Don’t just dive straight into Photoshop, relax for a moment and consider these 7 questions before you start designing your business logo. This may actually save you a lot of headache later. A great logo needs not just be unique and recognizable but also stand the test of time. That’s what Apple, Nike’s swoosh and McDonalds’ golden arches have been portraying successfully all these years and that’s why they stand class apart from their competition.
With the struggle to stand out getting strenuous each year, a great design is the one which speaks a lot with less. Awesome designers not only understand that less is more, but also that clean and minimal designs are the key to great logos.
In the age of digital wars, brands are striving hard with their digital presence, so it is very important to hit the bulls-eye in the very first shot. While designing a great logo is still a assiduous task, the key lies in right preparation. Embracing these 7 questions will not only point designers in the right direction but will also save them from lot of hassles. So, let’s jump straight to questions.
1. Is the tagline to be incorporated along with the logo?
YES! This is precisely the first question you should ask yourself. What’s the use of a great design if later you realize it isn’t right for your tagline. And remind you, businesses stand out because of the motto they live by. Answer to this question will actually act as a reminder to the designer that he is required to include word-mark into the combination or emblem logo [Don’t know what we’re talking about, scroll down a little]. Be very clear with this idea and it will prove useful in later stages.
2. What type of logo you want?
Type of Logos? We bet you didn’t knew that. YES! there actually are 5 types of logos and you need to be very clear what suits your company’s profile. While it may not seem that important, it actually clears the picture in designer’s mind as he knows what exactly you wants.
Following Infographic was born from the need to aware and spread knowledge about types of logos. (click on the image to view full infographic)
3. What do you want to portray from your logo?
Your logo should immediately reflect the core of your brand. It should not only differentiate you from your competitors but also convey that you are the real deal. People should know what the brand is all about? What’s your personality and business story? All of these, within a square foot of space. That’s what designers are paid for. Though it may sound impossible, it isn’t. Let’s take the example of Amazon,
‘What’s in the Amazon’s logo?’, you say to yourself. It is nothing but simply the company’s name. Well, not quite. The arrow in the logo, if you have ever noticed, starts from the letter A and points towards Z signifying company’s product line because amazon has almost everything from a-z. Besides, the value of the logo doubles as arrow also appears to be a smile implying brand’s easy going and friendliness nature.
4. What are the right logo colors for your brand?
As your logo will appear in almost everything- from business cards to stationary, it is very important to make sure that it appears appealing to your audience base. Choosing a correct color combination is very crucial. You will be surprised to know that colors which appear on logos around you are not selected at random, they have a deep meaning. To give you a heads up, if you are in a food business, you might want to go with red as it increases appetite. For more information, refer to the infographic here, where the importance of colors in logos is covered in detail. (click on the image to view full infographic)
5. Which font will work?
When it comes to your logo, everything from hues and styles to fonts plays a crucial role. Fonts, just like colors can be used in order to portray emotions. Make sure that you choose the font that suites your business in a best possible way.
For example, an education firm’s logo is more likely to contain a minimal and bold appearance in order to convey their prestige and strength. At the same time, a company targeting youth can afford fancy fonts. See an example of 42Works logo design for an educational institute,
6. What is your target market?
Lets talk about toys. Everyone loves toys. But vis-a-vis to your childhood, do you love them the same way? Of course not. As you grew up, your choices have changed. So, it is important to have a knowledge about target audience base. Before designing, you should know which section of the society is being targeted so that you can gear your logo according to their particular choices.
7. Should I do it Myself or Hire professionals?
Considering the fact that your logo is the face of your business and will stay with your brand forever, we recommend you to go for professional help. You can ignore our advice at your cost unless you yourself are a great designer, but otherwise a professional help goes a long way.
Leave the designing to the experts. In case you are looking to get your logo designed, 42works can help. As clear from this article, let’s use our knowledge to your benefit. From logo designing to corporate branding, we offer all services. Having worked with more than 100+ companies, we are looking forward to work for you.
