Apple, Nike, Coca-Cola, and McDonald’s are just a few of the most well-known brands in the world. Each has its own appearance and feel, but all of them represent distinct industries.
Let’s take a look at some of the dos and don’ts to help you get started on designing your own iconic logo.
Do your first attempts in black and white.
The right hue may make any logo stand out, but it’s important to understand how the same logo appears in monochrome. Here’s a simple test: print your logo on the company printer in black and white to see what it looks like. If the logo appears blurry or illegible, you’ve gone too far.
Don’t put too many colours.
However, keep logos in check. Colour is a wonderful thing, but when it comes to logo design, simplicity is best. Try for simplicity and keep your logo design to two or three colours at the most. Take the picture you want and shrink it down on your computer; if it appears blurry in this form, trim some colour out of it.
Do disconnect text and images.
However, you may believe your logo is a flawless combination of icon and text. If you can detach the icon from the text, it’s even better. Today’s social media environment doesn’t tolerate bland logos; they need to be shareable. You make an icon out of anything that is shareable if you make it shareable.
Don’t choose the wrong font.
If you’ve been attracted to a typeface because it looks fantastic on your computer screen, put your relationship to the test by seeing how it looks in different situations. Take it from a distance or see how it interacts with the other fonts used in printed materials and on your site. If your new font works well in all of these scenarios, it could be the one for you.
Do the drop shadows.
While drop shadows might be a great idea, they result in especially hefty files that don’t successfully or ever send. They may also cause display issues and affect the appearance of your logo when printed. The minimal aesthetic impact they have isn’t worth it.
Don’t use clip art.
You’ve got a great little graphic from clip art that you’re attempting to design a logo for. You finish it, and it was easier and less expensive than you ever anticipated. The issue is that clip art is essentially community artwork, which means your simple and inexpensive approach is available to anybody else as well. This implies while you’re trying to establish your brand identity with your new logo, someone else may be using the same art — maybe even in the same industry. The free-ranging characters in this image also prevent you from trademarking it. Don’t get caught in the trap of a costly rebranding; instead, go with a distinct logo design rather than clip art to ensure your logo is right the first time.
Don’t use superfluous words.
Think about it: words alone don’t work in marketing copy, and they also don’t work in logo design. Consider the logos we spoke about at the start. They succeed in part because of their simplicity. To create a memorable, shareable logo, simplify everything. Remove the company name from the icon, choose fewer words over more, and concentrate on the logo itself to reap the benefits.