So, you have decided to start a new business! Congratulations! One of the most exciting things when you begin a new business is creating your brand identity - including your company’s name and logo. If you’ve found your way here, you have probably already come up with a great name - now you are ready to create a great logo! As brand design experts, ICEY knows a thing or two about designing a great logo, so we’ve put together a list of the 5 most important things to consider when designing your logo.
When designing a great logo for your brand you will consider 3 key elements: font, colors, and images. Below, we’ve outlined the 5 best practices to help you determine what fonts, colors, and images are best for your brand and your logo. See an example below of how we applied these 5 best practices to our logo design for PawPops™, a new dog slushy treat.
1. Appeal to your Audience
Have you heard the phrase, if you try to appeal to everyone, you end up appealing to no one? When you set-out to design a great logo, the first place to begin is by identifying YOUR target audience. Your logo doesn’t need to appeal to everyone, just those in your target audience.
When identifying your target audience, get as specific as possible. Here are some questions to consider when determining your target audience and what may appeal to them:
How old are they?
Where do they live? (country, state, rural, city, etc.)
What brands may they already use that are similar to your brand?
What brands may they dislike?
Do they have a specific hobby or interest that’s relevant to your brand?
What story do you want to tell your audience?
What problem does your audience face that your brand will help solve?
What colors or fonts would appeal to them?
What symbols or images would attract them to your brand?
Once you have a clear understanding of who your target audience is, you can make more informed decisions about what fonts, colors, and symbols/images will appeal to them.
2. Keep it Simple
When you are excited about something new, it can be easy to overdo things. With a new business, this excitement can easily get in the way of designing a great logo. To avoid overcomplicating your design (and the design process) - start with the basics.
Begin with a basic black and white concept. Choose one or two fonts and see how they look in black and white. If you want to add in an image, choose symbols/images that have clear and distinct lines and shapes. Once again, begin with the design in black and white.
Once you have a clear idea of the basics, you can add color if you choose. Keep it simple though! While you may choose several colors for your complete brand identity, your logo itself should only use one or two colors. You can learn more about choosing effective colors for your logo here: How to Choose Colors for Your Brand.
3. Stand Out
As a new brand, there’s a balance of keeping things simple and also standing out. On the one hand, you want to create a logo that is distinct and recognizable. On the other hand, you want something that you KNOW will appeal to your audience. Market research is a great place to start when trying to find a way to stand out and be familiar.
Researching other brands shows you what appeals to your audience. This gives you an idea of where to begin with your logo. However, you still want to stand out from the competition. So while it’s helpful to get a general idea of what other brands are doing, remember to add your own mark through a unique symbol or distinct font and colors.
Athletic shoe brands are a good example of this. Nike, Adidas, and Puma all have unique logos that make them standout. However, the initial concept of all three is similar in that they have one word brand names, a bold font, and one distinct symbol.
4. Be Versatile
Where do you plan to use your logo? Many new businesses initially create a logo with one purpose for how it will be used - like a website. A logo isn’t just for one purpose though. Your logo needs to be versatile enough that it works EVERYWHERE. Meaning, your logo needs to maintain its effect whether used digitally, in print, or when size varies.
Think about an airline company. Have you ever borrowed a pen at an airline counter, to write your name on a baggage tag? If you looked down at the pen, you may have seen the airline’s logo printed on it. That same logo is the one you then see printed on the side of the airplane when you get to your gate. An airline logo is versatile enough to be effective on a pen and a plane, as well as on the company website. This is what it means to be versatile!
When choosing a logo design, test it out in various forms to make sure it is versatile, and will maintain its effectiveness and recognizability - regardless of where it’s used.
5. Make it Timeless
Your business may be brand new, BUT the hope is that years from now it is still alive and thriving. Keep this in mind when you create your logo. Choose fonts, colors, and symbols/ images that can grow with you.
Referring back to the first four practices for designing a great logo will help you create a timeless logo: Make it versatile so that it can be used in any way, and anywhere, for years to come. Keep it simple, but make it stand out - so it’s easy to remember. Appeal to your audience now & in the future.
Be mindful that you don’t focus on appealing to a certain trend - while it may seem fun to do something trendy right now, something traditional is going to carry your brand through the decades.
The Final Design
ICEY applies these 5 best practices for designing a great logo everytime we create a new design for our clients. Paw Pops™ is a great example of how these 5 practices all came together for a great final design!
ICEY knew the audience for this new product was not just dog owners, but owners whose pups are family! That led us to create a logo that appealed to the owners who love their fur babies. The final concept reflects this in the shape of the logo, the color choices, and the image of a paw print.
The final logo also reflects the other four practices: it’s simple, stands out, is versatile, and timeless! All the qualities needed for a GREAT Logo!
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