The best logos are distinctive, graphic and simple, which allows them to deftly convey an intended message in a such a way that the target audience will find easy to comprehend.
There are essentially five core principles that together shape an effective logo, so let’s take a closer look at the things you need to keep in mind when designing your brand logo.
Simplicity
Although simple designs are often difficult to design, putting in the effort here is worth it because simplicity facilitates easier brand recognition. Simple logos are uniquely equipped to communicate the essence of a brand because they are the product of a design process that has carefully refined the original concept into a final product that is unique and is not trying to do too much.
A refined brand logo has the ability to capture the attention of target audiences, even when it is barely glimpsed on packed in-store shelving or on motorway signage at 70 miles per hour.
Memorability
The subject of a logo is not as important as the ability of the design to stick in the minds of a very particular target audience. Striving for both clarity and memorability is essential to ensuring that your brand stands out amongst your competition in the eyes of your ideal audience. Put simply, if your brand is not their first port of call, you’re doing something wrong.
Timelessness
You want your business to still be around in 15, 20 or even 50 years, right? Well, if you don’t want to have to go through the tricky process of redesigning your logo in 10 years, you need to invest time into the creation of a logo that will age well over the long-term. Trends come and go, which is why it is best to leave those firmly in the realm of the fashion industry. Longevity is a key building block of a powerful brand identity, so don’t think about what’s trending right now and instead focus on what makes you different.
Versatility
It is highly likely that you intend to use your logo in a variety of ways, including on your website, across social media and in your digital and/or print marketing materials, which is why it is essential that it works effectively across a wide range of mediums. Functionality is vital and designing your logo in vector format will ensure that the final design can be dramatically scaled down or up without losing any of its clarity.
When in the midst of your design process, you might want to think about whether your logo design remains effective if it is:
– printed in monochrome
– printed the size of a stamp
– printed on a billboard
– printed in negative
Designing your logo in black and white could help you to focus on its concept, shape and form, over the highly subjective area of colour and tone.
Appropriateness
Your logo needs to be appropriate for whatever you have defined as its intended purpose. So, for example, using a childlike font will be appropriate for a toy shop but it would not be appropriate for a bank or a corporate law firm. Remember, you don’t need your logo to be overly literal, because it will ultimately derive its meaning from the business it is visually representing.
