How to make a good logo

1. Explore conceptual icons

2. Use the space you have
3. Play around with caps or lowercase
4. Consider handwritten fonts
5. Balance your tagline
6. Adjust your name and tagline
7. Let your logo breathe
8. Ensure readability
9. Create a scalable design
10. Give your background contrast
11. Align all your elements
12. Size up your icon
13. Know your competition
14. Stay as timeless as possible
15. Be memorable
01. Explore conceptual icons

In logo design, an icon is a simplified visual that captures

the spirit of your brand. A common misconception is that
your icon should literally be an image showing what your
product or service is. While this may benefit some, it
doesn’t have to be the case for all businesses. You can
explore more conceptual (or even abstract) icons to
emphasize what it is your company does.

Consider Nike, for example. The iconic “swoosh” icon

evokes the feeling of movement and speed. Very fitting
for a sportswear brand. Think of your icon as a symbol
rather than a picture. It needs to be highly visual,
recognizable and capable of evoking emotion. The
advantage of a more graphic icon is that it can often carry
more visual weight. Ideally, your icon should be simple
enough that clients can recall it even after one quick
glance online or offline.
02. Use the space you have

For most businesses, an icon is simply not enough to

fully express their brand identity. If you use a logo maker,
you will have a variety of options to insert your name and
tagline. Also known as a slogan, taglines are dramatic
phrases that sum up the tone and premise of a brand.

Now, not every company has a tagline. And that’s okay,

but it doesn’t mean you should let this valuable space go
to waste. If your name allows it, you can break it up into
two lines while keeping the same font and size for both
lines.
03. Play around with caps or lowercase

When it comes to good logo design, sometimes it’s the

small details that make all the difference. Something as
simple as playing around with letter case could bring your
typeface and trademark to a whole new level.

Traditionally, uppercase logos give off a strong message

of authority, while the use of lowercase exudes a more
approachable, casual vibe. That’s not to say you can’t
utilize uppercase text while softening the appearance
with your choice of colors. It’s all a matter of balance.
Learn how to make a text logo that suits your brand.
04. Consider handwritten fonts

Creative typography remains to be one of the major logo

design trends. Specifically, handwritten fonts are some of
the best fonts for logos. They offer a quirky and authentic
feel that is sure to delight any customer.

Handwritten typography is especially effective when used

as the font of your tagline. If you’ve opted for one of
these font styles, then this logo design tip is for you.
Often the use of caps for handwritten fonts make them
seem less authentic, so take that into account.
05. Balance your tagline

Let’s talk about your tagline. A simple rule to follow to

ensure that your logo makes sense is to always make
your tagline shorter than your name. This is why we
suggest going for no more than 25 to 30 characters. For
the same reason, if you’re using a thicker font for your
name, it’s best to use a thinner (or more basic) one for
your tagline.

06. Adjust your name and tagline

Here’s the golden rule of design—it’s all about visual

balance. Although smaller in dimension, your tagline
should always be perfectly aligned with your name. This
will give your viewers and potential clients a natural
sense of harmony. In the situation where either your
name or tagline is considerably longer, you can easily
solve that by adjusting the font or size of either element.
07. Let your logo breathe

Just like the Mona Lisa, some logos look best when
surrounded by a beautiful frame. If you decide to go in
this direction, be sure to leave enough space between
your chosen frame and logo. In essence, allow your logo
some breathing room. If things are looking a little
cramped, simply enlarge the frame or decrease the font
size.
08. Ensure readability

Your logo will be used in all your branding assets, from

the header of your website to your business cards.
Regardless of where your logo appears, your text should
always be readable. To ensure this, take note of the text
size and font that you use, and check the final result on
various platforms (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.),
and from different devices (desktop, smartphone, tablet,
etc.).

If your logo is too difficult to read, what was the point of

designing it in the first place? In order for your logo to
serve its entire purpose, make sure it’s readable in any
situation, for any potential customer.
09. Create a scalable design

Here’s how to make a good logo—make sure your entire

logo design is scalable. Big or small, wherever your logo
appears, it should always look sharp and recognizable.
This includes both the text (as mentioned above), and
any other elements.

Logos that are too detailed or intricate may be

challenging to scale down to a smaller size. There is no
“one size fits all” for logos, but ensuring that your logo is
a high resolution vector that can be adapted to various
sizes and file types means it will look good in any setting.
If you want to familiarize yourself better, you can read
more about logo sizes for various contexts. You can also
check out some real life logo examples, designed
internally by Wix experts for a real business.
10. Give your background contrast

Following the theme of visibility, another way to

guarantee your logo is always ‘seen’ is by selecting a
background color that gives enough contrast with your
text. If the color of your text is white, go for a darker
background color, such as black. So small, yet so
effective.

Be mindful of your color palette in general, as colors are

very powerful when it comes to inspiring specific
emotions, be it love, happiness, drive or something else.
Consider getting more familiar with color psychology, the
color wheel and the concept of color space to ensure
you're using the best combination of colors for your logo.
11. Align all your elements

We hate to sound like a broken record, but this logo

design tip goes back to the golden rule of design. Once
all of your elements (name, tagline and icon) are present,
it’s imperative that they are well-balanced as a whole. In
fact, paying attention to alignment, symmetry and
negative space are key components of logo psychology.

While there are no set in stone rules, in order to be on

the safe side, we suggest that you align all your elements
in the same direction: left, center, or right. Remember,
your logo design and content should be one (small happy
family).
12. Size up your icon

The size of your icon affects the placement of certain

other elements of your logo. Your icon should never be
smaller in height than that of your text. To fix this, you
can size up your icon to the same height as your text or
even make it slightly bigger.

13. Know your competition

Be sure to look at competing brands to see what logos

communicate effectively to your target audience, and
which ones are missing the mark. Analyzing competitors'
logos can not only help you gain strategic insights, but
can help you differentiate yourself from the pack.

For example, if all your competitors stick to

monochromatic wordmark logos, try designing a logo with
color or unique typography to help your brand stand out.
14. Stay as timeless as possible

A classic never goes out of style. While design trends

come and go, it can be tempting to follow the latest fad.
Using short timed design trends is a pitfall you want to
avoid.

Since your logo is the heart of your brand identity and will
appear across all your branding touchstones (social
medial, email marketing, business card and other places),
it's worth putting in the time and energy, right off the bat.
This way you can be sure your logo will stand the test of
time and look good 5, or even 10 years down the road.
15. Be memorable

One of the best logo design tips we can share is to make

your logo unforgettable. You want customers to not only
notice your logo, but to remember it long after. Try to
think of some logos that are particularly memorable to
you. Why do they stand out? It's likely the positive
association to the product of service that comes to mind.

That said, you want people to create positive and

meaningful associations with your brand, and a good
logo is just the way to do so. Some of the most notable
and memorable logos like McDonald's, Coca-Cola, IBM,
Visa and Apple are simple, direct and clearly represent
the brand. If you stay true to your brand values, hold on
to the concept of personalization, and design a logo that
effectively communicates who you are, the easier it will
be for people to recall your logo and think of your brand.
Here are some tips to choose the best logo for your brand:

1. Understand your brand. What do you want your logo to

communicate? What are your core values? What makes you
unique? Once you have a good understanding of your brand,
you can start to think about how to visually represent it.

2. Consider your target audience. Who are you trying to reach

with your logo? What are their interests? What kind of design
would appeal to them? Keep your target audience in mind
when choosing colors, fonts and other design elements.

3. Choose a versatile design. Your logo should look good on a

variety of different materials and in a variety of different sizes.
It should also be easy to reproduce in both black and white
and color.

4. Be original. You want your logo to stand out from the

competition. Avoid using generic clip art or overused symbols.
Instead, try to create a unique design that is specific to your
brand.

5. Get feedback. Once you have a few logo designs that you
like, show them to friends, family and colleagues to get their
feedback. This can help you to identify any potential problems
with your design and make sure that it is effective and
appealing.
Here are some additional tips:

Use simple shapes and fonts. Complex designs can

be difficult to remember and reproduce.

Use color wisely. Color can have a powerful impact

on emotions, so choose colors that reflect your brand
personality.

Don't be afraid to experiment. There are no hard and

fast rules when it comes to logo design. Be creative
and try different things until you find a design that you
love.

*****
Repute forge