Now logo design is a tricky business, there aren’t any rules to abide by, however there are plenty of hits and tips out there that can help you decide on your logo. A great logo will leave an impression, it will connect people with the product/service you are selling.
- Make sure you can use it for marketing and media
The media on and offline is becoming increasingly important when designing your logo, remember to ensure that the logo you chose much be of a very high-resolution in order to be able to be printed on banners, t-shirts, business cards etc.
A tip: try and keep your logo simple so that it can be as versatile as possible.
- Easy and Understandable
Once again simplicity is the key of logo design, when you are creating your logo remember that it needs to be memorable – unjust like the Nike tick or the Coca Cola logo.
Colour is Key
So you’ve got a design in mind that represents your brand but have no idea what colour to put it in? Well bear in mind that when people see certain colours they will also be reminded of feelings they have. For example, blue makes me feel dreamy, relaxed and intelligent, red for me means dangers whereas green makes me think of eco-friendly or earth-like items. Therefore it is important to establish how you want your audience to feel when they see you logo – ask others how they feel about the colour you have chosen, is it right for your brand?
A tip: it is important that your logo will still look good in black and white – many online publications only print your logo in black and white, so make sure you have a copy of it in these colours too!
Shape
The shape of a logo is another important part: a complicated shape puts people in a difficult position? Will it still look as good blown up in a bigger size? However will a circle be just too simple? How about two circle overlaid on to one another – be creative with shapes (you don’t just have to have one!)
A tip: Try not to over complicate it, perhaps asking people who don’t work for you, i.e. friends who don’t know what your company does. Then ask them to draw the shapes and colours that come to mind when they hear your brand name – some great shapes may come from others!
- Why? Who? What?
A logo shouldn’t explain what the company does but it should inspire us to think of the product in the way the company that produces it wants us to. If you want to make a good logo for a client try and answer these questions:
- Why do you need this logo?
- Who is the target audience?
- What is the purpose of your logo?
- How do you want people to feel when seeing it?
Understanding these is a must. IT is important to understand your brand, there is no point designing a disco ball logo for a company that produces classical instruments – that will be sending out mixed signals to your audience. Try and create a strong bond between the style you’re going to use (including pictures, shapes and font) in order to capture the essence of the product.
It may take a lot of trial and error in order to get your logo just right for you, bear in mind that help is always out there, we found our logo with the help of our local printers (Cambridge) and designer who helped us tremendously – in fact we couldn’t have done it without them, they knew exactly what we were looking for. Perhaps try finding a local graphic designer or printing services who may be able to help you. Good luck – remember to brain storm and do your research!
