Commercial Ink - What's In a Logo?

What's In a Logo?

It usually only takes a few seconds for potential customers to make assumptions and opinions about your business, so a well designed logo can be critical as the first impression conveyed to your customers. Many people, business owners and customers alike, are unaware of the subliminal effects a logo can have. More influential than most realize, a logo has tremendous impact on consumers' decision to buy a product or service. It conveys your company's culture, presence, and image to everyone - vendors, manufacturers, customers, press, etc. Regardless of the size and affluence of your company, a clearly defined and dynamically designed logo will convey success and stability and can give your company a professional, "corporate" image.

Here are a few tips to consider when thinking about logo design:

Color has a dramatic effect on a company's logo.
Usually, a logo should have no more than 3 colors, chosen for a variety of reasons including psychological effects on the consumer. For example, financial institutions most likely go with darker blues and reds, because these colors represent success, stability and trust, whereas a restaurant logo will have colors that initiate hunger like orange, yellow, and red. Trendier colors, like pinks and greens, should be limited to niche industries. As much as colors are important to a well designed logo, the true test of a great logo is that it must look equally as good in black and white.
Another important aspect to consider is logo size.
A logo needs to look good in a large scale setting such as on billboards, advertisements, and store fronts, but the same logo needs to be versatile enough to be downsized for business cards, websites, and any other type of small scale printing and advertising. Basically, a logo needs to be effective, regardless of it's size, but always kept in proper proportion with other text or information that needs to be conveyed. As important as a logo is, it doesn't actually sell your product or service.
A logo needs to be relative to your company.
This may seem common sense, but it is not always the case with some companies. Your logo should be simple, recognizable, and effective at conveying your desired message to the public. It should reflect your company in a unique and honest way and should convey the right message to your customers.
Less is more.
This is a saying that is relative to most situations, and logo design is no different. A simple logo is recognized faster, and a clean, simple logo looks much better when reduced or enlarged. Keep in mind that simple does not have to mean boring. A logo can have a taste of the unexpected or subtle hints, without going overboard. A logo that makes the average consumer say "Oh I get it" is the subtlety balance one should look for.

Of course these are general logo design guidelines, but ones that even experienced logo designers neglect or forget. You may have a solid idea for your logo already, or you may have no concept whatsoever of what you want. Either way, a strong creative brief provided by your design team should give direction and overall clarity on the final goal - a logo that conveys you and your company exactly as your target consumers want to see it and begins a branding "snowball" effect that will lead to more sales and greater profits.

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