Getting Started with Logo Design

Whether you are starting a new business or giving your current business a brand refresh, creating a logo is an important part of the process. When you think of your favorite brands, their logos are probably one of the first things that come to mind. Logos are meant to project the tone and personality of your brand and help you stand out. If you are thinking about designing, or redesigning, your logo, here are some tips to help you get started.

Do Some Research:

Before you jump into creating a design, look at some logos of other brands and analyze them. Which ones stand out to you? What makes them stand out? What colors are commonly used in your industry? When looking at the logos, do you notice any patterns that indicate the industry the company’s logo is representing? There are many ways you can design a logo- word marks, brand marks, emblems, mascots, letter forms, or a combination of these. For example, BMT Micro uses a combination of a word mark and a brand mark. You can also do a quick search of best and worst logos created, to get an idea of things that work and things to avoid.

Stay True To Your Brand:

Your logo can be as simple or complex as you see fit, but usually simple is better. For example, when you think of the athletic brand Nike, their signature “swoosh” is probably one of the first things that comes to mind. This, paired with the basic font that they use, make Nike stand out and easily recognizable.

Consider your brand and your target audience. What message do you want to convey to them? How can your logo help you reflect that while staying true to your brand personality? Things like fonts, colors, and pictures play a huge role in the message your logo is sending. Your logo is one of the first impressions customers will have of you, so you want to grab their attention in a good way! Even small changes to your logo can make a big impact. When deciding where to start with your logo, think of colors that best represent your brand and your audience. For example, if you sell children’s products, your audience is probably going to gravitate toward colors and softer fonts. If your business has been around for a while and you are looking to re-brand, you can keep some of the classic elements of your logo while giving it a refresh. Apple and Starbucks both show how your logo can adapt and grow with your brand through the years without creating a completely new logo.

Focus On Quality:

If your logo lacks quality, it is going to give off the impression that you do not care. All of your effort in choosing fonts, colors, and graphics for your logo is not worth much if it is not executed well. Take your time researching graphic design sites or logo-makers and create several versions of your logo. Ask for feedback from your team, your audience, or a graphic design professional, and make changes as needed. Avoid clip art or images pulled from search engines- just because they are on the internet does not mean that they are free to use or that another business has not used them already. Canva is a wonderful tool for those who are not as comfortable with graphic design, and they offer logo templates to help get you started. If you are not feeling confident with your logo-creating abilities, you can always work with a professional graphic designer to create your dream logo.

Once you have your logo, make sure you have it in different sizes with different background options (a white background and a transparent background for example) and it uploads in a high-quality image. Designing a logo is a big task, but it is worth it once you have a logo that you and your audience love!