If you’re in the early stages of starting a business or looking at giving your current logo and brand a refresh, then this article is for you! It’s vital that your new logo, whether for a business, event, organisation or otherwise gets across the right message and provides a snapshot of what you’re about. In this article, we look at some of the key considerations that you need to take into account when choosing the right logo for your business.
Purpose of a Logo
First of all, let’s think about the purpose of a logo. They’re designed to be the first point of customer interaction, the face of the company. Ideally, you want a logo that can visually communicate the company’s identity. Many successful companies often opt for a stripped back logo that features only essential elements, maybe letters or a symbol and one or two colours. McDonald’s is a classic case; just one golden ‘M’ that has become ingrained into our DNA, one of the most instantly recognisable logos in history.
Additionally, although many new startups like to incorporate a graphic or a clever element into their design that is a reference to their business, this is not always necessary (or successful). Including a cute bike graphic if you’re a bike shop or adding a rolling pin if you’re a baker isn’t always a route to success. Many successful companies have logos that give no indication as to their business but are still recognisable in their own right.
Choosing the Right Logo Design
Before you set your sights on a specific design, it’s important to truly understand your business plan and principles. What ethics do you live by? Are these going to be translated into how you do business? Are you offering a premium product or something more targeted for the masses? You’ll need to understand the personality of the business and ensure that this is represented accurately in the logo, otherwise, you’ll be left with a miss-match. At every step of the way, keep coming back to your key principles to check that the logo represents them, this will be key in making strong and lasting design decisions.
To Font or Not to Font?
If your logo design has text on it, you’ll need to decide how this text will look. Whether it is the initial of the business name, the whole name or if the logo is a clever representation of the name itself (such as AirBnB). You’ll want the font to represent the style and offering of your company along with something customers can come to know and trust (no using Comic Sans!). Serif fonts tend to infer wisdom, experience and suggest a more premium product, though this isn’t always the case!
Sans Serif fonts are the new and trendy way of using type in logo design, with serif-free words appearing in some of our favourite logos. Sans serif fonts have adaptability that doesn’t necessarily come with serif typefaces, meaning they can give across a more varied range of messages, depending on the situation they are used and what they are used in conjunction with.
Finally, there are script fonts which, in plain English, are ‘joined up writing’. These fonts can have lots of attitude and personality which work well for some brands and not so well for others. They are adaptable and can be used as elegant, playful or anything in between. One thing to note is that they can be difficult to read so use sparingly.
Getting Colourful
Colours are what will really bring your design to life and give your design the personality it deserves. According to an article from Fast Company, 80% of people believe that colours can increase brand recognition. You should consider your target audience when choosing colours as different ones will resonate with different groups of people.
Additionally, avoid using too much of a diverse palette on your design as this will dilute the power of each colour. Having one or two main colours will mean that each one holds more value. When choosing, you should also come back to the principles of the company to ensure they are reflected. Red is described as bold, exciting and urgent, whereas yellow brings optimism and warmth. Orange can be seen as cheerful and confident with green representing health and growth. Finally, blue demonstrates trust and reliability with purple evoking wisdom and creativity. Unsurprisingly, black and white are neutral and calm colours.
We’d suggest having a number of different designs to choose from and not making an immediate decision. Sometimes what we feel is the right choice can be different the next day, coming back to the designs and seeing how you react to them at different times of day and under different circumstances can dramatically improve your chance of feeling confident with the logo in the long run.
If you need a new logo or are looking to spruce up an existing design, get in touch with our design agency in Exeter to discuss your requirements.