Image Credits: Unsplash.com
Why logo design is important for your business? While a business name, vision and mission statement are important, a logo is the best way to represent a brand. However, Logos should not just be random images. A logo should tell a story of who the business is and what it does. As a top designer, you have to remember to create a story within your logo. A great logo is not meant to be cool or trendy. It should portray the brand it represents in the best possible way.
Finding Inspiration
Creatives know how draining coming up with informative ideas can be. It is therefore important to find inspiration for the best designs. One way of getting inspired is by browsing design sites. Any designs, whether logos or not have a creative streak that might light up your spark. The artistic stimulus is what matters and seeing creative imagery can stir up creativity.
In business, being the best means outdoing your competition and standing out. The only way to stand out is by figuring what they do and their mistakes, then capitalizing on those. Essentially, this means that you should study other business logos that competing companies own. However, be cautious and refrain from copying what you see. Instead, look at what has not been done yet and leverage that for a better logo.
By knowing your competition, you will have a better understanding of the design cues to use that will stand out. A logo communicates everything from corporate values, processes, customer service to the history of a brand.
While you do all that, getting swamped by overthinking and overworking your brain might leave you feeling exhausted. This is when you realize that stressing over it will not take you anywhere. Take a break and allow your body to revitalize. When you feel rejuvenated, get back on track where you left off.
Factors to Consider when Designing a Logo
When you are ready to start the creative process, remember to keep it simple but concise. Cramming too much information on the logo makes it confusing and your audience will lose interest immediately. Keep in mind that a logo is often used to brand company merchandise. Keeping it simple and minimalistic means, nothing is lost when a logo is minimized to fit products.
Make a relevant logo. This cannot be stressed enough if your logo is for an environmental conservation agency, trees and greenery will communicate better. Just like a zoos logo will have land animals, if you are designing an Oceanarium’s logo, have a shade of blue or a sea creature on it.
Another important factor when designing a logo is to experiment. There is no way you will stand out if you use the same thing everybody else is using. If the businesses in a particular niche use gold, it does not mean you should use the same color. Explore different avenues without fear of criticism. Nevertheless, as you work around different ideas, relevancy should be consistent.
Lay your Groundwork
It is said that failing to plan is planning to fail. When it comes to creating logos, you need to put down a draft first. Draw different sketches in different styles and have each tell a unique story. These are the drafts that your client should choose from and from where you will perfect the final product.
When the best draft has been chosen, perfect it by adding to it. Choose the color scheme, again depending on the brands’ colors. Balance the entire element together and make it recognizable as a representation of whichever brand you are designing. Making the logo responsive and adaptable to a variety of website backgrounds and layouts will make it stand out.
Capture the client’s values, strength over others and connect with the target market.
Stay Focused
Often the best ideas pop up when they are least expected. As a designer, always have your sketchpad with you to note anything abrupt down. Then you can transfer your sketches and ideas to whichever logo creator you like. Personally, I prefer using a free logo creator for my designs.
People want to recall what a logo stands for and identify with it instantly. Making a logo too detailed works against recognition, as there is too much to take in and analyze. A trademark should be conceptually focused and simplistic in form.
There is a misconception that logos should be literal. Instead, abstract logos are more enduring. Symbols are not essential either. You can use the company name or letters and infuse the logo design. The likes of Coca Cola and Amazon are just some of the best examples of logos that include company name and are instantly identifiable, thanks to the minimalist design incorporating their identity.
Symmetry, Proportion, and Space
As a logo creator, you are an artist. And, as every artist should know, proportion, symmetry, and spaces play a key role in any design. Use shapes to get logos that are well balanced and with consistent shapes or arcs. A close analysis on Apple’s logo shows that even though the apple bite seems abstract, it is crafted off a perfect circle, enhancing its symmetry and proportions.
Another age-old trick of making amazing logos is using negative space in a subtle manner. There are samples all around us but most people never even realize the presence and potential of these spaces. One of the most iconic logo with a cleverly used negative space is that of FedEx. Have you ever noticed an arrow in there between the E and x on FedEx?
Following these simple tricks will help you design an amazing logo without struggling through the process.