Your brand logo is undoubtedly one of the most important parts of your business. It’s a visual representation of your company, and you’ll find you need it on all sorts of things such as; email signatures, merchandise, store fronts, letterheads, etc.
Think about it, when was the last time you last time you saw a business without a logo? All businesses need a logo, and if you don’t have one (or if you don’t think your logo is strong enough) it’s time to get designing a new one!
Your logo should show who you are, what you do, and even hint towards your brand values, personality and mission. A good logo should be memorable and eye-catching, but most of all, it should work for you and be personal to you.
Here are some top tips to help you create a winning logo for your brand…
Tip 1: Define your business
Part of getting your business logo right, is understanding what exactly your business does. This means boiling it all down to a few key things, or maybe a few key words. These keywords will be the building block for your logo, and will point you in the right direction towards any decision features or visual choices. For example, if your business is a children’s clothing store, your keywords would be ‘children’ and ‘clothing’. These are the main things you want to obvious and evident in your logo, as well as you brand name (of course!). Here are some questions to ask yourself:
- What makes my brand special?
- What do we offer that no-one else does?
- What 3 words would I describe my business with?
Tip 2: Look for inspiration
Our next tip, would be to look for inspiration from other brands and businesses. You can look at similar brands (we definitely recommend doing this!) but it’s also helpful to look at bigger businesses in your industry to see what they’re doing. It’s great to look at other designs for inspiration, and you’ll be surprised how ideas can evolve and what thoughts can emerge when you’re feeling creative! Of course, try not to copy off other logos directly, but make a note of inspiration and aspects of different designs you love.
Tip 3: Consider colour choice
The colour of your logo will probably be a big part of your design, so start thinking about the colour relatively early on. Lots of brands are iconic for their colour choice (Coca-Cola for example are known for their red logo). Choosing the right colours can help your logo pop!
Tip 4: Have a brainstorm
Having a brainstorm is a great way to think of lots of ideas. Sit down on your own (or with some colleagues) and draw out and write out your ideas. Let everyone contribute to the discussion and get every idea and contribution onto the table. You’ll be surprised what pops up, what you like and what you don’t. It’s also great to get ideas out onto the table so you can start comparing ideas and comparing different people’s interpretations of the brand. Give everyone a pen or a pencil, and experiment with drawing out ideas and having fun!
Tip 5: Think about your audience
When designing your logo, think about who your audience are and what kind of logo they’ll be drawn too. For example, if your audience is corporate B2B execs, you’ll want the logo to look super professional and in-keeping with the other corporate brands. For children’s brands, you’ll want to be colourful and eye-catching – and the exact opposite of corporate! If you’re unsure about what your audience would like – don’t be afraid to ask them! Get your customer’s feedback on your logo!
Tip 6: Don’t be afraid to get creative
Often we have preconceived ideas of what a logo should look like, or what is acceptable in the logo world. But don’t be afraid to get creative and experiment. Sometimes the best logos and the most memorable logos are the ones that are more creative and more ‘outside the box’. If you’re feeling a bit creatively-stuck, then get a professional onboard and don’t be afraid to ask for help! We can’t all be creative, so if you find yourself lacking in inspiration, get someone onboard who can help.
