The Do’s and Don’ts of Designing Logos
Logo Design is more than just coming up with a pretty looking design. There are a lot of factors which have to be considered and used in order to design a logo that does everything from making sense to conveying the brand’s image in a manner that sets the brand apart. Whether you’re a designer, a business owner or simply just someone who is curious about logo designing, this post is here to gear you with all the do’s and don’ts of logo design.
Don’ts
We’ll start off with what you should not do when you’re designing a logo so that we end off on a more positive note.
- Don’t add too many details in your logo. Simplicity is a key element for any successful logo design. The more sophisticated the design is, the more likely it is to be confusing for your intended audience.
- Don’t change your logo every passing year. A brand that changes its logo quite often is a weak one. It’s good to have one logo that will remain for a long time so that consumers can associate the logo to your brand.
- Don’t imitate the logos of successful brands. In fact, don’t imitate any logos. This is not just to say that plagiarism is a bad thing, it can also be quite detrimental to your brand’s image. A logo should represent the brand, what it stands for, and what sets it apart from the rest. If you’re imitating another company’s logo, you’re stealing from them creatively, and depriving yourself of the chance to become legitimately recognized.
- Don’t go crazy with the fonts. This cannot be emphasized enough. The number of fonts you should use for your logo design should not exceed a maximum of two. Any more than that and you’re going to have a bad logo that is a non-cohesive clutter – not a logo.
Do’s
- Conduct research and recognize the audience you’re aiming for. The purpose of a brand’s logo is to attract the audience with your brand will benefit most from. That means your brand’s logo should be more attractive to the intended audience. Your personal preference might result in a logo that you like but if it doesn’t appeal to the audience, it’s pretty much useless as a logo.
- Keep your logo design as simple as possible. Going for something original does not at all mean it has to be complicated. The best brands out there like Apple, Windows and McDonald’s have unique logos that are also quite simple and memorable.
- Make it a point to take into account the composition and spacing. Negative space should be there not for the lack of effort but for being useful in the overall composition. Try to make use of the composition as a whole and use negative spaces to make the composition of your logo more aesthetically pleasing.
- Consider the size and legibility of your logo. Your logo should make sense regardless of the size. If your logo cannot be recognized at small sizes, you need to rework it and make sure that it’s comprehensible in a small size.