How to Design Your Logo
|
|
CREDIT: Web design image via Shutterstock
|
Creating a logo design that properly represents your product or services is an important step when starting your business. Let’s face it, people do judge a book by its cover. And customers judge a business by its brand design.
Here are a few tips to insure that your business is represented in the best light possible.
Simplicity
This is the Holy Grail of all design rules: Keep It Simple. Sadly, this rule is the most violated by new businesses. Cluttered, busy logo designs that attempt to communicate everything your business is and does, is the tell-tale sign of an amateur.
Take your visual cues from the giants of industry. Does Dell have a laptop in their logo? See a cup of coffee in Starbuck’s brand identity? Can you find a hamburger in the McDonalds symbol?
Simple designs are easier to maintain across a wide variety of uses, from business cards, uniforms, and signs, to websites, invoice, and packaging.
Color
Few things evoke an emotional response more than color. Ever see a periwinkle power tie? Neither have we. The colors your select for your company logo will play a critical role in how your business is perceived.
Your corporate colors should reflect the image you are trying to portray. Do you want to be seen as friendly? Consider yellows and oranges. Trustworthy and responsible? Consider blues and grays. Use red or black to convey edginess and power. Purples and greens communicate creativity and environmentalism respectively.
Fonts
Font selection, like color, plays an important part in your logo design. Serif fonts convey timelessness, stability, and authority. Sans-serif fonts communicate a more contemporary flair.
Be careful to not mix too many different font styles in your logo. Save that for your website and other printed materials.
Style
There are three main styles of logos: logotype, iconic, and badge/crest. Each has its strengths and its drawbacks. Choose the style that supports your business goals. Each has its strengths and its drawbacks.
Logotype
This design uses the actual font style and letterforms to create the logo. Coca-cola, Microsoft, Apple, Dell, Oracle, and eBay are examples of this style. Pros – Flexible and easy to use in multiple applications. Cons – May not always be apparent what your business is about.
Iconic
This popular style combines the font treatment with a representative symbol. Examples include Nike, Apple, AT&T, and NBC. Pros – Symbol can be used to represent the business. Cons – Can take time and marketing resources before customers associate the icon with your product or services.
Badge or crest
A container or other enclosure is the hallmark of this logo style, long made popular in the auto industry and by universities. Corporate examples include BMW, UPS, and Orkin. Pros – Quickly conveys authority. Cons – Format may not always fit in certain formats.
So there you have it—the four keys to an effective logo design. Follow these principles properly to create an effective brand identity and give your business the chance it deserves.