Logo design is an art, one that many struggle to master. It can be a tricky business for the inexperienced, and that’s why it helps to have a few infallible rules to live by when it comes to creating yours. If you’re ready to make an image as iconic as Apple’s, or any of, here’s how we suggest that you do it…
1: Consider the context
Logos are not created in isolation – or they shouldn’t be. Before you decide to get yours printed on your business cards, think of the other graphic design elements that you’ve used to capture your brand, from the typography to the colours to the photography and tone of voice. Together, these should be seamlessly cohesive; if they’re not, some of them need re-thinking.
2: Keep it simple
It’s all too easy to get caught up in the moment and try to create something incredibly complex and profound, but the best logos are simple: think of Nike’s and Apple’s and McDonalds’. The commonality between them all is that they’re incredibly straightforward, which helps your brain to conjure them in an instant. As graphic designer Ariel de Lisio perfectly explains: “If you can’t say it in a simple way, it’s better not to say it.”
3: Versatility matters
One reason that simplicity is so important in logo design is because it breeds versatility. The design you select needs to work in every situation because only by repeated exposure to it will people commit it to their memory. This means that if it doesn’t sit equally well on a business card as it does on a billboard, or in black and white as well as in colour, you need to go back to the drawing board and start again. Your logo design has to be adaptable for the ease of marketing and it always needs the ability to be reversed out (either black or white.)
4: Think outside of the box
Rules and innovation may not always sit easily together, but in this instance they do. Although received wisdom suggests that the ideal logo composition is square or slightly rectangular, true perfection lies in an aesthetic that complements your brand. If it’s something niche that you’re marketing, then it ought to be something niche that you’re using to increase its visibility.
5: Keep going until you get it right
Last but not least, the most useful tip you’ll ever hear: keep going until you get it right. We’ll end as we began by telling you that logo design is an art, but even great masters needed to practice before they obtained perfection. If you get it wrong the first time, the solution is simple: you simply keep going back to the drawing board until you get it right.
Once you’ve nailed your new business logo design get online and check out our business card templates to get your startup off to the best start possible.
Still interested in reading more about logo design? Have a look at this great article by Creative Bloq: Typographic logos: 35 eye-catching examples
If you’re stuck and need some inspiration get in touch with PrintUK.com today.