In 2016 our company is going through a hard reset because perfection has no limit. I think about new company logo all day and at night. As a result, I have some tips for creating a memorable logo and don’t make a mistake.
1.Get your formats right
Your logo should have a transparent background, not a white one. That way, if you put it on a colored header later it will not have an ugly white border. One major element to pay particular attention to when designing a logo is scalability. You can be as creative as you want to be in your construction, but if it does not scale well, it is over. A great logo will be able to be re-sized with ease, all the while maintaining its recognizable form and expressive imagery.
2.Keep it simple
You don’t need to have “cool” elements or graphics. If you find yourself creatively challenged, just take your blog name. Pick an appropriate font. Choose your colors and write your blog name. And definitely avoid shadows and outlines.
Limit your elements! FedEx and Ikea have a simple logos.
3.Use one right title font in your logo
Many fonts have distinct moods or personalities — serious, casual, playful, elegant. You want to make sure the moods of your font choices match the purpose of your design.
Use one title font in your logo. If you have a tagline, it can be in a different font, but a simple one, such as Arial.
4.Color choice
Color is the most powerful way to connect. Since every color, including black and white has insinuations for logo design, understanding the psychology of colors is vital to designing an effective logo. Psychologists have studied how people are affected by colors for years and found a strong link between colors and emotional reactions. For example, shades of blue and green tend to inspire a level of coolness and calmness, whereas colors such as yellows and reds may suggest speed, action or friendliness. Market examiners have also determined that color affects shopping habits. Impulse consumers respond best to red-orange, black and royal blue. Consumers who plan to stick to budgets respond best to pink, teal, light blue and navy. Traditionalists respond to pastels – pink, rose or sky blue.
5. A logo doesn’t have to convey what your company does
More often than not, business logos don’t actually portray what the company does. Or creates. Think the McDonald’s Golden Arches. No hamburgers. Think the Nike swoosh. No sneakers or golf shirts. Etc. Restaurant logos don’t need to show food, dentist logos don’t need to show teeth, furniture store logos don’t need to show furniture. Just because it’s relevant, doesn’t mean you can’t do better.
While sometimes having a logo that portrays an element of the company is appropriate, it’s often better to have a corporate logo that’s graphically void of detail – a logo that can be adapted to whatever direction the company takes. Think the Apple logo. True, it is an apple. But there’s no indication that it belongs to a computer company. That’s a pretty cool thing – the Apple logo looks just as cool on an iPod as it does on the lid of a Mac Book Pro.
6. Keep shapes simple
You don’t need fancy drawings. You can take a photo and outline it into a simple drawing, making a brilliant logo.
7. Avoid backgrounds in the actual logo
Any background elements you use should not be a part of your logo.
8. Legibility
Every typeface has a certain level of legibility, meaning how well people can make out what each letter is without straining to decipher them individually. Some typefaces are far more legible than others, so take the time to test the typefaces you like in your logo design. Show them to friends, family, employees, and customers, and get their feedback as well.
9. Branding within the text
Use the text as your branding! Often, setting up your text in an interesting (but still legible) way is the best way! You don’t even need anything else.
10. Put in something real – but clean it up
Including something from real life can make a beautiful logo.
11. Avoid photos
Why? Because, tip 2. They’re simply too complicated. This will cause a bunch of issues later on. But even more importantly: it’s too much on the eye. Your logo should be absorbed in a single eyeful. Your logo should be easy to implement into other designs later on. So, please don’t use a photo as your logo. Even if you’re a photographer.
12. Arrange it so that it works as a single unit
This is key especially when you have a few elements, such as a name, a tagline, a graphic, and possibly an underscore too. Do this by including the same colors, and by arranging the elements so that they nest into each other, and are aligned on the sides.
13. Be wary of internal margins
This is particularly important when designing a “badge” style logo. A very common issue is to place the elements too close together so that it looks too crowded. Give your logo its personal space!
14. Have a reason “why”
If someone asks you “why that color?” or “why that font?” or your reasons for any decisions you made, have an answer. This means that your logo is well thought out, and most likely reflects the brand you want it to.
15. Leave trends to the fashion industry
Trends come and go, and when you’re talking about changing a pair of jeans, or buying a new dress, that’s fine, but where your brand identity is concerned, longevity is key.
16. Making a Good Logo in Five Minutes
Of course it shouldn’t take you five minutes! You want this logo to be good for a lifetime! Put your heart and soul into it!
But, for the purpose of illustrating the above points, I’ve put together a logo in five minutes – one that you can easily design too.
I sincerely wish you a successful independent creativity. But if you have a logo idea and you can’t implement it by yourself or your company needs a new logo or re-branding of the old – the company Creative IT Group is always ready to help you with this!
