5 Principles of Great Logo Design
Logo design is an essential ingredient in successful branding. It serves to identify your organisation, represent your ethos and differentiate you in the market in a creative and individual way.
A logo is often the first piece of branding that a potential customer sees. It’s also usually the piece that makes the biggest impression on us and – when successful – stays with us the longest. As a singular piece of graphic design, it carries a big responsibility.
So, what are the quality markers of great logo design? Here are the 5 principles which guide our logo design process at Arken Creative.
1. Keep it Simple
A complicated logo is hard to look at, and even harder to remember. The best logos are clean and uncluttered, giving the viewer an immediate and clear sense of who you are. In general, less is more and simplicity delivers greater impact.
A strong logo will have few elements and be easily identifiable. Remember that logos are used in a variety of ways, on different platforms and in various formats and sizes. Too many details can become a problem, and intricate detail will be lost.
The simplest design is often the most effective, making a logo easier to recognise and more enduring.
2. Be Original
A logo needs to be different enough to attract attention and memorable enough to remain in people’s minds.
Do a quick search of logos in your industry, look for patterns and avoid copying them. If you do the same as others in your space, you lose the opportunity of getting noticed.
Successful logos stand out from the crowd by being different, original and memorable.
3. Think Versatility
A logo needs to be versatile and adaptable. It’s important to think of all the places you’ll be using your logo and ensure it looks good across each of them.
Reinforcing the importance of simplicity, if you include too much detail in your logo it will make it harder to scale down to a small size.
The general rule of thumb is that your logo should be able to work and be legible at any size and with any colour or background. That means it needs to look good in black and white with no effects. This is your logo’s simplest form. Is it still unique and memorable? Does it still communicate your company’s voice?
4. Consider Psychology
Research into colour psychology shows people have emotional and psychological reactions when viewing colours. Red is associated with excitement, energy and passion, yellow with optimism, creativity and extroversion. The colour you choose for your logo matters just as much as its overall design.
Certain colours are often associated with specific industries, so considering the subconscious is essential. It can play a big part in a person’s choices about what they do and don’t buy.
Taking the medical/health industries as an example, many organisations in these sectors opt for blue colour schemes to promote cleanliness and health. As well as this, blue can convey a sense of credibility, trust and professionalism.
Similar to colour psychology, font psychology revolves around how people react emotionally and psychologically to the type of text used.
There are a multitude of fonts to choose from, all of which fall into different categories, including the following:
Short vs. tall: sturdiness and security vs. elegance and luxury
Condensed vs. spacious: tightness and closeness vs. openness and relaxation
Lowercase vs. uppercase: empathy and innovation vs. strength and mightiness
Italicised vs. straight: movement and efficiency vs. rigidity and structure
Light vs. bold: thinness and beauty vs. masculinity and strength
Round vs. angular: comfort and softness vs. formality and stiffness
From font choice to imagery and colour, the psychological impact created by a logo can significantly affect a person’s decision as to whether they are drawn in by it, so understanding your audience is important.
5. Be Timeless
A logo needs to be different enough to attract attention and memorable enough to remain in people’s minds.
Do a quick search of logos in your industry, look for patterns and avoid copying them. If you do the same as others in your space, you lose the opportunity of getting noticed.
Successful logos stand out from the crowd by being different, original and memorable.
Final thoughts...
Logo design is by no means the only element in successful branding, but it’s one that needs to be right from the outset because it’s often at the heart of the wider brand strategy.
Your logo reflects your brand’s voice and face, carrying a lot of responsibility on your behalf. When done well, logos build lasting relationships between companies and customers.
Creating a relevant, distinct and enduring logo needs to be done with careful consideration. By taking the above principles into account when designing a logo, you’ll maximise the chances of it becoming memorable for all the right reasons.
Every brand deserves a great logo. If you’re creating a logo for a new business or thinking of redesigning an existing logo, we’d love to help. Get in touch with our friendly team at hello@arkencreative.co.uk or call us on 01786 445022 to chat through your requirements.
Click here to see some of the branding projects we have worked on.