People often confuse the terms “logo” and “brand” as having the same meaning. However, the only way you end up with a logo that reflects the values held by your company and the promises you make to the buying consumer is to define your brand before you begin the logo design process. Your logo is the graphic design that conveys your brand name and character to the buying public. Think of it as the “face” of your brand.
3 Tips for Logo Design
1. Keep the logo design simple. In a world full of complexities, the simple logo is usually the logo that stays top-of-mind.
2. Simple logo designs are enduring. They won’t go out of style. They are timeless.
3. They are more easily remembered and recognized.
It’s not unusual for business owners to dabble with a little creative logo design work. Anyone with a PC and Microsoft applications has access to a library of ready-made clipart. You can create a logo with just a few hours (or evenings) of frustrations. Of course, the entire point of having a brand is so you stand out from the competition. However, having a self-made logo may make you stand out in a manner you didn’t intend. It also may break any promise of quality and professionalism you intended with your company brand.
Working with a Logo Designer or Graphic Artist
A logo designer should ask you questions prior to creating any draft logo designs. If he or she doesn’t, how can you expect them to capture the essence of your brand in the logo? That’s why it’s so important to have worked through your business mission, vision and position in the marketplace. Those unique characteristics that your company delivers to the marketplace are part of your brand. You want your logo to capture those characteristics.
Here are some things to present to your logo designer.
- Your company mission statement and vision
- Your primary business
- A description of your target audience
- If you have one, a tagline
- Your brand promise
- Your brand character
- Mood or tone of your communications
- Words that describe your brand
- Logos you like and don’t like
- Colors you think represent your brand
- Colors you like
- Colors you hate
- Font styles you like
Finally, to support brand awareness, you must maintain a strong logo identity. Your logo has to appear exactly the same every single time it’s used without exception. Use brand guidelines to maintain that consistency.
These are description guides to provide to advertisers, as well as to your internal organization. They include guides for logos, colors and fonts to use in all types of communications.
