Brand identity plays a huge role in the marketing success of your business. A logo is the backbone of your branding, and is the first marker many clients will associate with you and your product or service. It can be easy to over design a logo or create one that overwhelms and pulls focus from your business’s M.O. However, by simplifying and condensing the process and paying attention to key elements will ensure you’ll have a logo that’s guaranteed to leave a lasting impression.
Target Your Audience
Knowing who your brand is a key first step in the design process.It’s important to know who you intend your brand is for because it immediately establishes a relationship with your client. The demographic information of your client such as gender, age, ethnicity, and the geographic location determines who you market your product too, and should be reflected in your logo. It’s also important to consider your client’s psychographic interests. Their hobbies, interests, and values are also a factor as to who your logo will attract. If your business caters to a wide variety of people, make sure your logo doesn’t exclude or detract any potential clients.
Color Theory
Color plays an important role in drawing a client’s eye to your logo. The properties of color have internal implications that subconsciously suggest to the viewer what your business stands for and provides. Think about what your product does or what your service aims to achieve and which color would highlight those traits best. Warm tones can suggest passion and are inviting, whereas jewel tones sometimes imply professionalism and progress. Combinations of two or more colors, or two shades of the same color can enhance the features of your logo and appeal to a wider clientele.
The Right Type
Along with color, type is also a determining factor in how eye-catching a logo can be. Including your business’s name or initials in a logo can be a smart design choice because it makes your brand both memorable and instantly recognizable. When doing so however, font choice and typographic layout are essential logo elements. Fonts that elaborately designed can make logos pop and look interesting, but if they’re overused can come across as jarring or difficult to read. Choose a typeface that can be effortlessly streamlined with your logo and is striking without losing readability. For logos with more than one word, combining fonts that are in the same family or stylistically complementary can make logos appear very modern and be useful for extended branding in the future.
Obliterate the Obvious
It’s important to know what colors and images your competitors are using – and use the opposite. Separating yourself from the competition not only suggests that you think differently than similar brands, but it also makes you stand out in the minds of potential clients. For example, if your artisanal hot sauce company uses a logo of a red pepper, your product may not stand out in a consumer’s mind when they’re in the need of a hot sauce. Combining shapes, utilizing negative space, and simplifying your geometry can aid in the creation of a unique logo that also familiarizes your brand.
Additional Adaptation
There a few ways in which your logo should be able to adapt to different situations. Take into account how your logo will look in different sizes and in black white. This ensures your logo will be legible in print, on social media, and for promotional materials such as giveaway logo stickers that increase brand awareness. It’s also worth considering how your logo can be altered in the future and grow and change with your business. An impactful logo is a major component of branding, and impactful branding attracts good business and, most importantly, keeps it as well.
