Never underestimate the power of a brilliant logo.
The right logo will be thoughtful but simple, unique and memorable—“branded” into your brain! The most effective logo should capture the essence of your brand, make a lasting impression and set the stage for a conversation. Your logo (along with your headshot and LinkedIn profile!) is your online proxy: this unique mark should set the tone and speak to the audience that you aim to attract.
Sounds simple, right? Not even close!
Logo and identity work is often the biggest challenge for graphic designers. It’s much more than drawing something cute and filling it with color. To craft a potent and successful logo some, if not all, of the following is required: many hours of research (of your business and your competition), ongoing consultation with the client, sketching and refining, more research, rinse and repeat. There are a number of formats and environments to be considered and a suite of questions to be asked.
A thoughtful designer will likely ask some, if not all, of the following questions:
- Who is your intended audience?
- What demographic are you hoping to reach?
- What is your company philosophy?
- If you could describe your company/brand/mission in three words (or less!), what would they be?
- Do you have specific colors or imagery that resonate with you and your organization?
- Who are your ideal customers?
- What do you like or dislike about your current logo?
It’s important to consider where your logo is likely to be seen. If you’re a non-profit that tries to keep print costs down, it’s crucial that your logo is visible in a grayscale environment. If your logo is to be featured on bulky clothing, something bold but simple is in order. As a general rule of thumb, a logo should be striking when printed large, should translate well to grayscale and even be recognizable as a 16px favicon (that minuscule image in the upper left corner of your url bar).
“Design is so simple,
that’s why it is so complicated.” ~ Paul Rand
In order to stay fresh and relevant many logos will need to be tweaked or updated every few years. Sometimes a business may evolve into something different, warranting a change in brand direction.
Below are some of the most famous and successful logos around.
What do you think? We’d love to hear your thoughts!
If you have questions or would like to schedule a free consultation, shoot us a message!
