Logo designing is a challenging and balancing art, resting on creative solutions to problems. Good logos need to be simple, creative and memorable and should stand the test of time.
These days, whichever way we look, we are sure to encounter a logo or two that stands out projecting their brand. They have become a part of how the general public view companies and brands, associating a business ideology into a single picture.
When on the road to create a new logo, remember there are no shortcuts. It may be tempting to try out some tricks to cut down on cost and time, but it would evidently strike back at you later on.
There are ways to get a logo designed cheaply by using clip art logo or by downloading a logo template, but you won’t end up with any unique design that would sweep customers off their feet. There is, but, one sure fire way of developing an original design, and that is by approaching a professional logo design company who have experience and are seasoned in the field.
While there are no strict standards to follow while designing logos, there sure are some notable points that would be helpful to keep in mind.
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Understand the Brand
A logo is your company’s introduction to a brand, reaching out to your target audience. Therefore, while designing, keep the brand’s ideology in mind but also be informed about what the company’s needs are with respect to the logo.
Questions will arise when faced with contemplating the brand’s ideologies into paper. Should the logo be focused on the brand’s utility or awaken emotion in consumer? What will the brand deliver to the customer and what are the customer’s needs?
Listen to your brand’s personality and evaluate what would be the best possible way, aesthetically, to represent it. You should understand what the logo conveys, what its history is and what purpose it hopes to fulfil.
Be Simple, Unique & Clever
Always think from the ground up. Don’t get into a knot thinking about complex designs and images because they can be difficult to design and they might be hard to remember.
One way to kick off is by looking towards nature. The wide variety of shapes and geometry present in nature is more than fuel enough to inspire us.
The geometric patterns in a sea shell or the branching veins on a leaf can all contribute in sparking an idea. Moreover, looking towards nature will allow you to see the simplicity and adaptability in designs.
The audience will also be more familiar with a design inspired from nature, or one that involves geometric shapes in a creative way. Keeping it simple and relatable will increase the popularity of your logo, which can in turn increase brand recognition.
Another advantage of a simple design over a complex one is that it can be easily reproduced, will speak your message in a clear way and can be easily remembered. You can upgrade your logo to a more complex one at a later date, if you think it is appropriate at that time.
A company’s brand stands out from its competitors through their logo, so crafting an innovative design is imperative in gaining a competitive edge. Creating something different from what already exists will give your logo a glimmer of fame, and a credibility that comes with authenticity.
Size and Aspect Ratios
Size matters a lot in logo design. You need to be able to reproduce your logo in different sizes, especially on the smaller side.
If your logo is a complex design, it wouldn’t look too well when compressed to a smaller size; for example, a complex logo design printed on a business card is usually small and might look like a smudge rather than definite in shape. By keeping your logo sharp at a smaller size, you can have it printed on anything big or small and not worry about the design complexity causing an issue.
Another thing to consider is the aspect ratio, i.e. the relation between the height and width of the logo. A visually pleasing logo is one that is neither too thin and tall nor too wide and short.
Finding the optimum aspect ratio might seem difficult but once you get it, your design will look more pleasing. Typically, some follow the square and circle format as they have well formed aspect ratios.
Careful Consideration of Colours
Colouring your logo is the next important step after finalising your design. Choosing your colour isn’t just a one-time decision thing, as your choice of colour will have an effect in the future, while printing out materials and such; therefore, colour selection isn’t a laughing matter.
Colour selection can be either two spot colour or four colour process, but whichever one you select, keep in mind the reproduction costs that you may have to incur in the future. Choose vibrant and rich colours that have life to them.
Colours can evoke feelings and emotions in customers, therefore the ideal choice of a colour should be based on the demographic of target customers. To create an interesting colour palette, consider the age, gender and cultural orientations of your consumers.
Unpredictability
Your logo, as mentioned before, should represent your brand identity but it should be in a subtle manner and not look enforced. Being predictable takes the fun out of the logo and customers might find it boring.
Rather than saying what your brand is all about, suggest it coyly. It is always better to have an inner meaning hidden in plain sight; customers would find it intriguing and memorable. Likewise, be careful to stay out of being clichéd.
Never Change
Once your logo is developed and is ready to be displayed to the world, you should understand that this is for life. Never try and change your logo after launching it because logo and brand recognition takes time.
If you change your logo soon, chances are that your target customers won’t remember what your brand is about. Moreover, repeated makeovers are received well by customers as they may infer it as your business being unreliable and flaky.
Only through repeated viewing does your customer recognize your logo and associate it with your brand. By imprinting the logo design in memory, the customer associates your brand with reliability and authenticity.
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(Image Courtesy: Ahmed Bin-Baz, Jordan Lloyd, Incase)
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