Essential Tips for Designing a Logo
When trying to create an effective branding strategy for your business, one of the most important things your company can do is come up with an effective logo. With a good logo, you will be able to immediately attract the attention of your target audience and also reveal something tangible about your company.
There are several different approaches you could consider when coming up with different logo ideas. While some people prefer to hire outside organizations, others prefer the personal touch of developing their logo in-house. No matter what approach you use, keeping these simple tips, which we’ve learn through thousands of logo design project, in mind can help you get off to a great start.
Start with the end in mind
Before you make any lasting commitments, you will want to ask yourself, what is the purpose of designing a logo? Your purpose should be a little more in-depth than simply wanting to come up with something that “looks cool.” Whether it is attracting customers, relaying a message about your brand, or anything else, this is something you will want to be thinking about well in advance.
Develop specific criteria
Instead of just saying “I want a good logo”, your team will be much better off by being told what a “good logo” specifically entails. The more specific you can be when relaying instructions to your team, the easier it will be for you and your team to be on the same page. Developing big picture criteria about what your logo will say about your organization is critical. Think about one or two brand essential, such as modern, preeminent, fun, or practical.
Don’t get caught up on one type
There are many different types of logo designs your company could possibly choose from:
Wordmarks - Disney or Coca-cola
Mascots - MailChip
Images - Ice Mountain or Startbucks
Abstract Marks - Adidas or Nike
One of the most frequent problems that people have when developing their logo is fixating their brainstorming process on a single variety. The brainstorming process should be expansive, not restrictive—don’t let yourself get too caught up on a single type of logo.
Test with our audience
Even if a prospective logo design looks great to you, that doesn’t necessarily mean it will look great to your target audience. Many company founders have very different tastes in aesthetics from the people they are trying to market to. Before making any sort of lasting commitments, you will want to be sure that your logo is approved by an audience outside of your organization.
Take a stand (don’t be neutral)
Some people like to use neutral aesthetics because they are generally accepted by everyone. But if your logo is boring and fails to stand out against the competition, it is very likely that your brand will not be able to make a lasting impact. Taking a chance is something that can really pay off.
Accept that some people may not like it
Not everyone will necessarily fall in love with your logo, and that is something that is perfectly okay. It is important to remember that your logo is designed for your target market—not necessarily those within your organization or even the general public.
Conclusion
Coming up with effective logo ideas isn’t impossible, but it will at least require some effort. By keeping these simple—but important—tips in mind, your company will be better prepared to find the logo design you have always been looking for.
Grant Polachek is the Director of Marketing at Squadhelp.com, helping entrepreneurs and marketers develop strong brands that grow faster through a disruptive crowdsourcing process that connect them with the most creative people across the globe.