Businesses design logos to gain recognition. People remember brands based on their logo designs.  

When you plan to create a logo design for your brand, it is essential to understand if you want to go for a complex design or a simple one.  

And if you are wondering if it's all the same (since it's a logo design), then we'd like to inform you that there are starkdifferences between complex and simple logo design. 

So, before we dive deeper and understand how different a simple design is from a complex one, let us first understand what both of them are. 

What is a simple logo design? 

You must have seen Apple Inc's bitten apple logo design or Nike's simple swoosh logo design. Both of them are good examples of a simple business logo design. 

Simple logo designs do not speak much about the brands they are associated with, but one can easily remember them for their simplicity.  

Lacoste's crocodile does not give any impression of a t-shirt. Similarly, Nike's swoosh does not speak anything about its apparel and footwear business.  

In other words, simple logo designs do not send direct messages to their target audience, but they are easy to recognize.  

What is a complex logo design?

Brands like Starbucks and Heineken are good examples of complex logo designs.  

If your business'scustom logo design is complex, then it can carry your brand message well. 

Complex logos include, both, text and visual attributes that help get the message across to the target audience.  

Also, complex logos can incorporate different fonts, colors, and backgrounds, which gives businesses a wide range of variants to choose from.  

The best part about complex logos is that they can accommodate broad information in a limited capacity. 

 

Differences between complex and simple logo designs 

Recognition 

The main aim of a business is to get recognized, and its logo has a huge part to play in that. People identify simple logos better than the complex ones because they use minimum texts and maximum visuals.  

Moreover, simple logos are not bound to a particular language or region because they do not have much text.  

People in all parts of the world recognize crocodiles, apples, and swoosh, which is why simple logos do well across the world as they are not bound to language barriers. 

Brand Message 

A brand's message is the key to its success. If people fail to understand what a brand is all about, they won't relate to it.  

Complex logos do well when it comes to sending messages across the masses. They accommodate more texts, visuals, and designs as compared to the simple ones. 

Simple logos are not successful in informing people what the brand is all about because their attributes have no link with the business operations.  

Apple's bitten apple logo does not represent its actual products, so it is challenging to identify Apple as a company for a person who does not know about it. 

Which one should you choose?

Suppose you are taking a look at different logo design samples, you will notice that complex samples can accommodate more information than simple ones.  

Complex logo designs can have more texts, visuals, and colors than a simple design.  

Although, if you can comfortably transfer your message across in one word like McDonald's did with the letter "M" then, a simple design will do well for you.  

But, if you want to explain your brand through visual effects and texts, then the complex design is your best bet.  

So, the choice of logos solely depends on your brand's nature because both Starbucks and Apple are thriving despite their differences in logo designs. 

Logo design tips to create an ideal logo

Visual representation is the key

Use appropriate visuals that represent what you do as a business. Remember, "a picture speaks a thousand words."

Do not bulk 

Logos look good when you align your texts and visuals well. Since they have limited space, bulking of words and visuals would mess it up. 

Choose correct color patterns

Colors should resemble your brand. Choose appropriate combinations that are similar to your business offerings. 

The logo should not have barriers

Make sure that everybody recognizes the logo design. It should not contain slangs that people across the world cannot understand. 

Bonus tip 

Avoid using words or visuals that support a particular culture or ideology. It restricts a business's ability to operate globally. 

To conclude 

A logo design speaks volumes for the business. Both simple and complex designs have their benefits and limitations.  

The choice of logo design is solely up to the company. 

If a business needs an informative logo, it should go for a complex design, whereas if a company wants to represent itself visually, then a simple one would do best. 

We hope that by understanding the differences between complex and simple logo design, you can create an appropriate logo that justifies your brand's message.