Designing a company logo, whether it is done independently or with Turbologo logo design software, is not an easy task. A logo is a key element of a company’s visual identity. So if you want to give a good start to your new creation, you should know what factors make a logo for a company great.
Whether you will be designing a company logo yourself with the help of free tools available or you will outsource this task to a proper agency, the following 10 tips will come in handy.
- Company logo – start by analyzing your target audience
Designing a company logo is not just about creating something visually aesthetic. Your goal is to build your brand. Therefore, you need to establish a specific style in which you will communicate with your target audience, namely your customers.
If you are doing market research before setting up your business, it will be a good idea to pay attention during the research to factors that will help you characterize your customers. This will help you establish their profile, so you can find out what values are important to them. This will give you an important clue on how to build your brand and thus, how to design your company logo. You must gain confidence in this regard before you even start working on the logo design.
- Pay attention to what your competitors are doing
Of course, it’s not about copying logo design ideas from them. Behind every finished logo that other companies present themselves with, there is a lot of work and effort put in. That is why analyzing such completed designs will help you draw a lot of useful conclusions. It will also significantly reduce your guesswork as to what to avoid in your niche and what is fairly recognizable and acceptable by your client group.
During such an analysis, at the same time think about what you want to differentiate your company from others and how to express this when designing your logo. For example, you can break out of the pattern – if most companies in your industry rely on a black and white color scheme, stand out with colorful colors.
- Let your company logo tell a story
Every logo is meant to convey a story to a specific target audience. For this reason, it cannot be a mere graphic element, but something that conveys a message of value to the customer. Therefore, it is best if there are two stories hidden under your corporate logo – one obvious and the other more hidden.
- Use visual double entendre in your logo
The English term visual double entendre means double meaning. Just as in written language we have a play of words, here there is a kind of play of images that convey a double message at the same time. This unique play of associations makes the company logo more memorable and is often cited as an example of true creativity.
- Think of free space
Just as the aforementioned visual double entendre helps your corporate logo stand out, clever use of free space also yields interesting results.
- Have the right proportions in mind
You are bound to place your company logo in various places. The area can be as large as part of a billboard or as small as a sticker or symbol on a pencil. If the details of the logo are not visible on a smaller scale, you will probably need to remove some details.
The same is true when it comes to large areas. A logo that is too high and “skinny” and logo too wide will not look good on e.g. mentioned billboard. It will lose its proportions. Therefore, it is best if your company logo can maintain both rectangular and square proportions at the same time.
- Create a company logo that is in motion
Of course, in the case of a static logo, we cannot add animation. However, this “motion” can be put differently. For example, a fish will look dynamic if it is shown jumping just above the water or just caught.
- Choose the right font type
The font also matters a lot when designing a logo – after all, the text it contains often takes up a large area. Let’s take a look at 4 font types that can give a great look to your corporate logo:
- Serif fonts make your logo look classy and elegant.
- Sans serif. This type of font guarantees a modern and clear look.
- This font type resembles handwriting.
- Here, on the other hand, we are dealing with decorative fonts that are highly stylized, and their purpose is to attract attention.
- Color is also very important when designing a company logo
Colors can convey many meanings. The psychology behind them is already very complex in itself. In short, we can summarize their meanings as follows:
- Red – excitement, passion, and even anger.
- Orange – expresses similar emotions as red, but is more warm and approachable.
- Yellow – if you want to present a friendly appearance, yellow is a great choice.
- Green – this color is very versatile and fits if you appeal to nature, health, etc.
- Blue – a classic and popular color. It symbolizes confidence and maturity.
- Purple – is associated with luxury, and depending on the shade, also with mystery or femininity.
- Pink – when it comes to girly, very youthful, or even childish colors, pink is undoubtedly the best choice.
- Brown – it is not chosen very often, but it fits the message expressing masculinity and elegance.
- White – want your logo to look clean and minimalistic? Use as much white as possible.
- Have the right expectations
It took a long time before brands like Microsoft, Puma, and Adidas became popular and their logos gained widespread recognition. A company logo will not by itself make the company behind it iconic. What matters more here is the company itself and its success in the market.
For this reason, keep a balance when working on your company logo – aim for the best possible outcome of the project, of course, but don’t have unrealistic expectations of what the logo can do for you. It would also be pointless to make significant revisions to it every few months, as you would then not maintain a consistent company image.
Conclusion
It is worth keeping in mind the factors mentioned here, especially if you are going to outsource logo design to another company. Mentioning in the brief those elements that are the most important for you will surely contribute to the fact that your cooperation will be much better.