The creation of a logo is one of the most important steps in defining a brand image. Many small businesses downplay this aspect, claiming that “that’s for the big players,” but they forget that giants were once small, and one of the keys to their success was the choice of a good logo.
What makes a logo so important for a brand is that it helps people recognize and remember the name, slogan, or even the founder of the brand with just a glance. Studies show that 40% of people remember what they see better than what they read or hear. For this reason, having a well-designed logo is essential for the global marketing strategy, but also for attracting new customers.
To achieve all its goals and become that vital element for any brand, a logo must be simple, memorable, timeless, consistent, and versatile, without losing the essence of your business. Keep reading, and we’ll give you more tips.
Characteristics of a Good Logo
Simplicity
As the saying goes, "less is more." For a logo to be attractive, it must be powerful yet uncomplicated. An overloaded design filled with graphic elements and colors may seem eye-catching but is likely to be forgotten quickly. The simpler your design, the easier it will be for it to settle into the consumer’s mind. In fact, many of the brands that come to mind first tend to have very simple logos, sometimes even just a monochrome image or silhouette without any typography.
Originality
Yes, we know we’ve repeated this many times: be original! be original! We don’t want to be a broken record, but like any creative process, originality is the key to success. An original design will help you stand out from the rest, and in fact, that’s one of the reasons why a good logo is so important. The originality of your logo will determine whether the public remembers you and differentiates you from the competition. Before you start designing (or giving creative guidelines to your designer), remember that there is a fine line between inspiration and plagiarism... Don’t make that mistake.
Consistency
Although it may seem like a minor task, designing a good logo requires a significant investment of time. Time to research, time to brainstorm with the team, but most importantly, time to understand the brand values, the target audience, and where we want to position ourselves. A good logo must be consistent with the company’s philosophy and align with the values it wants to convey (your Core Value). This factor is essential for understanding the critical role the logo plays not only in the marketing strategy but also in the overall success of the company.
One of the most common ways to align the design with brand values is through the use of color. While this may seem like the most fun step, it’s a critical stage of the creative process. The color choice will determine what the public associates with your brand. Clear examples include Coca-Cola, which uses red due to its association with enthusiasm, vitality, and youth.
Check out this interesting guide that shows the psychological associations we make between logos and their colors:
Brand Manual
There should be no logo without its respective Brand Manual, at least for logos that claim to be somewhat serious. Brand manuals are the DNA of logos. They tell the world how that logo works, how it should be used, what its correct colors are, how it applies in different contexts, and how it should not be used.
If you’ve invested so much time and effort into creating your logo and it represents everything your brand is and communicates, the least you’ll want for it is a bit of respect.
Can the Logo Be Changed?
Here comes the million-dollar question. As we mentioned earlier, a logo is much more than just a colorful image. Often, it’s the first contact potential customers have with our business, so in addition to being a beautiful image, the design must convey the company's values.
A good logo, in line with the company’s philosophy and goals, should be timeless, meaning it has no expiration date. However, times change, and aesthetic standards evolve, so we say NO to change and YES to evolution.
Expert Tips: Avoid These Practices and You’ll Succeed
To summarize everything we’ve shared so far, here are 5 key points on what you should avoid when creating your logo:
Stay Away from Trends – A logo should be timeless. Unicorns and flamingos are cute and trendy right now, but that doesn’t mean they’ll have the same impact in six months. You can't afford for your logo to expire every so often.
Homemade Designs – We know you're the king of Paint, but just in case you haven't realized it yet, a logo is a serious matter. A little investment in time, effort, and maybe money doesn’t hurt anyone.
Buying Your Logo from a Stock Image Bank – Sure, there are beautiful and professional designs available, but even if you make some changes and add your own twist, you risk your logo looking like (or worse, reminding people of) other companies.
Choosing the Logo Just Because You Love the Color – As mentioned earlier, color is much more than just a shade—it can convey a thousand different traits about your brand. If it’s not aligned with your company’s values, disaster is guaranteed.
Copying Your Competitors – Copying another company's logo or creating a "based on" version won’t bring you the success and recognition your competitor has. In fact, at best, you might end up with a nice lawsuit for plagiarism. Learn from a competitor’s success—don’t copy!
If you need help creating, designing, and developing a great logo with its Brand Manual, we’re here to assist you! Get in touch with us.
