When starting a new business or planning to redefine the identity of an existing one, designing the logo and brand universe is a crucial step. If you are thinking of creating your own logo, read on !
With the abundance of free options that exist today, many would be tempted to believe that creating a logo can be done in the snap of a finger. A quick trip to Canva or Wix, a couple of tries, and you’ve got a graphic signature that looks good to you! Is not it? Certainly not.
A logo has a heavy responsibility. It must carry, without complex graphics or wordy sentences, the essence of your brand, what your company must release. A logo is both simple and strong in meaning, emerging from deep reflection. And above all: it must be unique.
A daunting task, leading most entrepreneurs to hire someone who specializes in graphic design for the branding process.
Whether or not you decide to work with an experienced graphic designer (hum hum…), I present to you 7 essential aspects to take into account in the process of designing your logo. Integrate each of these elements perfectly to obtain an effective visual identity that will stand the test of time.
brand identity
Before starting to design a logo, first define the brand identity, which refers to how it is marketed. This is not an exercise that can be done quickly on the corner of a table. A brand positioning involves many steps and reflections, in particular on the foundations of the brand, its target customers, its values, its personality, its promise to its customers, etc. These answers lead to your unique positioning and it is this that will be at the heart of your graphic signature. I know it’s quite complex (hence the interest of doing business with specialists!).
Take for example a certain car manufacturer that claims to be luxurious and futuristic, compared to a popular, accessible and welcoming next door café. The subtlety of the logo elements should reinforce their brand identity, without having to explain it. The need to communicate the right brand identity means that these two logotypes, although effective for their brand, are NOT interchangeable.
The typography
Typography is a complete field of study in itself. The way everyone reacts to different typefaces and their shapes is psychological. So choosing the right typography for a logo design is not a simple decision to make. And there are so many choices! Finding the font that both expresses the brand’s identity and will integrate with the emblem in the overall design takes time, but above all good strategic thinking.
In the jargon, we categorize the main families of fonts (the English term) in different ways:
- Serif (serif font)
- Sans-serif (without serifs)
- Script (letters attached)
- Display (display font with strong graphics, less suitable for trailing text)
- Handwritten
All these styles will give a different image, and therefore subtly transport your company’s business card, in seconds. Choose well, because not just any typography can convey, for example, softness, or technology, or well-being, or robustness, etc.
The colour
Color is also a psychological choice, although a choice based on the psychology of one color alone does not guarantee the success of a logo. Color is often the first thing you notice when looking at a logo. It is also the most recognizable feature from a distance. Choosing colors that work well and convey the same “emotion” as the brand is an essential part of graphic design. And it is sometimes difficult to disregard your own tastes in favor of a more strategic decision. In some cases, we have a little more latitude. In others, it’s hard to ignore. You can understand why a company wishing to convey its ecological mission very rarely chooses red!
The simplicity
The simplicity of the logo composition is also an essential element. Although some logos are differentiated by their typography alone (these are called wordmarks ), the majority of graphic signatures have a portion of imagery. And the choice of shapes making up the acronym or emblem of your logo must be considered. As a numero uno criterion, it must be SIMPLE. This aspect is unfortunately often… missed. Because it is sometimes difficult to reason about the importance of this simplicity.
We are tempted to want to put more than not enough, to be sure to communicate everything we want to say about the brand. And sometimes there are so many beautiful images… but beware! A beautiful image does not make a good logo. Avoid integrating too many elements to avoid a dubious result, illegible from afar, which is used badly and which will evolve badly. Also pay attention to what you might imply with your images, however complex they may be… Take the example of this house logo which was intended to be welcoming, but rather looks like it needs to go to the little corner.
When in doubt, choose a clean logo, see stripped! It’s better than the other way around. And remember that the rest of your brand universe will also help define you as a business.
Flexibility
Logos should be used in various ways, in various contexts (print, storefront, web, promotional items, etc.). So that means the logo should be flexible and cross-platform. From a billboard to a small square profile picture on social networks, you should be recognized immediately. And yes, it must be aesthetically pleasing to the eye.
In recent years, the abundance of communication channels in specific formats has led to the practice of declining the logo in different complementary formats, to my great delight. The logo therefore “breaks up” in order to be used as an icon here or as a clothing label there. The different independent elements (think of the emblem, the typography, and the combination of the 2) will become identifiable even separated and will communicate the brand of your company in an optimal way whatever the medium. These variations also open the door to more creativity in use – so that’s a nice plus!
Similarly, having your logo in different brand colors will give you even more leeway. But beware! The creation of several variations still requires strong cohesion, and should therefore not be improvised according to the context. When in doubt, refer to a qualified graphic designer to create an inspiring logo that will meet the necessary needs.
The quality
It’s a fact, your logo must be usable on a multitude of supports. This means that you must also have it on hand in all the necessary formats. And among these formats, the vector. Vecto-what ?
A logo in vector format is designed in specific software (eg Illustrator) and ensures that the logo can subsequently be used and enlarged without distortion and without loss of quality. It is a must. Your future designer and printer collaborators will ask you for it and thank you for having it in the right format. A logo in the wrong format or of insufficient quality will have unfortunate consequences. For example, you could damage your credibility and your brand image. You could also face additional costs if a printer or graphic designer had to vectorize your logo before you can use it (for example on merchandise bearing the image of your company). Been there, done that .
In summary…before you scan your little neighbor’s drawing on your Epson scanner , reconsider.
The property
I end with a concept that seems so simple, but which is sometimes forgotten when you find yourself on Google looking for inspiration for the perfect logo. If you have a real crush on an existing logo on the web, you might be tempted to appropriate it or copy it. The internet is so vast, you will think. No one will know. Is not it?
Well no, copyright also exists on the web and you can’t take what you find without consequences. Ask Taylor Swift, who had to alter the logo of her merchandise after finding herself in the middle of a controversy…
Also, keep in mind that to be registered as a trademark, your logo must be unique, and you must own it. This necessarily excludes the use of free visuals from Canva or Freepik (which you can use, but which you will never own. Read here).
Similarly, using a pre-made logo will clearly not allow you to hit the bullseye for the 6 elements discussed above! So it’s a think about it.
In conclusion
Good approach to logo design. If you feel dizzy from exercise, take a look at my service packages. It will be my pleasure to accompany you in this project.
