• Any organisation can be a victim of bad logo design. When the Poole, Bournemouth and Christchurch councils had a a new logo drawn up to symbolise their merge, many critics panned the design as "pitiful" and "appalling."
So what makes a great logo? There are several design elements you need to take into consideration in order for your logo to make a great first impression with prospective clients and customers.
Here are some design tips to create a logo that's impactful and helps you stand out from your competitors.
Know Your Company and What You're Selling
Before diving into logo design, it's important to do some initial research to make sure you understand your brand, target customer, and how you differentiate yourself from the competition. A good logo isn't often created overnight. You may need to do some brainstorming with your team and colleagues to reach an agreement on the visual messaging the logo needs to communicate.
This is probably the toughest part of the logo creation process, but it's the most important one.
Less Is More
Effective logo design stays away from using too many colours, fonts, and graphical elements. When it comes to creating an impactful logo, less is definitely more. A "busy" logo can give the impression you're confused about your brand identity, or that you're trying too hard.
Think of the world's most iconic brands such as Apple, Nike, and Amazon, and you'll probably notice that their logo designs are simple and comprised of only one or two colours. They often also keep lettering to a minimum or omit it altogether. And remember that simple doesn't have to mean boring or basic.
Use Appropriate Colours and Lettering
If you're a toy company, it makes sense to use a playful or childlike font and colours in your logo design. But if you're designing a logo for a law firm, you need to go with a more conservative font and artwork. Make sure your font, colour, and graphics choices reflect your brand.
Make It Scalable
You logo needs to be clear and recognizable in a range of sizes, as you'll be using it across several marketing channels from your email signature to signage. This is why it's a good idea not to have too many graphic elements, lettering, and colours in your logo design, as that detail can get lost when viewed in a smaller size.
Whether you create the logo yourself using a free online logo maker or you hire a design firm, make sure to preview it in various sizes to confirm it retains its visual impact.
Make It Versatile
You should also ask yourself if your logo will still be effective if printed in one colour, two colour, grayscale, of in reverse color. There may be instances (such as running a print advertisement) where full-colour printing isn't an option. A simpler design offers more versatility with these printing options versus a full-colour one.
Know What Makes a Great Logo for Business Success
Now that you know what makes a great logo, don't forget that your initial design probably won't be your final one. It takes time and sometimes trial and error to develop a logo that will be memorable and effective. You'll probably be keeping this visual branding element for a while, so it's important to take your time and incorporate the above tips into the design to do it right.
For more tips on marketing and running your business, read our latest Advice posts.
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