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7 Killer Tips for Logo Design

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A great logo tells a story about a brand -- your name, your mission and your principles.

IMAGE: FLICKR, WORKTURN

BYB LINDSAY ROTHFELDAPR 30, 2014

Designing a logo is simple, right? Think again. There's more to crafting a brand's visual
identity than just placing a name in a square and calling it a day. Logo designers are in
high demand, and it's for good reason b a logo is often a company's first impression,
one that can impact a customer's brand perception, purchase decisions and overall
attitude toward a product.

We live in a society painted with brand logos. Even toddlers who can't yet tie their own
shoelacesB recognize many logosB or are able to deduce what a company sells just
by looking at its brandmark.

For those who are about to embark on a brand design journey, or think it's time for
their company's visual identity to undergo a face lift,B MashableB asked some some
design experts to provide tips on creating a great logo.

1. Be unique and clever

A logo is what helps distinguish a brand from its competitors, so it's important that the
image stands out from the rest b something many brands struggle with.

In many cases, imitation is the best form of flattery b with logo design, this is not the
case.B "Whatb s important is to create something that you believe is different from
anything already out there,b B David Airey, a graphic designer and creator of websiteB
Logo Design LoveB says. "Itb s highly unlikely (some say impossible) that what you
create will be original, but that should be the goal."

Deborah Harkins, creative director at crowdsourced design websiteB 99designs,

reiterates the risk of plagiarism. "Once something appears online, thereb s simply no
way to guarantee it won't be used in some shape or form in another forum." Designers
who are unsure of the originality of their design can actually check for plagiarism on
sites such asB Logo Thief.

Creating a unique design isn't all about avoiding imitation, but also about designing
something out-of-the-box. Itb s tempting to just throw an industry icon on the page, but
itb s important to think creatively. "TheB MercedesB logo isnb t a car. TheB Virgin
AtlanticB logo isnb t an airplane. TheB AppleB logo isnb t a computer," Airey notes in
hisB book.

SEE ALSO:B Branded Viral Videos: The Secret Marketing Weapon

2. Understand the brand

Yes, a logo is an image, but itb s also an introduction to a brand. The logo must reach
a specific audience and when designing, you must keep this in mind. Write down what
you think about the brand; perhaps even create a mood board with imagery that
reminds you of the brandb s ideology b check out websites likeB NiiceB for some
inspiration. But be wary of becoming inspired by only aesthetics rather than deeper
meaning. "Researching other visual brands can be helpful, but designers need to be
careful not to take the inspirations too literally," Harkins says. "Any design work must
be original and map directly back to your clientb s unique brand attributes."

Is the brand utility-driven or is it more focused on evoking emotion? Is it contemporary

or quirky? What does the customer care about, and what does the brand aspire to be?
While it is helpful to stay up to date on design trends, it's more vital to stay true to a
brand's overarching personality.B Here'sB a quick brand personality evaluation that
can help you along the way.

More than anything, know what your logo means. Every logo has some kind of a
history, filled with meaning and purpose. Take Apple, for instance b the fruit is missing
a "byte." OrB Wikipedia, an unfinished globe of puzzle pieces covered with glyphs from
different writing systems. Both logos are simple, but have an added twist that circles
back to brand ideology.B

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IMAGE: APPLE; WIKIPEDIA

Harkins echoes the importance of understanding the brand. "Since a logo is the
brand's visual keystone b the most concise expression of its personality b an honest
approach to defining its DNA is imperative to a successful result."

3. Color is key

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IMAGE: FLICKR,B CAPTURE QUEEN

When taking the brandb s personality into account, you have to think about every
aspect of the image. Bright and bold colors may grab someone's attention, but could
also seem brash; muted tones exude sophistication, but could be overlooked. Every
color has a different implication and can bring nuance to your message b don't fall into
the trap of conveying the wrong message because of a simple brush stroke. The Logo
Company released an article "The Science Behind Colors" and an infographic
displayingB The Psychology of Color in Logo Design. Hereb s a quick break-down:

Red: energetic, sexy, bold

Orange: creative, friendly, youthful

Yellow: sunny, inventive, optimism

Green: growth, organic, instructional

Blue: professional, medical, tranquil, trustworthy

Purple: spiritual, wise, evocative

Black: credible and powerful

White: simple, clean, pure

Pink: fun and flirty

Brown: rural, historical, steady

4. What's in a name?

According to Airey, a logo consists of two elements: A wordmark and a symbol. Before
a company can think about solely representing itself with a symbol, a great deal of
advertising must be done (think: Starbucks or Mercedes). Some companies choose to
stick to Logotype entirely, likeB Ray-Ban,B Coca-ColaB andB IBM.B

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IMAGE: RAY-BAN; IBM; COCA-COLA

Whether your brand can use a Logotype depends on the kind of name the brand has.
"If your company has a unique name, then you could get away with a logotype. But if
you have a generic name, then you're going to need something to identify the
company by, which can be achieved by using a logo mark," logo design bloggerB
Jacob CassB toldB MashableB inB a previous article. And when considering typefaces
for your text, be sure to avoid gimmicky fonts, utilize negative space and perhaps
tweak an existing font b websites likeB Font SquirrelB orB HypeForTypeB are helpful.
Some logos even become recognizable because of their custom fonts. Coca-Cola
originated the slanted font and now others try to rip them off.
When all else fails: Turn to your friendB Helvetica, a simple font that has been utilized
well by many popular brands, such asB Nars,B Target,B Crate & Barrel,B American
ApparelB andB JCPenney.

5. Keep it easy and flexible

Itb s important to have a balanced combination of simple and quirky b you want your
logo to be interesting, but you donb t want someone to have to sit and stare, analyzing
the logo. A good example isB FedEx'sB logo, a simple Logotype with a twist. The
image utilizes negative space to create an arrow which connotes speed, precision and
direction. Additionally, the company changes the color of the b Exb in order to classify
the type of shipping.B Amazon, too, uses just its name, but also refers to its wide
inventory with a small arrow pointing from a b z.B

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IMAGE: FEDEX; AMAZON

In the digital age, where logos will appear on multiple devices and across social media,
you must design something that transcends paper. It must look great on different
backgrounds, work for apps, icons, avatars and print, and it must be flexible in size.
TakeB Adidas, a brand that incorporates the same motif of three parallel bars in all of
its designs. The visual changes slightly depending on where you see it, but it always
contains similar components.B

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IMAGE: ADIDAS

"Finding a logo that can still be relevant (or not feel outdated) in a matter of years, or
even months, when we don't even know what the web will feel like, seems to be a bit
more of a challenge," Raj Abhyanker, CEO ofB TrademarkiaB says.B You want to
design something that will last through the ages, but you must be open to small
iterations along the way.B Most, if not all, brands will create a style guide that lays out
exactly how the company should present itself across the web b B hereB are some
examples of great design guidelines.

6. Don't expect instant success

Nike;B Puma;B AudiB b all iconic logos, but like with anything successful, it took time
for these to gain popularity. Logos wonb t become instantly iconic, even if youb ve
designed the most beautiful combination of vectors. It depends on the productb s
success and the market in which it exists. "What you think is your best design might
very well be for a local craft store that only people in the nearby area ever see. And the
design wonb t be classed as iconic because it doesnb t have the reach of
multinational businesses," Airey says.B "Ultimately, iconic design status can only be
achieved if the client fulfills their potential, too."
But what made those iconic logos so wonderful? If you look at how they originated, you
see that they derived from a great understanding of brand principles. Nike designerB
Carolyn DavidsonB was told to create something that displayed motion and would look
good on a shoe b hence, the swoosh; Audi represents the companyb s four marques
linked together; Puma, a simple visualization of the name, along with a leaping puma.

It's important to be patient and not rush to make changes with your design just
because you haven't gotten the reception you initially expected. "Donb t change your
logo just because youb re tired of it, or because your competitors have," Harkins says.
"If the time has come to evolve your logo, look for elements that can be carried
forward."

7. Use online resources and tools

There is a vast sea of information online for those who need some inspiration,
collaboration or assistance when designing a company logo.

99designs offers both aB Logo Storeequipped with unique, hand-vetted logos for those
on a tighter budget looking for off-the-shelf ideas, and the site provides an opportunity
for more personalized contests where customers are integral to the outcome from the
beginning. The website also helps clients make the tough decision between loads of
logo submissions. "99designs customers can create a poll of their favorite
submissions, and share a link via social networks and email inviting people to vote,"
Harkins says. "Often theyb re surprised when the design they were leaning toward
doesnb t come out on top! But ultimately, they need to own their decision."

For those who want to design on their own, sites likeB LogomakerB andB LogoYesB
are logo design interfaces that are easy-to-use and free b although, there is a fee to
download higher quality versions for print.
[22:37, 22/08/2018] Lil Wellyn Kayp$!: 1: Copying, Plagiarising or Stealing Someone
Elseb s Logo.

2: Having a Vague or Overly-Complex Design.

3: Poor Colour Choices. (Would Drop Colour Charts during the Tutorial)

4: Typographic Issues.

5: Designing Logos That are not Suitable for All Mediums.

6: Designing for Your Portfolio Instead of the Clientb s Needs.

7: Using Clipart and Stock Imagery.

8: Unnecessary Inclusions.

9: Not Using the b Correctb Logo Design Software.

10: Lacking a Process for Designing Logos.