The success of a business is heavily conditioned on their consumer interaction, this includes the ideas that are being communicated from the sellers to the buyers and visa-versa. Thus, brands are now looking for new ways to reach out and connect to their audiences and the latest development in this realm is the increased awareness about the importance of a logo for visual engagement.
The conventional reasons why logos have been considered important for businesses are that they grab attention, make the first impression, set brands apart from their competition and because they are expected. However, a logo for modern businesses is not just a token of identification anymore. it’s a method for companies to create a strong brand identify for themselves and convert potential customers into loyal buyers.
But making a logo is not easy, there are a number of things that need to be kept in mind when making one so as not make the mistake of creating a logo that sets the wrong precedent for your brand. Read below 20 design tips and tricks that will help you make the right modern logo for your brand:
1.Have a brand ideology
If you know what you wish to do through your company you can easily make a logo that is tailored to convey that idea to your audience. Jotting down pointers that convey your brand ideology (in terms of colour, font, particular words, etc.) before making the logo is incredibly important because those points can help guide you through the process of making a logo that is the right fit for your business.
2. Follow colour psychology
Companies make the mistake of using colours in their logo that go completely against the main idea of their brand, simply for the sake of standing out. This is a huge mistake because the wrong colour can make the wrong impression on your audience thus jeopardising their perception of your brand.
3. Ask yourself: does this logo make an impression?
Make sure your logo is not easily mistakeable for another because if your logo does not make a distinct impression on your audience then that means that it does not do enough to attract them and turn them into customers.
4. Choose fonts wisely
The typeface of your logo is an integral part of it because it speaks to the personality of your brand. Make sure that the chosen font for your logo is matches your brand image and is readable.
5. Choose the type of logo you want
Here you have two options: you can either have a logotype which means that the name of the brand is the logo (e.g. Coca Cola) or have a symbol to represent your company. Neither option triumphs over another but this decision has to be made based on what image you wish to create for your brand.
6. Do not over-do it
Keep your symbol, font, design, and colour simple. A logo that has too much happening in it often takes away from the essence of the company and distracts customers.
7. Make it scalable
A logo that only looks good on brochures but not on billboards is a flop which is why it is important to design a logo that is adaptable to any medium and looks good in every size.
8. Make a colourless version
On many official documents your logo will be sent out without colours which makes it important to consider its appearance in black-and-white before making the final decision.
9. Be literal
Metaphors do not fly well with logos which is why you should keep your design as simple and literal as possible so that customers can easy understand it.
10.Be authoritative
Customers must look at your logo and think ‘yes I would trust this brand’. This feeling is only elicited in them if the logo is authoritative and expresses a certain degree of dependency.
11. Don’t shy away from shapes
A curvy design is not always best and sometimes a simple rectangle or square can attract more customers than a wiggly design while also maintaining more professionalism.
12. Leave some blank space
Do not try and fill the space, there is a reason that minimalism is becoming increasingly popular in today’s times. A logo that has a significant amount of blank space in its design is more likely to attract customers with its simplicity as compared to logos that occupy every inch of their screen.
13. Have a pop of colour
If your logo is plain black and white don’t be afraid to add a little bit of colour in some of the text or lines to create visual salience.
14. Don’t be afraid to make edits
Most companies we know do not have a logo today that they did when they first started. A change in time demand a change in design, don’t be afraid to tweak and update your design if you wish to, nothing is set in stone!
15. Imagine your logo in situ
If you can visualise the logo for your coffee brand on your mugs then go for it. The most important thing about a logo is whether it suits different places and if yours does then it is definitely the right one.
16. Be original
Copying a logo is going to grab the attention you think it will, but not for the right reasons. A copied design can seriously harm your brand imagine so feel free to explore and study but stay away from adopting exact colour scheme or shape.
17. Do not mix fonts
You might be tempted to mix fonts in your logo but try your hardest not to. A mixing of fonts can confuse the viewers and convey to the audience unprofessionalism on behalf of your brand.
18. Avoid cliches
While making a tick in your logo might not be copying, it would be a cliché. Try and stay away from popular symbols like thought bubbles to stand out from the crowd and communicate your originality to the audience.
19. Do not include too many special effects
If your logo needs a range of special effects to look good then the design is not good enough. The tell-tale sign of the right logo is minimalism.
20. Follow your gut
Sometimes we forgo particular desires we have for our designs because they are not conventional and do not follow the rules of logo designing. You should never do this. Nobody knows your brand better than you do and if you wish to include aspects that challenge the current state of affairs in the logo design industry then go for it. Be a trailblazer!
