How to get logo design right

Whilst successful businesses are easily identifiable, what is it about them that makes you recognise them? It’s pretty simple, it’s usually a brand or company name, and their logo. There’s even a game called the Logos Quiz that went through an incredibly popular phase, just showing you the power of the logo. And whilst the business name itself is important, as the phrase goes, a picture speaks a thousand words, or make that a logo. So follow our top tips to create the perfect logo for your business.

• Don’t make it too complicated. Your logo will need to be replicated across many platforms and the simpler it is, the easier it is to edit and adapt for different purposes. It should also look distinctive in small scale when used as an icon, so the more complicated the logo is, the more difficult this scaling will be. And it shouldn’t be some sort of puzzle for the customer or potential customer needs to work out, tell it to them straight.
• Will the logo date? If you’re following current trends or fads then it’s probably wise to think again, remember MySpace, Sunny D? Maybe you do, but in any case, their time in the spotlight has sort of passed now, they were a fad at the time. So don’t jump on any bandwagon and follow a trend because when their time passes, yours might too.
• Match your brand identity. You should have some sort of brand identity in place, and your logo should match the feel that your branding has. By using a professional and providing them with your brand guidelines, you should get some good logo ideas that match the ‘feeling’ of your business and brand.
• Be unique. Unless you’re really going for a play on something else (be careful about intellectual property rights and trademarks) then you should definite be going for something unique that can be (or become) recognisable.
• Do be afraid to change. Have you already got a logo that you use for your business, do you like it, does it represent what you stand for? Perhaps you need something quickly to get you started, companies grow and change over time, so there’s no need to panic if you need to change your logo. Many big businesses have done this over the years, so there’s no reason why smaller companies can’t do this successfully too.

Do you need a logo for your new business, or has this post made you realise you might need some rebranding and a new logo for you current business? If so, give us a shout, we might be able to help: hello@webfwd.co.uk