“Logos are the graphic extensions of the inter realities of a company.”  

- Saul Bass

There’s no other way to say it clearly; a logo is the main identity of a brand. Period! 

It is the face of your business that gives it the identity and the means for the audience to interact and remember your brand.

It is, therefore, needless to mention how important the logo design is for the success of your business.

Of course, your brand is not just defined by your logo design. There are several other factors that play their part in creating a brand name. But, the integrity of your logo designs is one of the key elements of building a successful brand.

As a responsible and professional graphic design agency, we understand the importance of a business logo design, and that’s why we give you 10 very important rules for creating a logo design.

While following these rules is not written on stone, in our experience, it has helped thousands of businesses to become successful brand names today. You might just be sipping on one while reading this article!

It must be simple to understand

One of the very first things which you need to do while creating a logo design for your business is to ensure it is not very complicated.

It is understood to get carried away in the rush of creating something unique and out-of-the-box.

But, would that really matter if the audience doesn’t even understand what the logo means?!

In fact, some of the most successful brand logos are the ones that are pretty simple and straightforward.

For example, Coca-Cola, McDonald’s, etc.

Pick the right colors

The use and choice of colors are some of the key elements in graphic design. They play the make-or-break part in creating a brand image.

Professional designers know that colors carry emotional characteristics. They evoke feelings and emotions. It is, therefore, important that you pick the colors for your logo design which are in line with your brand’s image.

So, when you are selecting your colors from the palate, just make sure of a few things;

    - Use colors near to each other on the color wheel (e.g. for a “warm” palette, use red, orange, and yellow hues).

    - Don’t use colors that are so bright that they are hard on the eyes.

    - The logo must also look good in black and white, grayscale, and two colors.

Must be aligned with the brand’s strategy

When it comes to creating the right logo design the process actually begins way before you even pick up your sketching pens. The simple reason behind this is the research and analysis that needs to be taken into account in order for the logo to be aligned with the business strategy.

And, of course, the alignment cannot be done until the business strategy has been implemented in a real-world scenario.

Ensure originality at all cost

This is one of the most important and unsaid rules of creating a logo design.

Thanks to the evolving world of the internet, there are lots of easily accessible ways to create a logo design these days such as downloading logos or worse using clip art, or royalty-free icons.

However, this will only accomplish in giving you a logo design that would have a very high probability of looking like several other brand logos; since the source of elements used is the same.

If you are truly looking to create a brand that’s capable of global impact and success then we’d highly recommend outsourcing your logo design project to professional agency; such as GraphicsZoo.

It must be scalable

A very important rule of designing a business logo is to make it scalable.

Your logo might look great on your letterhead or website page, but what happens when you have to reduce the size for a business card or online forum? Or, increase it for an outdoor banner ad?

The rule of thumb when it comes to scalable logos is that your logo should look good - whether on a business card or a billboard. If you can accomplish that, you have a great logo design.

 

Must be versatile

The versatility of your logo design, similar to scalability, is mainly to do with its application on different media.

A versatile logo will not undergo design changes to look best on different media; rather it will have the same design but will be color agnostic. Even if you put it in black and white, the logo should look appealing enough and this is how logos become versatile.

A good example to explain this is the logo of Apple Inc.

Notice how the Apple logo does not lose its appeal even though different color themes have been applied to it. The reason for changing the color theme can range from adapting it to a particular media or making it relevant to a particular event. This is the kind of versatility that your logo needs to have.

Should speak a story

It is no hidden secret that consumers appreciate and get intrigued by brand logos which convey some sort of a story. And we are not simply talking about the brand message that needs to be conveyed through your logo.

There is always a hidden story or a message which may take a while to understand but, once found, audiences appreciate the logo and come closer to the brand.

Check out this interesting blog on logos with hidden meanings

 

Typography matters… a lot!

Choosing the right font style and size is an important decision while making a business logo, especially, for those brands that are opting for a font only logo design such as Canon, Coca Cola, etc.

Consider three main points when choosing a font to accompany your logo design: 

    - Avoid the most commonly used fonts, such as Comic Sans, or else your design may come off as amateurish; or worse, copied!

    - Make sure the font is legible when scaled down, especially with script fonts.

    - One font is ideal. But, even if you want to choose, don’t go for more than two.

A very good and effective way out for choosing your typeface is to go for custom font design. The custom typeface will always deliver long-term benefits as compared to something that you have downloaded from a database of “existing” style.

It doesn’t hurt to be unique

What we are mainly focusing on, by asking to be unique, is to be distinctive. You don’t need your customers to confuse your logo with that from any of your competitors.

One way to check if your logo is unique and distinctive from your competitors is by simply comparing them. If it stands out, you are good to go!

a carefully designed logo should have a unique and distinctive appeal in which consumers should be able to relate to the products and services.

Keep the balance intact

Your logo design would include a lot of artwork and graphic elements naturally. And, it is important to ensure all the artwork and elements used are balanced perfectly.

Keep your logo balanced by keeping the “weight” of the graphics, colors, and size equal on each side. If you are looking at the logo, the eye should see the image in a balanced manner. Not one section of the logo should overpower the other.

Additionally, your logo should be designed to stand the test of time too. Ensure that your design does not make overt use of fashion trends, or you may find your logo is quickly outdated.

 

To conclude…

Creating a business logo design can be a simple task if only you understand and follow the basic rules. If you are still not sure of the kind of logo you want or finding it difficult to come up with a design that satisfies your expectations, we are here to help. Simply get in touch with us at support@graphicszoo.com