Business logos should be kept simple within the design, a busy logo’s message can become convoluted. Consumers may associate your brand with the logo, but if the logo’s support of your brand is uncertain, you could be sabotaging your brand design efforts. Keep your logo simple, but targeted, and the message will be clear, concise, and taken as intended. Here are some key considerations points to be outlined in more detail below;
- Simple
- Memorable
- Unique
- Versatile
- Timeless
- Scalable & legibility
- Colour importance
- Contrast
- Light or dark backgrounds
- Business website and socials
With many of our logo designs for clients there are elements which may not be obvious straight off, but there is always a controlled delivery and reason, each element, shape, colour has reason.
"A designer knows he has achieved perfection not when there is nothing left to add, but when there is nothing left to take away." Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
Business logos should be simple
Simplicity in design is integral to success. keep it simple, targeted, concise. Maybe attach a real story to why it is you do what you do in your business.
Your business logo should be memorable
In some cases, we have been approached during the naming and staging of a start-up business and we love helping brainstorm from the ground up delivering ideas from the start, developing their logo, creating branded media to the launch of their website.
Simple is often easy to remember in most cases. Relatable is even more memorable for some designs. Combine the two and you’re going to leave your mark in peoples minds.
Be original to stand out
Keep your logo original and unique by brainstorming the ideas you do and don’t want to see within your logo’s development, we ask each client what they would like to see tried, what they don’t want to see tried within your business logo designs throughout the stages of development.
Sometimes clients have researched what their competitors have used for their business logos and see the same sort of imagery used over and over and it’s a good idea to separate yourself and add a unique approach. We have sometimes strayed a little outside the box but with 3 different approaches, we generally find a direction that works for the client. It’s always good to try varied approaches to eliminate and break it down to the right path for your business.
Complexity eats flexibility
If your logo design is complicated; then I guarantee you that it will limit its versatility, with where and how you can use it. So consider all applications in which you require the logo to be utilised. With our clients, we often start the conversation based on the smallest most likely use of your logo design which is often the favicons, used as bookmarks, phone icons, and now directly inside google search listings favicons.
Simpler designs will adapt easier to the future
You can keep your logo design timeless by not following too close to what others are doing. You don’t want people confusing you in any way with one of your competitors, so it is important that every part of the design process is unique and creative.
Refine, scale down for success
Business logos need to be scalable & legible where ever it is used. Consider the length of your business name, tag lines and the icon element of your logo. Consider what gets used in the smallest application needed which in most cases will be the favicons mentioned above, social media channels or the header of your website when viewed on a mobile phone.
Choose colour wisely
Colour is really important, consider what colour your logo and branding will use; then consider the backgrounds when using your logo in most cases (white?) and that should set your base design strategy. Variations of colour use should be carefully considered, limited and easily standardised so the logo is super consistent where ever it’s intended to use. Consider solid colours when choosing and how this may be closely replicated for process colour in commercial printing and then RGB colour for all screen use in digital spaces, including socials.
The contrast in logo design
Contrast within your logo design when used is an important consideration. When we say contrast there are several planes which we refer to; obviously, colours of your logo design and how the overall design creates impact, are the shapes consistent; or is there a contrast of sharp and rounded elements, if there is a use of the pattern of reparative line-work; then is the thickness of line-work consistent or contrasted concerning thickness.
“All these design methods quickly impact the comparison of desired design outcomes. “
Logos backgrounds, look into the future
Consider light and dark backgrounds, or a unique colour to be used broadly across all media as part of your overall branding/theme. Also, you may like the flexibility to use your logo as a one colour design (say white solid on top of a colour or black/grey beside other sponsors or affiliates on partner websites). Does your logo need to work as a solid shape on top of photos? All flexibility’s we like to consider with each logo design.
Where else will your logo be used?
Digital spaces in today’s marketing need series consideration, with the configurations or layout of your business logo versions; the way it is used; for example when your logo is used as text and icon it may be more practical to position the text beside your icon, but in other uses, it could look better stacked above/below it. Social media feeds generally work best with just your favicons as mentioned above. For some clients, we have help format their logo to specific dimensions to best suit platforms such as Xero Accounting Software, CRM software, PayPal checkout pages and social media needs such as Facebook header images.
Aim for consistent standardised use of you’re logo and stick to it as best you can.
Set up branding guidelines to ensure your logo is used in the appropriate sizes and colours. This will help maintain consistency with any other collateral you produce, as well as avoid confusion if a new designer joins your team later on down the road. Be sure to have someone take the responsibility for managing brand standards so that they can provide guidance when needed!
A professional graphic designer provides a style guide document to protect your logo, branding and your business image by outlining clearly all recommendations and standards for how your logo is to be presented.
If you’re supplying this document to other art studios; such as signwriters, or commercial printers then this protects everyone concerned by outlining the set standards.
Inspired words for logos and branding
We often share the below video of Simon Sinek with our clients, its message is still relevant to the design and the image you want to convey. If you haven’t seen it? please watch before you plan your logo, your branding or your company message (slogan). This talk still connects with me and the way we approach design for clients as a trigger for inspiration and approach.
Your logo (Icon element) could be something quite random as long as there is a real, honest and relative story to where the founders have been or they are heading. “Get creative but keep it real.”