A business logo is not just a name or graphics that tells customers who you are. It is a lot more than that. A logo is your business identity. It represents characteristics of your business that tells customers who you are and what you stand for. If done right a logo can stand the test of time and make your company memorable in the world for decades. Just think about some of the logos you are familiar with. How quickly do you know what company it stands for without even having a single word in the logo! Nike Swoosh! Apple! McDonald’s Arch! The list goes on and on. Such is the power of a memorable logo!
How does a memorable logo help your business? A logo can provide significant value to any business that spends time and effort in creating one.
- It creates a unique identity for the business that makes people remember it more easily.
- It tells your customers what you stand for. When people see a well-known logo they immediately know and understand the values that a company stands for.
- A well-designed logo provides great marketing value without having to spend significant money once it is recognized and ingrained in people’s minds.
- It provides consistent brand and message across multiple products and services that your business sells. A logo is a unified language that ties all the products together under one umbrella.
- It provides a concise medium to convey your identity without having to use a long marketing message or brochure.
As you can see a well-designed logo not only creates a strong identity for your business, but also enables you to build a deep connection with your customers. You should put considerable thought and effort in creating a logo that matches with the mission and values of your business. While the final logo may look very simple to a layman’s eye it requires great effort to come up with a logo that stands the test of time.
There are certain attributes you need to think about during logo design. Below I explain those attributes, how they contribute to a great logo design and what you need to consider when creating a logo.
- Color – This is perhaps the most important attribute to consider when creating a logo. Different colors convey various feelings to people. It is important to select a color that matches with the values your business stands for. Below are common colors used in the logo design and the messages they convey:
- Green – Earth friendliness, Ethical, Nature
- Yellow – Cheerfulness, Optimism, Playful
- Purple – Artistic, Original, Creative
- Black – Stylish, Sophisticated, luxurious,
- Blue – Honesty, Achievement, Professionalism
- Pink – Feminism, Loving
- Font – Similar to color, selection of font plays a big role in conveying the values of your business. For example, an italic font shows motion and fluidity; sans serif fonts convey professionalism; and calligraphy fonts shows creativity and artistic values. Choose your font carefully to ensure it conveys the message you are trying to deliver to your customers.
- Shape –The shape of the logo also conveys certain subconscious message about your business. A circle shows community, unity and friendship. Rectangular shape conveys organization, trust and order. Triangular logos are meant to show power, strength and energy. Vertical lines in the logo shape also show strength and power, while horizontal lines convey tranquility and calmness.
Use these attributes wisely to create a memorable logo using the guidelines below:
- Be simple – Memorable logos are simple. The logo says one thing and provide a single message. Trying to put too many elements in the logo will create a cluttered mess that doesn’t mean anything in the minds of readers. All the memorable logos of our time are simple – Apple, Amazon. Nike!
- Be Timeless – While it is tempting to use certain elements of the current times or culture think about what happens when those fads become out of fashion. Use the elements that will remain true for decades.
- Be Original – Do not try to copy a logo of someone else and fit to your business. Remember a logo is a unique brand identity of your business. It needs to show what YOUR business stands for. Start with a clean slate and spend time thinking about what your business stands for.
- Be Adaptable – A logo should look the same no matter where it is displayed – on billboard, print magazine, computer, cell phone. If it starts distorting depending on where it is being displayed you will lose the business identity and create confusion in the minds of customers.
As you can see there is fair amount of science and art behind creating a logo. You can hire a professional to create logo or use the right logo maker software to create it yourself. The key is to spend sufficient time thinking about it before putting in practice.
