What to consider when designing your new logo
By Kylie Martin of Kylie Martin Creative
In this modern digital age of ever-shortening attention spans, businesses have to compete fiercely for the attention of customers. As we are visual creatures, the logo of your business can help you to establish a unique brand as well as to attract your target customers. Here are a few things you need to consider when designing your logo.
1. Know your target market
The most important thing you need to keep in mind while designing your logo is your target market. Who are the people that you are trying to attract? Where do they live? How old are they?
Your logo must resonate with your target audience. For example, Disney’s target customers are not only children but also adults who are still children at heart. The brand Disney is about fun and playfulness, and the script they created, along with the enchanted castle, conveys Disney’s brand identity perfectly to its target demographic.
2. Less is more — Simplicity
Keep your logo simple, simple! Do you know any brand that has a simpler logo than Nike? But as simple as iconic as the Nike ‘swoosh’ may be, no one can question its effectiveness. Have a look at the logos of Amazon, eBay, FedEx, and Pepsi. Simplicity is key.
One of the most common mistakes people make while designing their logo is to assume that the logo has to show what their business does. Just think about it. Does Apple sell apples? Why don’t the golden arches of the McDonald’s have cheeseburgers on top of them?
Your logo doesn’t have to be complex to be effective. In fact, simplicity increases a logo’s effectiveness by making it easily recognizable and more memorable. People can recognize a simple logo in almost any venue or setting. And due to its simplicity, a simple logo is virtually impossible to forget. So no matter how tempted you feel to turn your logo into a piece of complex art, just remember — less is more.
3. Choose your fonts carefully
There are several things you need to keep in mind while choosing the fonts for your logo. First of all, the fonts or typefaces should convey the brand’s identity without compromising on readability. Another important factor you must consider is usage. Are you going to put your logo on pens? Then you have to choose a typeface that will work in that situation. But also keep in mind that the typeface should be able to accommodate scaling — your logo has to look good whether you put in on a business card or a huge banner.
Most importantly, don’t use too many fonts. Stick to one or at most, two fonts. Using too many fonts will make your logo look confusing, unsophisticated and unprofessional.
4. Pay close attention to the colours
The choice of colours to use in your logo is vital for developing your brand aesthetic. The colours should highlight the strengths of your business and attract your target customers. For example, if your brand stands for reliability and your target customers are people in their 50’s, using gray in your logo is going to work for you. But if your target customers are children, using gray in your logo would be a strict no-no.
You must also consider colour psychology — the way colours impact emotions and behaviours. For example, blue symbolizes trustworthiness and maturity, which is the primary reason blue is used in over half of all logos, including the logo of Facebook. The colour red, aptly used in Red Bull’s logo, is the universal sign of passion, excitement, and anger. On the other hand, the other colour used in the logo, yellow is fresh, happy and energetic. For a company that stands for excitement, energy, and freshness, the combination of red and yellow works perfectly.
Limit the number of colours to three at most. Using too many colours will make your logo look gaudy and unprofessional.
5. Make it iconic and adaptable
Your logo should be an icon that represents your business, and not just another image that gets lost in the crowd. So it should be something that people can easily recognize wherever they see it. As you may need to put it on anything from pens and T-shirts to billboards, your logo needs to be adaptable for a lot of situations. Target’s logo is a great example — it’s simple, yet instantly recognizable, and it works great whether Target puts it on shopping bags or billboards.
Your logo is the most important part of your brand, but at the same time, don’t overthink it. Design something simple, that speaks to your values, and you’ll carry that badge proudly. A logo that you’re proud of is, ultimately, the one your customers will love!
Originally published on Kylie Martin Creative. Republished with permission.
Kylie Martin is the owner of Kylie Martin Creative. She works with small businesses to help them affordably build a professional brand. Kylie’s goal is to collaborate with her client’s to develop their brand identity, and give them all the creative digital marketing & print resources they need to GROW. Kylie would love to help you with your logo or any other aspect of your business brand. www.kyliemartin.com.au
Don’t miss my interview with Kylie inside The Concierge Secret Society. Join now and get access to many more videos, as well as templates, resources and training.
Abbie Allen is the founder of The Concierge Society, as well as Lifestyle Elements and le Porter. She started Lifestyle Elements in 2004 at the age of 23 and now operates internationally from her head office in Adelaide, South Australia. She was the 2014 Institute of Concierge and Lifestyle Managers Association Golden Key Award winner, as well as a finalist in the South Australia Telstra Business Women’s Awards in 2012. She works with her husband Tim, and they have three daughters. If you handed Abbie a brand new book, a glass of red wine and some chocolate, plus the time to enjoy it, you would have made her day! Have you joined our free private community? Click here now!