5 TOP LOGO DESIGN TIPS
Your logo is important. It’s a visual representation of your company. It’s used to recognize and identify you. It should be memorable, simple, appropriate and, hopefully, timeless.
Often companies spend way too much time and money having their logos designed. When you’re first starting your business, you should focus more attention on picking an appropriate name that represents your business than your actual logo. Once your name is established, your logo design should be the next thing to work on.
There are different types of logos. Some are word-based only. Some include a symbol or graphic. Some are a combination of words and images. No matter what kind you’re leaning toward, these are my 5 TOP LOGO DESIGN TIPS:
1. KEEP IT SIMPLE.
Not only do you want your logo to have a clean design, you want it to be easy to reproduce. Avoid special effects, like shadows, because it will make it more difficult and more expensive to reproduce. For example, if you want to have it screen printed on shirts, the shadow will be an extra color/screen to pay for. Plus, special effects will often make your logo more difficult to read. If you’re going to use any graphics, use icons rather than photos. Fewer colors and simpler graphics, again, will be less expensive to reproduce AND will make it easier to read and recognize.
2. USE THREE OR FEWER COLORS.
Using a limited number of colors will help make your logo recognizable. When working on the design, experiment with different combinations. Also, try to find a good combination that will look good in black, grayscale AND in color. Even if your logo is in color, there may be times when you need to use it in black or grayscale which is why you should avoid lighter colors like yellow. Even companies who change their logos over the years usually keep the colors the same; it helps customers recognize their logo.
3. AVOID COMMONLY-USED FONTS.
Your logo should be unique. You don’t want it to look like another company’s logo. So, use a font that isn’t common. One great source of fonts is dafont.com. You can search their fonts by different categories, such as Fancy, Script and Basic. When you’re searching on dafont.com or other sites for fonts note that some are for personal use only and are not to be used for commercial use, including logos.
4. AVOID TRENDS.
If you develop a logo with current design trends in mind, your logo will eventually look dated. Instead, create a logo that is more timeless that you can use for the lifetime of your business.
5. CREATE BALANCE.
Your logo will have greater appeal if it all the text and other elements display harmony and balance. It will make it easier to read, recognize and relate to.
Now, with these 5 TOP LOGO DESIGN TIPS in mind, you’re probably wondering, “where do I start?” If you’re not a graphic designer or even feel comfortable using design programs, the thought of creating a logo may be overwhelming. So, guess what? I have even more tips for you:
Look online at logos. Save the ones that appeal to you. You may save them for different reasons. Maybe you like the graphic on one or the font of another. Just save them for creative inspiration later.
Determine which colors you want to use. When doing so, you may want to consider what various colors symbolize:
Red – Hot, Love, Powerful, Bold
Orange – Warm, Friendly, Fall, Summer
Yellow – Happy, Energetic, Cheerful, Fun
Green – Environmental, Organic, Profit, Growth
Blue – Cold, Smart, Trust, Freedom
Purple – Royal, Mystical, Elegant, Stylish
Pink – Sweet, Playful, Cute, Feminine
Brown – Earthy, Warm, Rustic, Fall
Black – Dramatic, Classy, Formal, Elegant
If you’re up to designing your logo yourself, great! If you have Illustrator, Photoshop or other graphic design skills you’re the minority. Most business owners don’t have those skills. If you don’t, try canva.com or fotor.com. I actually know how to use Illustrator and Photoshop but I wanted my Small Biz Pathway logo to be simple and quick to create so I used fotor.com to create it. It didn’t take long at all and fotor.com was very intuitive to use.
If you don’t want to create it yourself, you can hire a local designer or even try to hire someone online from a site like fiverr.com. Another idea is to contact an instructor of a local graphic design class and ask if your logo design could be a class project or competition. If you do get help from others, make sure to share the file you created of logos you like. Also, if you have colors in mind, let them know. The more information you can provide, the easier it will be for the designer and the greater the likelihood that you’ll like the result.
Try to develop a few different designs then get feedback from others. When I was creating my logo, I didn’t realize that a font I was thinking about using was actually hard to read. I knew what it was supposed to say so I didn’t notice that one of the letters actually didn’t look “right.” Things like this will often be noticed by others who aren’t closely tied to your business or your logo design project.
No matter how you go about designing your logo, keep in mind that simple logos will be more recognizable, easier to read and less expensive to reproduce . . . all of which are beneficial for you and your business.
Remember, once you have finalized your logo design, use it everywhere . . . on social media, on your website, on your printed materials, on your signage . . . everywhere!
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I hope this article was helpful and got your creative juices flowing. If you have any tips you’d like to share with others, please leave them in the comments below!
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Sondra Kirtley, MBA, is an entrepreneur who owns and operates a retail and service business in Eureka, California. Known for her helpful nature and small business expertise, Sondra founded SmallBizpathway.com to share tips and experiences with other small business owners.
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