Logo design is an art form, and the process of creating a logo can be extremely time-consuming. However, to create a great logo that effectively represents your business or brand, there are several important steps you’ll need to follow.
To begin, it’s important to start with a detailed brief that describes who you are as a company and what you stand for. What are your core values? What is the essence of your brand? This information will help inform every aspect of the logo design process, from choosing color palettes to selecting typography.
Once you’ve defined these key ideas, it’s time to start sketching ideas for your logo. At this stage, it’s important to be as creative as possible and try out many different ideas. This is the perfect time to experiment with color, fonts, shapes, and more.
When designing a logo, it should include these 10 key elements:
10 Key Logo Elements
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Fonts
Choose an easily readable font that is simple and timeless – think sans serif fonts like Helvetica or Garamond. Avoid overly ornate, script or decorative fonts – they can date your logo quickly and distract the viewer from what is most important – your business name.
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Color scheme
Choose colors that are in line with your brand and company values, as well as colors that don’t clash with each other to create an overall cohesive design.
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Size and scale
Your logo should be big enough to stand out clearly on any marketing materials you create – from business cards to posters or websites. However, it should also be scaled appropriately so that if it is used very small in your marketing materials, it will still be legible.
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Shape
Although this may seem like a minor decision, the shape of your logo can have a big impact on how it is perceived. For instance, rounded logos convey friendliness and approachability while angular shapes convey strength and toughness.
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White space
Carefully consider how much “air” to leave around your logo – too little space and it will look cluttered and overwhelming. Too much space, on the other hand, can make your logo seem sparse or empty.
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Design
The individual elements of your logo – such as shapes, images, or graphics – should be simple enough that they are easy to recognize at a glance but complex enough that they still have visual interest.
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Specificity
While a logo should be simple and scalable, it should also include enough detail to give your brand an identity that is unique and memorable.
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Timelessness
Choose a design that will stand the test of time – ideally one you won’t have to update or overhaul in just a few years.
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Legibility
Your logo should be easy to discern in any medium, whether it is viewed on a smartphone screen or printed on a billboard. This means choosing fonts and colors that are easily readable regardless of where your marketing materials are seen.
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Appeal
This may sound obvious, but one of the most important goals of a logo is to be eye-catching and appealing. This may mean choosing colors that are striking or incorporating an image that is easily recognizable.
Test your Logo
Once you’ve narrowed down your ideas to a few select designs, it’s time to test them out on real people. After all, there’s no point in creating a logo that only looks good on paper if it doesn’t resonate with your target audience. Ask friends, family members, and colleagues for their honest feedback about which designs they most identify with and use this information to select the final design for your logo.
Once you’ve created your final logo design, work with a professional graphic designer to refine the design and make any necessary changes. For example, if you’ve chosen a simple design, they may recommend adding subtle elements or gradients to give it more visual interest.
At this stage, your professional logo designer will also work with you to refine the colors and fonts used so that it feels coherent and consistent with your overall brand.
Finally, once your design is complete, work with a professional printing or signage company to ensure that it’s printed correctly on all of your materials and merchandise. This will help establish consistency across all aspects of your business and brand, while also ensuring that your logo looks great no matter where it’s viewed.
