When in doubt, remove extra elements.
Use a minimal color palette and select shapes, icons, font styles and symbols that do not make your visual message too confusing to comprehend. Understand that less is more. The more elements you add to your logo, the more complex it becomes.
5. Be intentional with your colors.
Colors appeal to people more than anything else. They are the first thing a person sees before he reads the font or pays attention to the details. Therefore, you need to find the best colors that will pique the customers’ interest and stick into their memory.
Powerful logos use powerful color or shade combinations. It’s only understandable – psychology shows that people respond to different colors in a different way.
Red is considered to be youthful and exciting.
Orange is used to present confidence and is seen as cheerful or friendly.
Yellow is the color of clarity, optimism, and warmth.
Purple is wise, imaginative, and very creative.
Green is the color of growth, health, and peace.
Blue is dependable, trustworthy, and strong.
Black is calm, neutral, and balanced.
6. Know which type of logo would best represent your brand.
As you know at this point, there are many designs, typographies, and even color options when it comes to logo creation. However, there are also seven established types of logos for you to choose from. These are the options to consider:
a. Wordmark Logo
A wordmark or logotype comes in the form of the full name of the company. It is mostly based on the typography and color, considering that the entire logo consists of your brand’s name only.
b. Monogram Logo
Also referred to as the lettermark logo, this logo type includes the initials of your business. It goes perfectly with a minimalistic design and basically shares your brand’s message in a very short and clear way.
c. Abstract Mark
An abstract logo is a geometric form that isn’t directly connected to your brand. However, if you choose this, you should select a symbol that is unique to the brand and makes a connection to it.
d. Pictorial Mark
A pictorial mark or a logo symbol is an image that will represent the brand. It should be memorable and unique to fulfill its main goal – be easily recognizable.
You might want to pair this with a wordmark, but you don’t have to. Just think of the Apple mark – they don’t really need the name, do they?
e. Mascots
Have you considered making a mascot for your brand? It all depends on the brand type and purpose, but if it is more family-friendly, fun, or youth oriented – a cheerful mascot is a great idea.
f. Emblem
Emblems combine pictorial elements and words. They usually come in the form of a symbol or icon with text integrated with it, such as seals, badges, and crests.
g. Combination Mark
The combination mark logo combines a word mark and a symbol, with the name placed in the graphic element or next to it.
We hope that the information above helps you to better understand the process of logo design, as well as the importance of a logo in business. Making your logo might take quite a while, but if you do it right, it’s worth it.