Logo design holds the utmost importance when shaping the tone of a business. It is the symbol of the entire brand and helps customers recognise your company amongst the competition. As a start-up business, investing in a good logo design is paramount as it provides the foundations for future branding and business strategy. To help you understand logo design, we have collated six logo design tips to get you started.
Define Your Business
Before your logo can be designed, you need to understand the personality of your business. You should first consider;
- What is the purpose of your business?
- Who is your target audience?
- Where do you see your business progressing in five years?
- What is the aim of the company?
- What service does your business provide?
Your logo should mirror the tone of your brand; therefore, it’s important to have a good understanding of what that is before the design process takes place. Next, think about the brand identity. Are you quirky, elegant or minimalist? When you have a strong grasp of your company’s key themes, start designing a logo that encompasses these elements.
Get Inspired
Whilst considering your business model, it is likely you will conduct market research. This is a great time to evaluate your competitors’ logos to get some logo design tips for your own.
Consider what you like and dislike about their pre-existing designs, whether related to the colour scheme, typography or illustrations. It’s important to consider why you feel this way. Take inspiration from these designs but ensure that you do not copy them. Not only would this be unprofessional, but it also defeats the entire purpose of a logo design – appearing unique against competitors and recognisable with a target audience.
Font is Everything
The logos for Google and Yahoo are extremely popular, yet they lack any icons or images. Their simple design, consisting of a single font, makes them extremely recognisable and memorable. Therefore, it’s paramount to evaluate various fonts and letter sizes to produce the perfect design.
Colour Consideration is Key
Colours elevate a flat logo design to create an unforgettable one. Colours convey a variety of emotions, so consider which is right for your brand. You may choose to use black to promote professionalism, yellow to suggest happiness and approachability or red to convey the excitement and boldness of your business.
An obvious mistake is to select a variety of colours, creating mixed messages and reducing the aesthetic appeal of your logo. (Google may get away with this, but it does not work for every brand)
Consult a Professional
Starting a new business can be a stressful experience. Entrepreneurs are forgiven for cutting corners in certain areas of their business at the beginning. However, there are no shortcuts when creating the perfect logo. Therefore, we recommend consulting a professional in graphic design to save both time and money.
Graphic and logo designers are usually happy to discuss your ideas in extensive detail to really understand your vision and how they can implement their own creative flair. Mood boards are a great visual aid to help communicate your logo ideas to a professional. The board should include insight into your thought process, requirements, colour scheme and goals so the designer can take inspiration and create something relevant to your target market.
Think Big
The flexibility of a logo is vital. Your design will likely be showcased in a variety of sizes and displayed on multiple materials, from business cards to billboards. Therefore, evaluate your design to ensure it is adaptable and suits a range of platforms. Moreover, it’s likely your logo design will transform over time, adjusting to your evolving business model, so ensure it has longevity.
Logo Design Tips – Summary
The sole purpose of a logo is to attract returning customers to your brand. Although our logo design tips are a great way to get started, we always recommend using a trusted professional. Here at Sherwood Universal, we offer outstanding graphic design services alongside perfect print solutions. Not only can we create your dream logo, but we can also print all the promotional material a start-up may need, including leaflets, banners, signage and business cards, saving you valuable time and money.
Tony Hunt is a seasoned Print Industry Expert with over three decades of experience in the trade. He has been instrumental in helping clients expand their product ranges, secure more business, and ultimately increase their profitability. Tony’s approach is characterised by enthusiasm and passion, balanced with a realistic and tactical mindset. His expertise is further bolstered by seven years of running his own business, fostering a commercially-driven perspective. An excellent communicator, Tony prides himself on never compromising on detail.