Dos and Don’ts of Good Logo Design

Did you know that 75% of people recognise a brand by its logo? Visual style, brand colour, and unique voice follow as leading brand identifiers. On the other hand, 60% of customers will shun a brand with a logo they find strange or unappealing even if the brand receives positive reviews. 

This is why logo design matters. Logos are more than a combination of letters, shapes, and colours — they’re a visual representation of your business. 

Luckily, by following some dos and don’ts of logo design, you can create a successful logo that communicates your brand’s identity.

When Designing a Logo, DO... 

Research and define your audience 

Before you start sketching your logo design, invest some time into researching and clearly defining your ideal customer.  

Your logo should appeal to your target audience. For example, if you run a clothing company for teens, your logo design may include vibrant colours and funky styles to attract the right customer. The better you identify and understand your audience, the more you can tailor your logo to them. 

Choose your colours wisely 

Learning the psychology of colour will help you understand the feeling and emotion people associate with specific colours. Statistics say the current most common colours in logo design are blue and red. 

Blue is often used in corporate logos as it exudes a sense of security, loyalty, and professionalism. Many businesses in the software, financial, pharmaceutical, government, and banking industries use this colour.   

On the other hand, red evokes excitement, passion, and energy. It also stimulates appetite, which is why you see it in many food and restaurant logos, like McDonald’s, KFC, and Burger King.

Test fonts

Fonts are as important as colours when designing a logo. Respectable, sophisticated, friendly, and expensive, are just some emotions that fonts can convey. 

Start choosing your logo fonts by first identifying your brand personality. Then consider which fonts evoke those same ideas and feelings you’re going for.  

If you want a modern and minimal style, sans serif will be best for your logo. If you want your logo to be more traditional and classic, go with a serif font.

Consider scalability 

You might only need a logo for your website now but consider if you might need to scale your logo down for your email signature or blow it up to the size of a billboard in future marketing campaigns. 

Design your logo in a way that it goes on anything and everything. Make sure it's designed as a vector so you can shrink and expand it without losing the quality. Also include different colour variations to ensure it looks equally good on black and white surfaces and in colour as well.

READ: 10 Marketing Lessons Every Startup Needs to Learn to Be Successful

When Designing a Logo, DON’T... 

Add too much detail 

Having too much detail on your logo makes it look cluttered and confusing at first glance. This leaves a negative impact on your customer's first impression of your brand. 

Make your logo as simple as possible. Think of Apple, Microsoft, or Nike. Their logos are simple, but they incorporate ideas and design elements that reflect their brand identity. A good graphic design tip is to follow minimalist graphic design rules and keep things clear and straightforward. 

Update your logo constantly 

Changing your logo too often is bad for brand awareness and recognition. Customers won’t likely develop loyalty and end up easily forgetting your business or company. 

Stick to your logo as much as possible. A good logo design is one that makes your brand recognisable through the times. If you decide to update your logo, avoid making drastic changes that will completely remove its original look and feel. 

Copy other brands 

One of the purposes of making a logo design is to differentiate your brand from your competitors. If you copy other brands, your business will look like a watered-down version of another. Customers may assume your business offers less quality and originality. By copying already existing brands, you will also receive a lot of backlashes and even face copyright issues. 

Instead, look for logo design ideas you can take inspiration from and incorporate your unique brand values into your logo. 

Follow trends 

The graphic design industry is constantly changing; it’s important to stay informed about emerging trends. Some of these trends can become statements and last for a long time, but many will fade out quickly.

Leave a lasting impression with a logo that stands out 

First impressions last — and what better way to leave a good one than with a memorable logo? Create a business logo that represents who you are and what you do as a brand. As you work on your first draft, you may choose to create it within minutes using a good logo design software. 

Follow these common logo design dos and don’ts and you should be well on your way to capturing the right audience and building a loyal community.