A logo is just one part of your brand's identity. While it serves as a
recognizable symbol of your business, branding covers much more — it’s about
creating an overall experience through the vibe, culture, language, and
emotional connection you establish with your customers. Your logo helps people
identify your products and marketing materials, but it's only one visual
element of your brand.
Before diving into logo creation or consulting a designer, it’s essential to start with a mood board. This collection of images should capture the desired vibe and feel of your brand. Make sure these visuals resonate with your industry and target audience, and don’t be afraid to think outside the box.
Reflect on your brand’s essence: who you are, what you offer, how you assist people, and what sets you apart from competitors. Consider your brand’s persona — if it were a person, what words and imagery would best represent it? Additionally, think about the meanings of different colours and the emotions they evoke to ensure they align with your brand’s identity.
What does it say about your business?
Your logo doesn’t need to transmit everything about your brand, but it should still communicate something meaningful. Consider what your logo is saying — whether it's luxury, sustainability, or giving a hint about your industry and offerings. Logos often have more impact when the message is understated yet clear. Focus on one key aspect you want your logo to express and ensure it does so effectively.
Avoid confusion. For example, if you sell candles, your logo shouldn't suggest the hospitality industry. Likewise, if you offer luxury vegan soap and lotions, don't emphasize the vegan aspect so much that the logo loses its luxurious feel and starts to resemble a chain store brand. Finding the right balance is crucial for ensuring that your logo both accurately and attractively represents your brand.
Brand positioning
Does the style and feel of your logo match the way you want to position
your brand? Are you aiming for a high-end luxury image? Or perhaps something
down-to-earth and approachable, or discount, cheap and cheerful? Consider how
you want to position your brand and the level of expertise and offerings you
provide. Ensure your logo expresses this accurately and isn't sending the wrong
message.
Ensure the logo is versatile and effective across all materials
Consider the various ways the logo will be utilized. It should remain attractive and recognizable when scaled down for business cards, displayed on website banners, showcased on social media, and enlarged for posters, window displays, or shop signs. Reflect on your logo's adaptability, ensuring it maintains its appeal and clarity across all intended uses.
Design Principles
Timeless design follows core principles: balance, harmony, emphasis, contrast, pattern, shape, form, line, scale, rhythm, space, value, colour, and texture. Understanding these basics provides a solid foundation for evaluating and improving designs.
When reviewing logo concepts, consider these principles. Ensure the design is balanced, harmonious, and properly spaced. Check the scale of the logo relative to the tagline. Rather than abandoning an idea that feels off, apply these principles to refine it.
Vector graphics
Logos need to be scalable. Vector graphics, made of points, maintain quality at any size and are easier to adapt. Pixel graphics, made of squares, only look good at their original size and smaller. Enlarging pixel logos causes quality loss. While pixel graphics are useful for certain effects, vector graphics offer greater variety.
Test your logo in black and white, especially if it’s colourful. This ensures it remains effective when printed in black and white.
Ensure it remains relevant
The best logos are enduring, designed to last 10-15 years, not just 2. While it’s tempting to follow trends and use the latest fonts and styles, these can quickly make your logo look outdated. Save design trends for your promotional materials, which are more transient. Your logo, however, needs longevity.
Although it can be refined over time, you shouldn’t have to redesign it from scratch every few years. A consistent logo becomes a recognizable symbol of your business, even if your marketing, website, and packaging evolve. Aim for timeless that represent your brand rather than temporary trends.
There’s no right or wrong way, so experiment and try to enjoy the journey!