Starting a business is an exhilarating time, but it is often dappled with flashes of overwhelming anxiety. Failing is not an option. The success of your brand can hinge on the way that it is perceived by the public.
If your audience fails to engage with the face of the brand, it is unlikely that they will want to know more. Successful audience engagement can be achieved through a curated logo that communicates with your audience without using words.
Logos act as a powerful metaphor by using visuals to create a strategic message to represents your brand values. Approaching logo design must be systematic and not be simply a pleasing picture that you hope will win the favor of your audience.
According to the New York Times, we are bombarded with up to 5,000 marketing messages each day. So, how can your logo stand out from the crowd?
Does My Company Need a Logo?
Imagine you are walking down the street and suddenly you see a familiar face. Do you walk towards that person? Most likely, the answer is yes.
Now, consider you see a stranger. You will not choose to engage with that person. In fact, most people will do anything to avoid communicating with strangers!
This is how we react to brands. We engage with familiarity, which is why creating a “face” for your brand is extremely important. Would you trust a company that has no visual identity? A logo acts as a familiar face and instills trust in your audience.
Logo Design Considerations
When creating a logo, there are some things that must be considered in order to achieve success. These simple tips will help curate the perfect design that speaks clearly to your audience amongst the thousands of brand messages.
Transcendent Design for the Digital Age
We engage with screens more than ever before. We walk with our phones in our hands and often have a smart watch attached on the wrist of the hand that holds the phone! Your logo must be able to be understood on a plethora of screens or risk it being distorted when scaled.
Flat Design – Flat design is a great way to ensure fast loading times when a customer interacts with your website. Did you know that a decrease of load time by just one second can increase your sales by 7%?
Keep it Simple – A simple design can be just as effective as a complex one. Consider Apple or Nike. These logos can be scaled to billboard size, or smart phone size all, while maintaining their shape integrity.
Do I need an icon? – Consider using an icon to supplement your logo just like Netflix does. This can help users navigate mobile applications if your logo cannot be scaled without becoming unrecognizable.
Up Close and Personal
When launching a business, it can be difficult not to get emotionally attached to the project. However, pouring your heart and soul into the logo design can cloud your judgment. You may end up designing for your own tastes rather than your chosen demographic. Investing in professional logo designers is a preferred and systematic approach. This will ensure an unbiased design geared towards marketing success.
A logo designers approach:
- Research
- Sketching
- Conceptualization
- Testing
- Final Design
Color Consideration
Humans are very visual creatures and are especially sensitive to color. It is important to think about color psychology when designing your logo. The wrong choice could turn your audience off your brand.
Red acts as a stimulant and encourages action. Red Bull and Virgin both use this color as their logo
Blue connotes trust and stability. It is no coincidence that technology and financial services use this color heavily.
Green connotes nature and makes the audience feel serene. It can be seen in brands looking to communicate their affiliation with natural sources.
Yellow promotes optimism and can be seen easily at a distance. McDonald’s have used this cleverly in their golden arch design which towers high in the skyline.
A great logo has the ability to connect with your audience in a powerful way as the use of visuals appeals to our human nature.
A great logo draws your audience to you, but a failed design will have consumers looking elsewhere.
By following these tips, you will have a strong basis for successful logo design. It is important that your design is carefully considered before launching. Otherwise, your logo risks being lost in the abyss of the other 5,000 marketing messages that we see every day.
Brian Lonsdale is a small business owner who runs Repeat Logo, a website that sells logos to businesses to establish brand recognition.
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