8 Logo Design Tips For Beginners from Designhill
Looking to design a logo for your business, or update your current one – this guide has all the details you need.
Focus On Simplicity
When you look at the logos of major companies such as Facebook, one of the first things that you will notice is that their logo designs are extremely simple.
From a branding standpoint, keeping the overall design of the logo simple makes it much easier to recognize at a glance. By going with a clean design, the focus is on the brand rather than on the logo.
On the other hand, if the logo has too much going on, it not only is harder to recognize at a glance but it also can be confusing for consumers.
Ultimately, your goal should be to design a logo that is not only clean and simple but that is also a good reflection of your industry. As you build your logo, look for ways that you can simplify the design to keep it as clean and straightforward as possible.
Connect Your Logo To Your Products Or Services
According to Designhill the elements that you include in your logo design should relate directly to the products or services that you provide. For instance, Security Gladiators, a company that provides the latest news about cybersecurity, uses a logo that incorporates a shield. This symbol is naturally associated with security, making it a good choice for this particular company.
Using symbolism in your logo design can go a long way toward helping customers understand what it is that you do. Ultimately, the design should relate directly to your business and your brand.
If you have a company that sells products or services directly to families, consider going with an oval or circular design. This shape is often associated with a feeling of unity or friendship. These shapes are also appropriate for brands that sell jewelry or that focus on weddings since they are commonly associated with love.
Shapes with sharper angles, on the other hand, are often synonymous with strength or power. Many tech companies or scientific businesses use angular shapes like squares or triangles in their logos.
Send A Message With Color
The colors that you choose for your logo can impact how people perceive it. Not only does color affect the logo’s overall appearance but it also can create certain feelings through the psychology of color.
For instance, Payoneer uses a vibrant red color in their logo. This makes the logo seem strong and energetic while at the same time giving it an upbeat feeling. Because the company deals with money, it is important for their logo to convey a sense of confidence while at the same time giving customers the feeling that they are in complete control.
Green is often used by companies that work with plants or nature. Companies in the health field often use blue in their logos since it is associated with healing.
Yellow is generally considered to be a happy color, which is why it is often used in logos for companies that make products for children. Restaurants also frequently use this bright, cheerful color as part of their branding.
The color that you choose for your logo can have a subtle but distinct effect on how people perceive your company.
Choose A Design That Won’t Become Dated
The last thing that you want is for your logo to start to look dated after a few years. Instead, your goal should be to create a logo that will look fresh far into the future.
The logos for Disney and Coca-Cola are excellent examples of timeless design. Instead of choosing an existing font, they both designed their own font. This keeps their logos looking fresh and modern, even after many years.
By creating your entire logo from scratch including the font, it is a lot less likely to become dated looking as it ages. Over time, your custom-designed font will even become associated with your brand.
Pepsi took a different approach with their logo. Over the years, they have continuously updated their logo to try to make it look fresher and more current. Constantly changing your logo can interfere with your ability to create a sense of stability and longevity for your company.
Design A Logo That Can Be Used In Multiple Ways
The logo that you create should be designed as a vector image according to Designhill. That way, it can be scaled up to a larger size without losing any quality.
Being able to resize your image opens up a lot more possibilities in terms of where it can be printed. The last thing that you want is for your logo to become fuzzy, pixelated, or otherwise degraded after it is enlarged.
The best way to get around this problem is by working with a professional designer and asking them to create the logo as a vector file.
Outsource Your Logo Design
If your company is relatively new, you may be tempted to try to save money by designing your logo yourself or by turning to a friend or family member for help. Even though this may seem like a good way to save money, it usually winds up backfiring. Logos created by people who are not professionals usually won’t create the image that you are going for.
If you don’t know anyone who works as a professional designer, you probably won’t be able to get a logo that is high enough in quality to accurately represent your business.
Instead, you should consider hiring a professional graphic designer. Be sure to view their portfolio ahead of time to find out whether or not their style is a good fit for your business. Alternatively, why not utilise a logo design tool like this from Designhill to do the work for you.
As a general rule of thumb, you should avoid using cheap freelance sites since there is no guarantee that you will get a good logo. Most professionals who have the proper training don’t waste time working on these sites.
Don’t Use Stock Images
Clipart or stock images will give your logo a generic look that can reflect poorly on your company. When customers see it, they instantly will get the sense that you didn’t care enough about your company to invest in a good logo. They may mistakenly believe that this same lack of care carries over to the rest of your business.
There are also sometimes legal ramifications associated with using stock images or clipart in your logo. Rather than taking a risk of getting in trouble, it is far better to create a design from scratch.
If you decide to use stock images anyway, always make sure that you have permission to use them in your logo so that you don’t wind up getting in trouble. Ideally, you should try to purchase the image outright, including all of the rights so that you can copyright it. That way, people won’t be able to copy your logo as your company grows.
Make The Design Of The Logo A Bigger Priority Than Its Color
Chances are, your logo will often be printed in black and white. To ensure that it reads well without color, you should start by designing your logo as a black-and-white image.
While color is a great way to set your company apart from others, your logo design should be strong enough to stand on its own without having to rely on color. It should look crisp and clear and be easily recognizable, even when it is printed in black and white.
By focusing on the design rather than the color, you can create a much stronger logo that reads well regardless of whether it is in black and white or color.
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