What do companies like Coca-Cola, Nike, Lacoste, Netflix or Amazon have in common? An unforgettable logo that has been marked by fire in the minds of consumers. Logo is one of the most important brand investments a company can make. It is similar to the first handshake that a brand carries out with its potential customer. In this article, we are going to give you five tips to design a good logo.
Why is it important to create a logo
The logo is the number one identifying element of the brand. It is the first thing that many consumers see and, as you know, first impressions rule. Its design influences public perception defines its visual identity and intrinsically communicates its values to the world.
A consumer forms his opinion about a brand in just 10 seconds. In this case, a poorly designed logo can destroy the entire commercial message of the brand and inevitably damage the business. On the other hand, a logo with an aesthetic and attractive design can capture the target audience’s attention and turn the consumer into a loyal customer. In addition, it helps to make a difference against the competition by expressing that this business is unique.
For all these reasons, the logo is a fundamental part of a company’s branding and must be the basis on which the brand is built. The colors or fonts that a business chooses are conditioned by the story the brand conveys to its consumers, and the logo is the cover letter for that story. All these branding elements will matter to all brand materials such as business cards, flyers, packaging or the website.
5 tips for designing a good logo
1. Analyze the brand
It is impossible to create a good logo without having previously carried out a thorough brand identity analysis. What is the business about? What market do you want to reach? What values surround the brand? What do you promise your customers?
All this information must be reflected in the logo. The design must be in line with the defining characteristics of the brand to be representative. Remember that the logo reflects the nature of the business and must be aligned with the objectives it pursues.
2. Use colors correctly
Colors imply meaning and have certain emotions associated with them. For this reason, it is a must to consider them before creating the logo to avoid inspiring an unwanted sentiment in the public.
It is widely known that the color red is associated with love, passion and even aggressiveness. Instead, blue connect with feelings of calm, harmony, sincerity and freedom. For its part, pink symbolizes tenderness and is usually related to the feminine, while orange is associated with warmth and energy. The key lies in knowing the emotions and values that define the brand and translating them into relevant colors for the target audience.
3. Choose the typeface based on the brand
The typography helps attract the attention of the customer and convey the personality of the brand. As with colors, it cannot be chosen at random, but must be the result of prior research by the company. The different fonts speak about the way of being of the brand and must be in harmony with it so as not to send misleading signals to the potential customer.
Do you think that the same typeface could be used to design the logo of a children’s playroom as a climbing wall logo? The former company will likely need a typeface with handwriting-inspired cursive features, while the latter may opt for a heavier and more angular typeface. When selecting the typeface to create a good logo, consider using your own custom font that will further reinforce the brand’s identity.
4. Less is more
Some said that complexity is your enemy and the difficult thing is to do something simple. The design of a good logo should be based on the idea that less is more. Run away from complexity and think that simplicity is synonymous with success.
A simple design is easier for the public to process and recognize at first glance. A simple logo involves the use of one or two colors, fonts, and other elements. The very simplicity in the logo design can convey the business’s personality: simplicity, order and cleanliness.
5. Look for authenticity as a differential factor
You are already clear that a simple design is much easier to remember. Now, you have to go one step further to make a logo memorable. To achieve this, originality is key. You have to try to give the design an ingenious, differentiating and authentic touch, especially if it is a new company that intends to impact the market.
Perhaps incorporating a fun element or adding the mental game to the design evoking a double visual sense are strategies you can resort to. However, always try to respect the rule of simplicity avoiding designs that incorporate complicated or unnecessary elements.
Summary
There are many aspects to take into account when building a business, and the design of a solid logo is one of the most important because it will mark the future relationship with the consumer. Putting the necessary effort into creating a good logo is a safe investment.
