If you are looking to acquire a shiny new business logo, or revamp your existing logo, there are some important factors you must first consider before you jump into using that free online logo maker. Most business owners don't know the "rules" of custom logo design, which can make it difficult to produce the perfect visual representation of their brand and online presence. So, what should a logo include, and how do you get your vision from just an idea to a polished, finished product?
Check out these 6 hot tips on how to get your logo from drab to fab regardless of what design skills or design experience you may have. These insights will help you to learn the main logo design considerations that professional logo designers use before you create (or recreate) this vital marketing element.
1. Get Everyone Involved with the Logo Design Process
Creativity loves company! It's a great feeling to have everyone at your company be excited about the perfect logo design that represents your business. The easiest way to do this is to make sure that everybody in the department has a chance to chime in - you could even host a design contest for custom logo design ideas and discover a 'graphic designer' on your team!
Of course, the final decision will come down to a certain few, but having as many ideas as possible is a great place to work from; and once you come up with some designs, you'll need everyone's initial thoughts and feedback to help decide on revisions and final changes.
As you start on the logo layout specifics, schedule some brainstorming sessions with your team. This is an opportunity to collect input on color, design, style, and other elements to consider when creating a company logo design. You can even ask team members to sketch their logo ideas out so that you can decide which ones to further develop.
2. Make Sure Your Logo Fits With Your Business
Do the ideas you're kicking around work in your specific industry? This is an important distinction, as your company as a whole will be described by your new logo. Make sure your business logo reflects if you are in a serious or professional field, versus a lighthearted or casual field - tone, aesthetic, and color scheme will play a huge role in this. Your design preferences may not be best suited to your industry, so try to think about it objectively - if you saw the design printed on business cards or blown up on a website banner, will it make sense?
By way of example, if your company is a financial firm, then a pink, bubbly logo with a face on it is likely not the appropriate design solution. But if you sell cotton candy or ice cream, pink and bubbly is more on message. Do some research on other businesses in your industry to get an idea of just how serious or lively you can get, based on your competitors, as you learn how to design your own effective business logo for all your marketing materials. Even with no professional design background, it's possible to put together beautiful designs that will represent your business accurately.
3. Keep your Business Logo Simple
One important thing to keep in mind is for your business logo to remain simple. It's the logos that are simplistic that are not difficult to remember. You want your audience to immediately identify your company by your logo, so a choice full of design details that are complex will make that much more difficult. It happens all too often that a professional business will create an overly busy and generally bad logo design without realizing the impact it could have.
Think about some of the logo design elements you know and immediately recognize and consider how simple they are, like that of the Nike swoosh. Keep this "rule" at the forefront of your mind as you focus on creating a logo design that your potential customers will remember and identify with. If you're having difficulty with keeping things simple and minimalist, you might benefit from The Hive's professional logo designer services, to help keep your vision on track and fine-tune your logo into a recognizable brand.
4. Consider your Logo Color Palette
The color scheme is just another element that says a lot about your brand and should be considered in your logo design. The science behind color theory speaks to how the color options and color combinations you choose will influence how your brand is seen by consumers.
For example, blue is a color that many businesses use to position themselves as professional and reliable. Whereas restaurants are more likely to use red because this color has been said to make people hungry. Other colors like orange and yellow are all great attention grabbers, while color variations of green symbolize growth, money, and consumerism.
There are many design options when it comes to color and shape, and with endless design possibilities, it's easy to go overboard. Remember to edit, edit, edit!
5. Be Sure Your Logo will Look Good at Any Size
Your logo will be sized and resized multiple times and you need it to keep its high quality whether it is enlarged or shrunk down. As you continue to design and decide on a logo that fits your brand perfectly, be sure to test it out in different sizes first.
You might have to scale it down to fit on print collateral such as an envelope or even a promotional pen or a button, so it'll be important that your logo is still clear and identifiable, even at its smallest - such as in business card designs. In that same respect, you might need to make it larger to fit on a tv or poster ad, so try enlarging it and printing it out before you decide if it is the right logo for your brand.
6. Pick the Ideal Font for Your Logo
You will need to eventually decide on which font to use, especially if your logo includes words or letters. No list of logo design principles would be complete without some logo typography tips.
Pinterest can be a great resource when sussing out logo fonts and typography designs and ideas, or you can set up a consultation with a professional designer that is up to date with current design trends.
You'll need to test fonts to get an idea of what best suits your brand, especially [as discussed above] because your logo design will say everything about your brand and your business to your audience. Consider using a custom-created font if you can't find anything that works for you. This idea has worked for companies like Coca-Cola, but make sure once you scale it down it's still legible.
Choose a Design Agency That Follows these Logo Design Basics
Now that you know some of the most important logo design tips, you can begin the process of thinking up a logo for your business. This list will also work as a useful guide for how to best choose a marketing or design agency that follows these rules and will comply with your vision for your logo. Ask them questions on their process and make sure they tick off all these boxes.
The Hive Marketing Collective absolutely follows all these rules and works closely with their clients to bring the vision for their brand to life. And with logo design packages that start at just $300, you can leave the heavy lifting to the experts and focus your efforts on running your business.
Badass Business Logo FAQ
How can I make my logo more powerful?
There are many ways to make your logo more memorable - try to keep it simple, avoid too many effects, and use complementary colors with good font choices.
How do I make my logo unique?
Try to avoid using overly-used vector art or stereotypes in your design. Think about something that is relevant to your brand, but also outside of the box or unexpected.
How can I make my logo stand out?
The strongest logos have clear text and are minimalistic in design. Try to connect your logo design to where it will be used - online, on delivery trucks, and other mediums. It needs to look good whether it's digital or print, and whether it's tiny or blown up to billboard size.
What should you not do in a logo?
The biggest don'ts to be aware of are:
-Not adding too much color or variation in text
-Not using basic clip art
-Not adding images or complicated imagery
-Not using too much text
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