7 Logo Design Essentials

August 27, 2019 – By #RSA

From gracing Facebook profile photos to being prominently displayed on a billboard, company logos are everywhere. They often serve as a person’s first impression of a business, and whether or not it is effective can determine whether your audience’s curiosity gets sparked to learn more about the products and services you offer. Over time, as people view your logo, it will stand as a way that your company sticks in the minds of consumers, eventually creating a sense of familiarity that builds trust and gains lifelong customers. Logos also help build the foundation of your brand’s identity, with an effective logo helping to tell your company’s story and evoking a fitting emotion from the viewer.

With logos playing such a huge role in how your business is perceived, it is critical that the person that designs your logo knows some graphic design basics and what goes into a logo that is memorable and that accurately portrays your brand. The following are seven guidelines to follow to create a logo that is eye-catching, memorable, and that can stand the test of time.

• Showcase your individuality.
The point of a logo is to stand apart from the rest, so make sure you put your creative pants on and think outside of the box when coming up with a design. One of the top benefits of an effective logo is that it distinguishes you from other companies in your industry, so modeling your logo after ones that are already out there will result in your brand getting lost in the crowd.

• Avoid being literal.
Metaphors and symbolism are your friends when it comes to logo design. Think of some of the biggest, recognizable companies’ logos: Adidas’ three stripes are stacked in such a way that they appear to be a mountain, symbolizing the challenges athletes face; the “H” in the Hyundai logo represents a handshake, communicating a sense of customer trust and satisfaction. Whatever your brand’s overarching message to the masses may be, brainstorm ways to convey that message without the use of text.

• Keep it simple.
Small details and shadowing are just some of the components that make up a logo that can be hard to use across all mediums. As far as logo design goes, the simpler the better.

• Aim for a balanced design.
Just like in all aspects of life, keeping balance between design elements is crucial. Making sure the use of negative and positive space, color and scale, for example, are in proportion with each other goes far in pleasing the eye and giving your company a more professional appearance.

• Be mindful of color choices.
There are many ways color can impact the effectiveness of your logo. Choosing colors that simply do not look well together is an obvious no-no; instead, selecting colors that are near each other on the color wheel is a good way to ensure your logo is appealing. Also, it’s no secret that colors can elicit emotions, so choosing shades that fall in line with the reaction you want to evoke from your audience is important (for instance, yellow is linked to happiness, while red can bring forth feelings of passion). A couple of simple rules to follow is to try to limit the number of colors in a logo to three, and make sure your logo is still legible in black and white.

• Choose your fonts carefully.
Your font choice can easily make or break your logo, and is one of the aspects of logo design that often does not receive enough consideration. Again, think of the message your brand is trying to convey and choose accordingly. It’s best to try to stick to one font, and completely avoid using more than two.

• Ensure your logo can be used for anything.
Remember, your logo can be used for something as small as an envelope, to as large as a billboard, so it must be legible at many sizes. It should also display properly on any device so that it is just as recognizable to someone who views it on their phone as it is to someone who is browsing on their desktop. 

Need help creating a logo that perfectly represents your brand and sets you apart from the competition? You can count on the graphic design experts at Robert Sharp & Associates to design a logo that does just that, and more. 

Last Modified: 12/30/2021 8:43:59 am MST

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