A logo is a symbol, or a design, used to identify a company or an organization. its products, services, or employees. In simple words, logos act as the face of your business. They’re a visual display of what your company stands for and can be used to promote your brand both online and offline.
Your logo has a major impact on how your customers will perceive your brand. So naturally, you want your logo to stand out. Before you start creating your logo there are some quick research facts to keep in mind.
- 95% of the world’s top brand logos use one or two colors.
- 41% of those brands use stylized type as their logo.
- 93% are simple enough to be recognized at much smaller sizes.
Armed with that vital information, it’s time to start creating your own memorable logo.
Tell Your Story
Research shows that buyers today connect more strongly to stories than they do to the basic facts of your product. This means your logo and packaging should tell – and sell – a story.
Before you even think about what your logo will look like, take some time asking yourself: what is the story behind my company? Step outside of what your company does and convey why you do it. That “why” is the root of your story, and it should come through in the color, shape, and typeface of your logo.
Describe Your Brand
Now that you have your story, it’s time to take your logo draft from story to setting. Open thesaurus.com and enter a term that best describes your product into the search bar.
For example, if you’re in the clothing industry, you might simply type in “clothing.” You’d be surprised by how descriptive the synonyms are that appear. You can even click these results to start new searches and dig deeper as you zero in on the words that best capture your brand.
Try to find 5-10 words that describe what you do and the ‘why’ from the previous step. Each of these words can fit like pieces in a puzzle and help you refine your logo design draft.
Design a Draft
Armed with your why and a few keywords for direction, grab a paper and start sketching out the ideas that pop in your head. Allow each new concept to evolve on its own, but don’t get frustrated if the first few aren’t right. Keep refining, using previous sketches to influence the newer ones. While your logo design evolves, keep these tips in mind while sketching out your ideas:
- Shape: Keep it simple. If you can sketch the most symbolic components in seven seconds or less, you’re in good shape. You should absolutely avoid any popular clip-art artwork or generic symbols like a globe, star, or similar icons that people too easily identify from other places. These are easily forgotten after first glance.
- Color: Colors can either be your best friend or your worst enemy. You need to include color with your logo but be selective on which colors you use. Be mindful of current color trends already being used today and in your target market. As a general rule, don’t choose more than three colors. Choose a color or group of colors that will make you stand out from your competition.
- Creativity: Get as creative as possible with your draft. A creative draft is more likely to deliver an honest, eye-catching logo.
Test Out Your Drafts
Once you’ve got a handful of different sketches on paper, take a step back and pick the top three concepts. Don’t think too hard about this — consider the designs your eyes keep going back to and select them to show to others.
Share these drafts with your friends and family members. Another way to test out your draft is to bring your sketches to someone who best fits your buyer persona or your ideal customer profile. This gives you the most productive opinion on your artwork because it can indicate how customers will receive your brand – not just the people close to you. Use the feedback by these people to select one final concept & start developing your final design.
Create Your Final Logo
Once you’ve identified the sketch to run with from your drafts it’s time to refine it and perfect the story you started with in Step 1. Here’s how to do that:
- Create a digital logo layout: Say goodbye to your paper and pencil; it’s time to bring your design to life. Recreate your sketch in digital format to create the layout of your logo.
- Pick Colors: Next, you need to pick versatile color options for your logo. Your logo’s color scheme might look great against the color of the canvas on which you designed it, but eventually, your logo will be placed on backgrounds whose colors you didn’t start with. Create logo color variations for both dark and light backgrounds.
Create one of each option to make sure you’re prepared when ordering promotional products that will display your logo. Custom T-shirts, stickers, notepads, and coffee mugs are just a few of the many items for which you’ll have different color variations of your logo.
- Choose a Font: This is the time to combine text with imagery. If your chosen sketch is primarily a shape or symbol, rather than text, begin to factor in the written name of your company. Consider the typeface this text will carry if your company name ever stands on its own without the symbol. Stay away from generic fonts that come standard on every word processor. These fonts will only work against you and your company by making you less memorable.
Final Thoughts
Logos are meant to represent your company on multiple platforms: a custom banner, on your website, signs & stickers on your products, all your social media business pages, and more. So make sure you design a logo that can be blown up super large for a billboard, but also scaled down for screening onto the side of a pen. Every part of your logo should be legible, regardless of the logo’s size.
Resources:
How to Design a Logo (Even if You’re Not a Designer)
https://looka.com/blog/how-to-design-a-logo/
How to Design a Logo: A 5-Step Process
https://www.webfx.com/blog/web-design/howto-logo-design-process/
The Logo Design Process: A Guide To Professional Logo Development
https://99designs.com/blog/tips/logo-design-process-how-professionals-do-it/
How to Create Your Own Logo in 5 Easy Steps
https://www.onlinelogomaker.com/blog/create-logo-5-easy-steps/
How To Design A Logo: 5 Steps To Creating A Logo You Love
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