11 Essential Logo Design Tips

A logo can make the first and best impression of your company. When designing one, if you’re not careful, it could look like it came from the last decade! Your logo should be timeless, and you can do that by keeping up with current trends and not overdoing any one design element. A graphic designer can ensure you’re creating a logo design that reflects your brand while balancing the elements. Keep reading to learn the top tips for designing a logo!

11 Essential Logo Design Tips

1. Use Memorable Visuals

Using memorable visuals can help you connect with your audience and create loyalty to the brand. Think about it: does Nike have to say “Just Do It” on their logo? Does FedEx need to show a package or tape? These visuals are so iconic that customers automatically think about the company without being told.

2. Incorporate Personality Into Your Logo

The best logos have a personality that reflects the brand behind them. Whether your brand is quirky or serious, you need to build a logo that fits into the same mold. Using your brand’s values and goals as inspiration can help you determine how to represent yourself through your logo.

3. Select a Typeface That Matches Your Brand

By choosing a good typeface, you can communicate personality. Helvetica is simple and clean, while Comic Sans screams childish and unprofessional. Selecting a typeface that matches your brand helps communicate what you’re trying to convey quickly and easily.

4. Choose Fonts That Work Well Together

Just like typefaces, different fonts can communicate personality better than others. Serif fonts usually work well with more sophisticated brands while sans serifs are also great for active brands. As with all things, there is no one rule for all brands. Test out the fonts by using the same sentence with different fonts, then pick one that works best or mix and match them throughout.

5. Make Sure It’s Readable

Is your logo readable on the media in which it will be consumed? What about other types of media – can your logo be easily seen on both a computer monitor and in print? Does it work well close up? What about if a person is 5 feet away? Thirty feet away? Can they clearly tell who your company is and what it stands for under all conditions? If not, your logo is only doing half the job.

6. Don’t Be Afraid to Be Bold

Be authoritative, be literal, use shapes, use a contrasting background color! Don’t be afraid to be literal, use drop caps, or even use a symbol or icon. The best logos are the ones that stand out, make an impression, and are memorable.

7. But Also Keep It Clean

Keep the lines and space clean. You don’t want too many colors or repeating design elements. Look at your logo under multiple light sources to see if it holds up. Logos can have but don’t need a frame, drop cap, background image/gradient, or complex design structure to tell their story effectively. If your logo is full of bells and whistles that don’t communicate the name or idea behind it, you’ve got a problem.

8. Keep Colors Consistent

One of the worst things that can happen is when your logo colors change unexpectedly. Whether you’re getting a new printer or outsourcing your printing to another company, it’s important to mimic the colors that you’ve used before. Use a color system to provide color codes that you can use in your design software. Choose a set of colors that work best with your brand and then stick with them.

9. Appeal to Your Audience

Remember who you’re designing for. Your audience will be the deciding factor on whether your logo is successful or not. Does your logo both reflect your brand and also appeal to your potential customers? A great side benefit of appealing to your audience is that people tend to give more credit to the brands they trust.

10. Keep An Eye on Your Competition

Do your research on the competition. What do their logos look like? Is your logo in the same vein or better? Look at your competition’s logos from different angles, and keep an eye on the little things.

11. Hire a Graphic Designer

With so many design elements to think about, it can be daunting to undertake this effort alone. Sometimes it’s best to hire a graphic design company to ensure your logo stands out from your competition! These experts can help you create something perfect for your brand that won’t break the bank!

The best logos are the ones that stand out, make an impression, and are memorable. Remember to stay true to yourself while appealing to your audience. Hiring an expert firm can be the fastest and most cost-effective way to get what you truly want. They’ll work with you to create a logo that reflects your values and personality while catching the eyes of potential customers!