How to Create a Powerful Company Logo to Brand Your Business
Your logo says a lot about you as a company, but if you haven’t got a creative bone in your body where can you start when devising a brand that means business? We take a look at what steps you can take to ensure your company logo makes the impact you need to get by and make your business a real success.
Be Inspired by Someone Else’s Logo
Looking at other company logos, especially from the brands we see lining our streets and on our television screens every day, is a great start when designing your own logo. Most company logos have a hidden (or not so concealed) meaning so aim for yours to have the same standing. Look at each logo’s use of shape, the font of the characters used, colour and images, and how all these factors merge together to form an identity for the brand.
Take inspiration from the logos that are not only recognisable but also long standing, such as the Nike logo. This was created back in 1971 for an extremely small fee, yet to this day the logo appears modern and memorable.
The Core Principles of Logo Design
Knowing exactly what consumers want from a logo is the next stage of finding a design that works for you and your business. Take the examples you have drawn inspiration from in step one and see how they fair in response to the following questions…
- Is the logo easy to describe?
- Does the logo stick in your mind?
- Would it be just as effective without the use of colour?
- Is the logo visible whatever size it is?
The answer to all the above questions should be ‘yes’ and each version of your logo should face the same scrutiny before you settle on just one. Make it describable, memorable, effective (both with and without colour) and scalable (i.e. visible at any size). These core principles are at the heart of a logo that stands the test of time.
Learn from the Mistakes
As well as being inspired by the logos that you admire and are most recognisable, it is also essential that you take some pointers from logos that appear ineffective and forgettable. This exercise gives you an insight into what works and what really, really doesn’t so you can influence your own designs. However, be sure to just take inspiration from these examples, never copy a logo especially if it is widely recognised, this will only work to damage your company’s reputation. Knowing how to identify the good, bad and ugly logos will help you make the decisions you need to about the look and feel of your own logo.
Portray What Your Business is About
Putting in sometime to incorporate your business ethos into your logo is essential, especially if you want your logo to be recognisable and poignant in years to come. Immerse yourself into your brand and customer base and highlight 5 words that best describe your company and its core demographic. Use your list to associate these words with images, colours, fonts and even feelings to develop a vision for your logo.
Keep it Simple
With logo design there is a classic tendency to overthink every single aspect and many business owners and even professional logo designers overdesign a series of logos before coming back to the simplest version. Cut out this headache and aim for simplicity from the outset. Start with your font choice and keep it stylish but more importantly, easy to read. Overall opt for timeless appeal rather than embracing the current trends for a logo that grows with your business.
Brittany Thorley is from Forsyth, a firm that provides serviced offices to the business community to enable them to start, run and grow their companies.