Renowned designer Paul Rand believes that logos should not endeavour to sell, at least not directly. Instead, logos should personify a brand by shaping its unique identity. Your brand logo should, therefore, clearly reflect the purpose and ethos of your business by deftly using colours, shapes, imagery and fonts that will help you to stand out from your competition.
Core principles of successful logo design
As this Washington Post article explains, well-designed logos can convey meaning incredibly intuitively. As such, the design teams behind the world’s most successful logos consistently follow five core principles.
1. Simplicity
Simplicity is the design principle that makes a logo instantly recognisable. Simple design is highly memorable and versatile, but this doesn’t mean that you can’t inject a large quantity of creativity into your approach.
2. Memorability
You might be surprised to learn that the subject matter of your logo isn’t necessarily the most important part. In fact, many design professionals would argue that striving for memorability is critical to the success of every logo.
3. Timelessness
If you intend to be in business for a long time, designing for longevity is key. While it is possible to rebrand, this process can be costly and you run the risk of alienating your existing loyal customer base. When striving for timelessness, it is worth remembering that while design trends come and go, classic design will always deliver.
4. Versatility
You will likely want to use your logo in a variety of ways. Your logo should, therefore, be designed in vector format, which will ensure it will seamlessly scale to any size. When crafting your logo, you might want to work closely with a branding agency, such as the one that can be seen here www.reallyhelpfulmarketing.co.uk/brand-development/ to ensure your final product will work successfully across a range of print and digital applications.
5. Appropriateness
It is essential to keep your intended audience in mind when crafting your logo. You don’t necessarily need to communicate precisely what your brand does, but you do need it to appeal to your ideal audience.
The process of designing an effective logo is complex. Although comparatively small, your logo will form a large part of your overall branding efforts, which is why a lot of thought and design prowess has been invested in the logos that we all see and recognise every day.