Have you ever seen a successful business without a logo to accompany their brand? Probably not. That’s because a logo is a huge part of how a business brands themself, and how their customers can identify them from just a small image. By not having a logo for your business, you are missing out on an easy way to improve your overall recognition, and how you choose to define your brand.
Understanding Why A Strong Logo Is Necessary
A logo is essentially the profile picture for a business. It’s often the first thing people notice about a brand and it’s also how people choose to recognize the brand. The logo essentially becomes the face of your business. Since this logo is going to be your centerpiece, it needs to be done well and it has to be unique.
Having a uniquely designed and versatile logo is a must. It can help inform your customers about what you offer, who you are, and it will be present wherever your branding is. Whether it’s business cards, a website, a pamphlet, or even t-shirts and jackets, your logo is going to be there so it needs to be well made, and unique to your business.
What Makes For A Good Logo
A good logo is immediately recognizable, legible, and versatile. It should represent your brand message and stands out from your competitors in similar fields. It also needs to look professional, be able to scale up or down, and be effective without color if necessary. You don’t always have the option of a white background to place the logo on. What a good logo typically comes down to is a great design concept and even better execution.
Additionally, having your brand identity planned out can help the designer create the best logo they can for your brand. By having your brand’s voice and identity already established, a designer can put that into your logo in order to best represent who your business is. But don’t worry, if you do not have your brand identity mapped out already, a good designer can be there to help you find your voice.
Different Logo Design Styles
Once you’ve taken the time to determine how you want your brand identity to look, it’s time to start building the design and style for your logo. There are a lot of different elements that come into play here. Whether it’s color palettes, typography, shapes, they all have an important role in your logo’s design. When choosing which elements to add to your design, you’ll want to consider how they’ll make your brand look, as well as what it says about your brand. Some different types of design styles that are often used are:
Vintage
Vintage logos have been incredibly popular over the years because they instantly fill you up with feelings of nostalgia. They give the sense to a consumer that this company has a dedicated past and that what they sell is built right, and built to last. Some elements that can make for a strong vintage logo design are darker earth tones and hand-drawn logos.
Modern
For brands that want to seem high-end or more sophisticated, they often use modern designs to communicate that. This type of design often includes a lot of white space, minimalist elements, and straight lines. Brands typically design these types of logos to communicate that they are hip, sophisticated, and know what is important and what isn’t.
Handmade
A logo that looks to be handmade gives off a very clear message to those interacting with the brand: This company is built around being themselves and making high-quality, hand-crafted products. This design style often includes handwritten typography, and the imagery is often a sketch. This design style pairs well with vintage and modern designs to either play up the nostalgic message or drive home the idea that these are sophisticated, well-made products.
These different styles aren’t meant to be a one-size-fits-all approach for every brand. At the end of the day, you and the designer will have to choose which style works best for your brand and portrays it in the best way possible. It could be one of these styles, or you could go another direction. It’s up to you to decide how your brand is represented.
The Takeaway
Designing the logo for your business is a very important part of establishing your brand. When coming up with your logo try to think about what your business does, its mission, and how you want to be viewed by your consumers. Focusing on these things will help you decide the best way to create your logo. Additionally, by creating a logo that is memorable, versatile, and unique to your brand, you’ll be able to improve your overall brand recognition and finally put a face to your business’s name.
–written by Jonah Ericksen