A logo is much more than branding. It’s your business’s first impression and sets the tone in the mind of the consumer.
Even if you already have a logo you have been using for days, months, or even years, don’t shy away from a redesign. It may be time to refresh things. Evolve your logo with the evolution of your business. Make an exciting change that captures people’s attention.
We know changing your logo is hard. Let’s be honest, we are all a bit sentimental over the first design that helped get our business off the ground. However, your logo could be holding you back.
To gain some perspective and get a starting point, start with market feedback:
What do people like about your logo?
Is everything legible?
What does your logo look like from far away?
Without context, can someone guess what your business is about just based on your logo?
What emotions are provoked by your logo?
Time to Google! Google your business name and your logos to firstly gauge your online presence and secondly to see if anyone else is doing something similar. Take some notes on what other people are doing: competitors, market leaders, and even people will a similar logo in a different area of business.
With this new information, it’s time to take your logo back to the drawing board! Here are the basic guidelines for designing or redesigning a logo:
- Color is vitally important: Are your colors working together? Does your design look good in grayscale?
- Avoid logo trends
- Be unique: remember, your first idea or design is typically the most generic.
- Keep it simple or make sure it can be simplified
- Consider proportion and negative space
- Know what your logo means: obvious or hidden, have a story or mission
When creating a logo it’s important to think of how it will be used. While this may seem obvious, nowadays we use our logos on so many different platforms so we want it to be adaptable. Make sure that your logo can be simplified without losing its integrity.
Hiring a graphic designer is great when you want something unique or custom. Here at ASBTDC, we have people ready to evaluate and often even recreate your logo. If hiring someone isn’t in your budget, check out these resources for designing your logo: