Searching for the perfect logo
Designing a logo is crucial for a new business, but it’s also important for an existing business looking to take its branding seriously. Sometimes, businesses invest in rebranding, including designing a new logo, to make a refreshing change. Even established businesses may need these changes to adapt to the evolving market and changing requirements. If you’ve decided on rebranding or establishing a new business brand, the logo is a key element.
Sometimes, I come across designers offering logos for businesses at low prices, or even apps that allow you to do it yourself. At first glance, the results may seem good, at least to an untrained eye. What looks like a nice logo to you may not necessarily serve your business well. Logo design requires a bit more than just computer skills; it involves techniques that allow the logo to represent the brand image, considering factors like advertising, color psychology, and more. If you ordered a logo, and the designer didn’t delve deep into understanding your business focus, target audience, and values, you might not receive a professional logo. So, what is required to get the perfect logo for your business?
The logo is the face of the business, and it’s crucial to get it right. Let’s talk about what the logo reflects.
What does the logo reflect?
As mentioned in the opening paragraph, a logo is not just about looking good; the definition of “good” is highly subjective. Perhaps you like the color green, but does the color green evoke the right associations that match your brand’s character? Logo design for a business is based on the messages we want the logo to convey, not just the business owner’s color preferences. The logo is the face of the business, appearing on every product, advertisement, website, and point of sale. Before the customer delves into the details, the logo needs to do the work and convey the desired message. Therefore, logo design starts with an understanding of the business’s characteristics and the target audience. Once we understand the business’s nature, we can build a logo that reflects that character.
Don’t be afraid of simplicity.
One of the most famous logos in the world is the McDonald’s logo. The large and yellow “M” appears in all the chain’s branches and serves as a recognizable identifier. Have you noticed how simple it is? Just one letter from the word. Throughout decades of operation, the company has changed its logo several times, but ultimately, the logo became extremely simple with a single color, no shading, and no frame. Many well-known and large companies are satisfied with a simple logo. As we’ve mentioned, a logo needs to reflect marketing messages, but it also needs to be memorable. Therefore, a simple logo can definitely do the job, as you’ve probably observed.
Emphasis on the initial impression.
When sitting with advertising and design professionals, you may be exploring various ideas and designs. However, the customer who sees the logo plastered on product packaging, at the top of the website, or on company vehicles does not dedicate much thought to it. They receive a first impression that is registered in the subconscious. A first impression is crucial, and the logo should help the business build the desired initial impression. It’s also worth considering the places where the logo appears; they can influence perception. For example, if your logo appears on company vehicles that always look dirty and neglected externally, it might interfere with the messages the logo conveys and achieve negative results.
Adaptation of the logo to existing designs.
Some active businesses decide to design a logo, but the problem is that they already have an existing website, and there’s an expectation that the logo will match the current design. Sometimes there’s logic in this, but not always. It makes sense to adapt the logo to existing designs if they already have brand value and are part of the business identity. However, this applies to designs that truly have brand value. Each case needs to be examined individually; perhaps the desired step is indeed to design a logo that matches the general design line, but it might be worthwhile to change everything and give a general facelift to the business branding. It depends heavily on the circumstances in which the business operates, its branding goals, and there’s no definitive answer that applies to all businesses.
Unique logo.
It’s crucial that the logo is unique, not only because it can lead to legal complications. If your logo is not unique, then your business is not unique. If you hired a cheap designer who took an existing logo and tried to make a similar copy, it’s not the unique logo you’re looking for. You might want to take certain elements from another well-known logo, if it serves a branding purpose. However, this should be done carefully and intentionally, being aware of how to integrate those elements.
