Whether you are looking to create a logo for a new company or you are not happy with your current logo, there are many things to keep in mind during the design process.
Ultimately, you need a logo that is memorable, eye-catching, timeless, and can be used almost anywhere.
It’s a boring job. And when you consider the fact that 75% of people recognize a brand by its logo alone, it’s easy to see why logo design is so important.
The good news is that there are some useful tips to follow when creating your company logo that can make the process easier and make the end product more successful.
1. Start With Your Brand Identity
Before you start creating your logo, it’s essential to consider your brand identity. In short, this refers to how you want your brand to resonate with your target audience.
This is something you should sit down and discuss with your sales team (if you haven’t already), as it will be key to your long-term marketing strategy.
For example, if your business is a coffee shop, you might want your customers to be happy and energized. These feelings should inspire your logo design, as well as anything else you might post.
Once you’ve established your brand identity and at least a few keywords, you can move on to the next step of branding.
2. Find Inspiration
If you’re struggling to come up with an idea for your brand based on your personality type, don’t worry. You can do more research and get inspired by other successful brands that exist.
Of course, this doesn’t mean copying or plagiarizing – it just means knowing what other brands are doing, and what you like and what you don’t like.
For example, you may find in your research that many of your competitors have traditional logotypes. This can inspire you to create something new, and modern that will stand out from the crowd.
When you’re thinking of a logo, you might also consider creating a “mood station” using images you see on sites like Pinterest.
These images show the complete look and/or feel that you want to capture in your logo and are useful when it comes to other processes and design processes.
3. Determine The Type Of Logo
It also helps to narrow down your design options by actually checking the logo.
There are different types of logos to choose from, including:
- A monogram, using your initials (usually your company name) instead of your full company name.
- A word mark that includes your company name in full.
- Logos uses unique symbols (such as geometric shapes) that may not have an obvious connection to your brand.
- Graphic logo, use an image that represents your brand (think Apple logo here).
Finally, you can choose the best logo for your brand; Hybrid logos are also common, so keep an open mind here.
4. Start With Sketches
Now that you have a better feel for your identity, get inspired, and decide on a logo, it’s time to design it!
While it can be tempting to start your logo design right on the computer, drawing early is often more fruitful for logo design.
That’s because, with a pencil and sketchbook, you’re not as limited as you are with digital editing software.
You can (and should) always create your best ideas, but creating them is a good place to start. Plus, when you wake up in the middle of the night with a new logo idea, it’s easier to write it down in a sketchbook than to turn on your computer.
Apart from sketches, you can also get design inspiration from online logo makers. These types of tools, many of which use intelligence, can quickly create hundreds of different logos, which you can use to get an initial idea and continue developing them.
5. Don’t Ignore Color
There is no denying that the use of color is very important – not just to your logo identity, but to your entire brand.
The colors you include in your logo help to inspire your brand identity and attract the attention of your target audience.
Color theory can be useful when deciding the color of your logo.
6. Choose The Correct Font
Don’t overlook the importance of using the right typeface in your branding. Of course, texting can make or break an organization – so it’s not something you want to think about afterward.
There are different types of fonts, from serif and sans serif to italics and displays. The type of logo that works best for you will come back to your brand identity and the type of emotion you’re trying to evoke.
If you want a traditional and elegant look, a serif font can be a good choice.