When you think about four rings horizontally interlocked to each other, what is the first thing that comes to your mind? I believe it is the famous luxury sports car brand, ‘Audi.’ This example definitely makes it very clear how important a logo is for a brand.
In the majority of cases, the logo is the face of the brand. The company’s popularity, goodwill, and reputation all surround that one creative and out of the box logo. Therefore, it is necessary to keep logo design at the top of the list when you are thinking of brand recognition.
Investing in a good logo design can be highly beneficial for the reputation of your brand. By the end of this article, you will be thorough with what logo design is and the various principles that govern the process.
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What is logo design
If we go by the dictionary meaning, a logo is a small symbol that is accepted by a company as a creative representation of their brand. A logo is an identification mark of a company that sets it apart from the competitors.
Logo designing is the process of creating this small creative representation. Logo design is like any other graphic design process. However, there are a few principles that should be followed in order to make your logo unique.
Your logo needs to speak to your customers in a way they are able to comprehend. That is how your company’s logo will be able to leave an imprint on their minds.
What are the principles of logo design?
The primary principle that goes around for any type of design is creativity. Since a logo is targeted for brand representation, it has to stand out in its appearance.
Here are six principles one should keep in mind while designing a logo for a company.
1. Keep it simple!
How appealing a mesh of words appear on a dull background? Not appealing at all!
Sometimes designers forget the purpose of the design and go a step above in terms of creativity. The result is definitely something unique and beyond comprehension. How will your customer associate the logo with the brand if they are unable to understand it?
Therefore, follow the path of simplicity. You don’t want a complicated concept that results in a messy and unclear image. You need to create a clear sense in the eyes of the viewers as soon as they look at the logo. Try and keep it as clean and uncluttered as possible.
One important thing to remember is that your logo is not just going to make appearances on big banners and hoardings. It will be printed on packaging labels on boxes and even on price tags. A logo packed with a lot of intricate designs and text would appear like a blurry spot on a small scale.
To give a stronger appearance to your logo, keep fewer elements that can be identified by ease. With fewer elements, it is easy to play with scaling the dimensions as per your liking. The focus should be on the clarity of the image. With the few chosen elements, you should be able to convey the message of your business.
2. It should be scalable
As mentioned earlier, your logo is not going to be a star only on big hoardings or posters. If you are in the garment business, for instance, you might want to use your logo on things as small as cufflinks. In that case, if your logo has a lot of complicated and intricate details, reducing the size will result in losing those intricacies.
(Source : Google Images)
It is, therefore, necessary to keep your logo versatile. You might not be manufacturing a lot of items at the moment. But it is good to keep the logo future-ready. It is better to invest in something that lasts longer instead of changing it with new product additions. That will not just be taxing, but also very costly.
A logo is supposed to be a one-time investment. If you keep changing it, you will create confusion in the minds of your customer, and they will fail to associate your brand with it.
Go for a logo design that can be used on multiple scales. You should be able to reproduce it on a stamp as well as on a huge billboard outside a football stadium.
3. Keep it versatile
For your customers to be able to separate your brand from others, you will be required to stamp a logo onto it. This means your logo might end up being on multiple color backgrounds.
(Source : Google Images)
This is precisely why you need to be careful with what color you choose for the logo. Your logo might land anywhere. It can be the chest design of a tee-shirt, the print on a pocket square, or on the button of a blazer. To be able to fit into this big range of sizes, you need to have a logo that is adaptable.
This versatility is achieved when it is linked with simplicity. A simple logo will be easy to replicate in any way possible. The more elements and complexities you add, the more you restrict the use of the same. Test your logo design with different patterns and colors. This will give you an idea of how different elements will look in print.
Another important consideration for versatility is color. It is not necessary to create a logo that color pops with every background. But it should be able to blend well with both black and white. A good adjustment with monochrome adds a different level of charm to the design.
See also: Twitch banner design and what you need to know about creating a digital brand.
4. Be original and memorable
This should indeed be your first and foremost consideration. Being original is not just coming up with your own design. Being original means you need to create a logo that has a lasting impact on your customer’s mind.
It doesn’t have to be something that makes them awestruck. It needs to be something really unique yet simple and comprehendible. A lot of logo designs are a play on the name of the brand. Designers mold the name into some quirky looking graphic design. This delivers the message of your brand as well as looks different.
(Source : Google Images)
For your logo to be successful, you need to make it memorable. It has to be a ‘love at first sight’ scenario, or you might not be able to deliver that charm.
A unique and memorable logo needs to have a unique and memorable design. It has been emphasized time, and again that uniqueness is not delivered by complexity. The swoosh logo of Nike, for instance, is one of the simplest logos that one can see in the market. Despite that, the impact this small logo creates is everlasting.
Keeping the design simple can actually be your biggest strength to drive originality. A logo design is a combination of your artistic idea and the message that you wish to deliver with it. Think of the simplest possible way with which you can represent your company name. For example, when designing a logo for a diamond wedding ring brand, simplicity can convey elegance and timelessness, aligning with the brand’s values and aesthetic.
A creative play around the same will be enough to bring out something mind-blowingly simple and memorable.
5. Be balanced and proportional
You might have seen yourself getting driven towards asymmetric patterns more instead of something that is haphazard or asymmetrical. This is because people like patterns that have a balance in them. Something that is proportional as it appears satisfying to the eyes.
A well-proportioned logo design is not just a treat to the eyes, it also helps you balance out all the elements in your design. You might have all the elements for your logo, but you might find yourself failing to find the right placement for them.
In such a situation, it is better to balance out all the elements proportionately. By proportion, we mean that you balance out the weight of the elements across the design. You achieve the same by balancing out the big and small elements in a way that they blend in together without creating chaos.
Such logos usually have a center point. This acts as a reference point for balancing. After dedicating a center point, distribute your elements around it by equally balancing the weight of the design.
The result will be a design with an equilibrium that appeals to the eyes.
6. Create something timeless
If you are familiar with the logo of the famous automobile company Volkswagen, you must be aware that they have had the same logo since time immemorial. The logo was designed in 1939 and still holds the same charm and charisma as it did more than eight decades ago. This is what a timeless logo looks like.
(Source : Google Images)
Your company’s logo should have the same effect years down the lane as it has when you first coin it. It is true that the trends keep changing every now and then. But there is one thing that remains permanent, and that is classics.
A classic design will never fail you. You might think that a classic design won’t match the style of your business, and you want something quirkier and crazier.
You must know, the definition of quirky and crazy is so subjective that it not just changes with time, but it also changes from person to person. The swanky design that you produce today might lose its relevance and appear boring to your customers tomorrow.
Remember, your logo is the face of your brand, and you don’t want your face to be called outdated and boring! Classics are classics for a reason; they never go out of fashion. They give a simple, elegant, and sophisticated look that captures the essence of your brand.
A logo whose backbone is designed on the fundamental goals and ideologies of your company will not require any changes, even if the company changes with time. A logo that speaks to you, as well as your customers, is something that will last.
The best way to know if your logo design is timeless is to put it through a simple test. Imagine associating your thoughts and ideas about the company’s goals through the logo design that you have chosen. Now question yourself, will these same ideas flow through this design after five or ten years?
If the answer is yes, then you have got yourself something that will last for a lifetime and even beyond.
When to invest in a logo design
After reading through the principles of logo design, one thing might have settled in your brain that a logo is a very crucial part of your business. It is your creative identity. Something that speaks to your customers and something that they associate your product with.
So, if you are a smart business person, you would want to invest in a good logo design at the very beginning. The earlier and frequent you are in representing your company with a logo, the more you increase your chances of penetrating the market and increasing your customer base.
Another important thing to put your money in is to hire a professional for designing the logo. You might be very creative and good at designing. But it might take a good chunk of your time, which could have been used in managing and growing the business.
Instead, convey your idea and thoughts to a professional and let them do the heavy lifting. A professional will have a plethora of creative ideas to accommodate everything that you wish to convey with a small picture.
If you don’t want to learn to design logos yourself, you can count on our unlimited graphic design service to take care of you.
Endnote
Your company logo is your company’s personality with your product. It is not merely a colorful picture; it is the voice and face of your brand.
It is the link that connects your customers to your product and your company. It is the representation of your market presence and your goodwill. Something so valuable needs proper attention and time to be created.
By keeping in mind these simple logo designing principles, you can create a great, memorable, and lasting logo for your company.
