1) Keep it simple
Most companies want their logo to be instantly identifiable, easily interpretable, and everlasting. As overly complex logos often fail to achieve these objectives, ‘keeping it simple’ has become the mantra for most organizations.
As Apple figured out early on, the most important factor in logo design is simplicity. Logos need to be simple so people can remember & connect with them. The more often you see a logo the more your business will ingrain in the hearts and minds of consumers.
2) Tell a story
Your logo represents your business and is extremely important to the branding of your company. Apart from being appealing, a logo must also tell a story – the story of what your brand stands for.
People connect to a good story in any form & so if you can capture your brand’s story in your logo, then capturing the attention of your targeted audience can become easy.
If you wonder how to encapsulate a story in a logo, here are some great examples –
3) Be creative
“What’s important is to create something that you believe is different from anything already out there,” David Airey.
A logo is what differentiates a brand from its competitors, so it’s important that the design stands out from the rest. Think out-of-the-box to design a logo that is creative, unique, clever & relevant.
4) Consider typography
Typography is described as “pictures of words.” Typography can be an important factor in invoking a wide array of feelings and thoughts, thereby creating an image of your brand in people’s minds.
By using the right typeface, your logo would not just look distinct and different from any other brand, but it also helps in people relating to your company in a more humane way.
5) Use power symbols
Companies use powerful symbols like crown in their logo because they want to exhibit their brand as a symbol of prestige, lavishness & classy. And what could be better than a crown – a symbol of royalty and authority – to showcase such qualities of the brand.
6) Use animal symbolism
Few companies use animals in their logos, as animals have long been a source of symbolism, and their images connect well with customers, especially if they’re creatively intertwined with the brand individuality. To give a couple of examples, Firefox uses a fox to symbolize speed & MSN uses a butterfly to denote freedom.
7) Use Shape psychology
Shapes have emotional implications and can initiate distinctive images and memories in people’s minds. Straight lines, curves, circles, and pointed edges all indicate different meanings and so an experienced logo designer can use shapes to deduce specific virtues of the brand.
8) Employ negative space
Negative space is the empty space around and between the subjects of an image. It can be used to depict a subject in a chosen medium by showing everything around the subject but not the subject itself.
Remember Fedex logo? The negative space between the letters E and X has been designed to look like an arrow, symbolizing speed. Spectacular logos can be created with a clever mix of design and negative space.
9) Use color scheme wisely
Every color, including black & white, has a distinctive feel and several associations. Colors will evoke certain feelings and opinions towards your brand in people’s mind & so it is essential to choose the right color(s) that will represent your company effectively.
Designers need to pick the colors carefully to enhance specific elements of the logo and add relevance to the idea with the use of shade and tone.
10) Black & White can be cool too
Black and white are too of the most poignant visuals & when used creatively in designing, the results can be outstanding. The designers must understand that black and white shouldn’t compete, but rather complement each other when used in logo designing. To make the point more clear: contrast creates completion.
The effect that black and white have is subconscious on people’s minds & so, it is essential to carefully consider the significant impact they will inevitably have on your designs.
11) Convey right message
The main purpose of a logo design is to convey the brand message to its customers. The most important work for a designer is to integrate a relevant & meaningful concept in the logo, where the idea is to create an insinuation of the brand’s purpose using creative symbols and colors.
Major brands like Amazon, Wiki & Cisco all have logos that are not only conceptual, but also meaningful.
12) Logo marks can help branding
Not all companies can use logo mark, as the company must be big enough, probably with fine experience and existence of quite some notable years of work and excellence.
Companies like Nike, Apple & Volkswagen use logomarks as there is no need for them to mention their company’s names & just by the logo mark, people recognize their identity and importance.
