There are many factors to consider when running a business, and with the overwhelming demand of day-to-day responsibilities, it is easy to forget the importance of things you would consider trivial, such as graphic design. Graphic design is imperative to the success of your company, as it is the medium that your image is presented to the public. A graphic designer is responsible for one of the most important aspects of your company: the logo. A logo is a symbol that is used to represent your business and is used universally on all your company material. Logos have a specific font, color scheme, slogan, or emblem. Over time, a company logo will transform an initial first impression into an automatic connection with your image and what your company represents. Think about a huge gold “M”, or a black “swoosh”. You immediately recognize the company that image stands for. That is the ultimate goal of graphic design: creating a logo that successfully brands your image and is connected to your company and its message with just a quick glance. Consider the following when creating your own company logo.
When in Doubt, Plan it Out
Make it Adaptable
Versatility is the first aspect to consider when creating your logo. The logo should look good on a business card and a billboard. Take this into account when designing its shape. It should be able to be easily scaled and resized if needed without changing its overall appearance. Make sure your image works in color and in black and white, because color printing may not always be an option.
Make it Fitting
Your logo must be appropriate to your business. This is where you must consider your message and the impression you wish to give viewers. Is your company directed towards children or tech engineers? Fishermen or makeup artists? Do you want your image to make people laugh or feel inspired? These are questions you must ask yourself when designing your logo, and then use your answers to make the appropriate design choices.
Make it Appealing
In addition to being fitting to your company, the logo must be aesthetically pleasing. Make your logo unique, simple, and memorable. Remember, your first idea isn’t always the best, so keep digging and get creative. A tech company doesn’t need to be represented by a computer. Go above and beyond and make your image different from the rest. Simplicity is crucial to keep your audience from becoming distracted. While you want your logo to stand out, in the end you want consumers to remember your company name, and therefore shouldn’t be hidden behind superfluous design.
Make Your Design the Top of the Line
When designing a logo, there are many things to take into account. From color and shape to font, each aspect will drastically change the appearance of your logo.
Color
Different colors appeal to different ages, genders, and groups. Take into account how a specific color, or combination of colors will appear to viewers. In addition, remember using multiple colors can look great, but can also be very expensive. Consider the following examples when choosing your color palette.
Red: hot, energetic, daring, fearless
Yellow: joyful, playful, optimistic, happy
Green: natural, progress, established, active
White: clean, smooth, elegant
Black: powerful, strong, bold
Blue: inventive, professional, calm, steady
Font
While your logo can be recognized by the symbol and colors, the font of your text is equally as important. The slanted cursive text of Coca-Cola for example can be recognized even without the words. Also, remember to make sure the typeface you choose is not currently being used by another company. Keep the font consistent with your company message. For example, use a playful and bubbly font for a children’s clothing company, but use a traditional print for a law office.
Script: similar to handwriting or calligraphy
Serif: classic print of most newspapers, books, and magazines
Sans-serif: easier to read than serif when used on electronic and web formats
Monospaced: all letters have the same width, easiest to read for small text
Image
When deciding on your image, there are many factors to consider. Get creative and have fun with it!
Competition: Look at your competition and note how they are representing their brand. How are you going to make your image stand out?
Timeless: Try to avoid redesigning your logo. Once you make a decision, stick with it. The point of having a logo is to increase brand recognition, so changing your image is going to confuse consumers.
Unique: Make your image unique by avoiding clip-art and clichéd design. Using original art will make your logo pop!
Detail: Avoid a lot of detail such as complicated patterns and lines as it makes it difficult to reproduce in small sizes. In addition, keep space between shapes to avoid blending of images.
