8 Tips to Creating the Perfect Logo Design
8 Tips to Creating the Perfect Logo Design
A logo says a lot about a brand. And if your logo sucks, then odds are people might think your brand sucks too. Creating the perfect logo sounds like an easy enough task, right? Draw a square, pick 2-3 colours, write your company name and BAM, there you have it. Wrong.
A perfectly curated logo is much more than that. It takes thought, a clear vision and converts a story into a visual message. A logo should evoke feelings, connect with your company’s why and tell your company’s story to your audience.
01. Understand why your brand exists
Why does your brand exist? And why should people care? Before jumping into designing your logo, you should have a clear understanding of your company’s purpose, mission and why. Once these things are clear, it will be easier to curate a logo based on your services and offerings. So, write down what your business is all about and use it as design inspiration for your logo!
02. Figure out your brand identity
Figuring out your brand identity is a good place to start. According to Investopedia, Brand identity is defined as the visible elements of a brand, such as colour, design, and logo, that identify and distinguish the brand in consumers’ minds. What do you want your brand to represent in consumers’ minds? How can you portray that in a logo?
03. Know your audience
After you understand your company’s identity, it’s time to get a clear understanding of who your target audience is. Are you appealing to moms or dads, fitness junkies or homebodies? Are you marketing to individual customers or to other business owners? Once you identify your audience, you can develop a logo that appeals to that audience. Think about what colours, symbols or shapes would catch their attention and implement that into your design idea.
04. Research your competition
Research your competition to get design ideas. When you know who your competition is and what types of logos they have, you’ll be able to get design inspiration for your own logo. You can replicate aspects of certain brands you like, understand what you like and don’t like, or use competition as inspiration to build out your differentiation strategy.
05. Pay attention to color
You have a rainbow of possibilities, literally. So how the heck do you choose a color scheme?! Color carries meanings and communicates a message. Tons of articles have been written about the psychology of color and consumer behavior. According to Inc, 93% of purchasing judgements are made on visual perceptions and 84.7% of consumers cite color as their main reason for buying a particular product.
Do some research on color psychology and see which colors would best match your brand. Your logo could communicate happiness and optimism (yellow), compassion and vitality (green), or calmness and security (blue), and the list goes on and on. Once you understand the power color has on consumer behavior, you can use it to evoke emotions in your audience via your branding.
06. Pick fonts carefully
The font(s) you choose will establish a tone of voice for your brand. Pick it wisely. See which fonts portray certain feelings like friendliness, trust, modern, etc. There are four basic types of fonts: serif fonts, sans serif fonts, script fonts, and display fonts.
Serif font: Serifs are the little “feet” at the end of letter, which makes the font itself look a bit more old-fashioned. Works especially well with vintage, elegant, or classic designs.
Sans serif font: Sans-serif fonts are perfect for a modern and clean designs. It’s great for modern brands with a minimal and sleek feel.
Script font: Script fonts replicate handwriting. It includes fonts all the way from calligraphy, elegant cursive, or basic handwriting. Script fonts are good for making your logo feel more personal as if it was handwritten with thought.
Display font: Display fonts are decorative fonts that really catch the eye.
07. Keep it simple
Don’t go crazy with all the design elements that are out there. Keep it simple, but try to show personality. Your logo should be rememberable.
08. Know what your logo means
At the end of all this, you should know what your logo stands for. Duh, seems like a no brainer… But you’d be surprised at how many brands exist that don’t know what their logo stands for. You should be able to explain your logo and its meaning in 1-2 sentences. Think of it as a 30-second elevator pitch for your brand.
These eight steps are just the beginning of creating the perfect logo. Logo design is a vital element to your brand’s identity and the process is quite extensive. With the right amount of research, inspiration and resources you’ll be able to convert your brand’s mission and purpose into a visual story your audience will love!
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