Whether you are starting a new business or your current business needs a face lift, the logo is the first step to branding your business. But what makes a good logo? How can you give your designer all of the info he/she needs to design a GREAT logo for you? We have the answers in this short guide to creating an awesome logo.
First, a logo should be simple. Milton Glaser, the graphic designer known for the “ I love New York” logo, said when speaking with the design blog Design Informer,” You want to move the viewer in a perception so that when they first look at [the logo]…they get the idea, because that act between seeing and understanding is critical “. In other words, its all about simplicity! Keep the design simple and clean.
Second, Be unique. You want your logo to be memorable and easily associated with your brand. Don’t try to copy exactly what someone else is doing. Stay away from “over-used” graphics such as, arrows, books and globes. Also, try thinking outside the box, for example, Starbucks logo isn’t a coffee cup and the Apple logo isn’t a computer.
Third, your logo should be Flexible. The most important flexibility your logo should have related to changes in size. Make sure your logo reads well small as well as extremely large. The more versatile your logo is, the more recognizable it will be. One way to make sure the logo will look great at all sizes is to keep it simple and limit it to 1-2 colors.
And finally, make it appropriate! Before starting any new branding project, start by setting your goals. What do you want your logo to portray? What “feel” do you want your business to have? What are some of the places that you will want to use your new logo? What colors go with your brand and will follow the general brand “feel” that you have established? And finally, sometimes it helps to find logos or fonts that you like. This gives your designer an idea of what style you prefer and what will follow the brand directive.
Logos are extremely important to any business. The final price of advice that I can give you is to do your research and let your designer handle it. Once your designer has had a chance to speak with you and look over your research they should have a pretty good idea of what you are looking for.
