What makes a good logo design is always going to be based on an opinion and even though some aspects of logo design may depend on personal taste, there are some basic elements that always go in to creating a good logo design.
It is agreed by most logo designers that an effective logo will be timeless, memorable, versatile, flexible and appropriate. Incorporate all of these ingredients and you should have yourself the perfect logo!
A professional logo designer will use all of their skill, talent and experience to get these elements into every logo they design, and if you want a good logo design you need to the professionals in and stay away from those free logo makers. And as my colleague Marek explains in his article ‘Why free logo makers cost you more than a professional’, the value for money you get with a professional logo design is always worth it.
Timeless Logo Design
One of the most important aspects of a strong logo is to make it timeless. You need to consider the longevity of your business; the hope is that your logo will defy time and will remain effective for years to come.
To allow your logo to age well, you need to avoid trends like the plague. Although they may seem fresh and exciting right now, in a couple of years they will make your logo look dated.
For example typewriter style fonts have been used all over the place for the last couple of years, but unfortunately that’s the catch with trends – because they are so popular they are seen everywhere and are over-used. Therefore using an element within your logo which is a current trend will result in people seeing your logo and being reminded of something else – there is no individuality involved in following a trend.
Be unique and make something completely your own.
Memorable Logo Design
To make your logo memorable, it not only needs to be visually appealing, but needs to make an impact. Some basic design concepts come into play here e.g. visual contrast, use of colour etc. However simplicity is probably the most effective way to make a logo distinctive and memorable. The more complicated and fussy a logo becomes, the less recognisable it is, e.g. consider the simplicity of huge brands such as McDonalds and Nike. Simplicity also needs to be thought about in regards to the company name and accompanying slogan. This can also be explained in terms of the human memory – if you were asked to remember 12 words and had to repeat them after 10 minutes, you may struggle. However if you only needed to remember 5 or 6, it would be a lot easier to recall. Its common sense really – the less elements that are incorporated – the more memorable and recognisable your logo will be.
Versatile Logo Design
Your logo needs to be versatile. Consider all the places your logo may be used – colour may not always be an option, especially if printed in a newspaper. Although colour is a strong element in your logo’s message, the concept should be strong enough for your logo to stand alone in black and white. Think carefully about the shape of your logo and the amount of colours used – stick to one or two colours. The more colours that are used, the less distinctive it will be in black and white. Don’t rely just on colour to make your impact. It’s also important to consider that colour printing is a lot more expensive in the longterm than black and white.
Scalable Logo Design
When considering the design for your logo, remember that it may need to be scaled up and down. The concept needs to remain clear and strong whatever size it may be. Your logo may need to be small enough to fit onto a business card, but may also need to be large enough to fit on a billboard. The flexibility of the logo depends on its simplicity – an over complicated logo will not have a strong impact either on a small or large scale.
Appropriate Logo Design
Keep your logo appropriate and relevant to your industry; ensure that it will appeal to your target consumer. Perhaps do some simple market research to discover what colours/shapes/fonts are most attractive to your target demographic. However, also remember that your logo doesn’t need to spell out what it is that you do; for example just because you are a gardening service it doesn’t mean you should have the image of a trowel in your logo. Think about some of the brand giants – does Mercedes have an icon of a car? Does Apple have the icon of a computer? Again this comes back to being timeless – keep it simple. If you make your logo too specific to what your business does then it poses the risk of becoming irrelevant in the future should your business diversify and branch out into other areas. However, the logo still needs to represent your brand and its values in one instant – your logo is the foundation of your business’s identity, and should symbolize your central brand values, so don’t make it too vague.
Conclusion
Overall, what makes a good logo design is simple, distinct, striking and memorable design. But factors like longevity, versatility and flexibility must not be overlooked as they are very important in the long run. To make sure your logo stands out from the crowd and creates a lasting impression, ensure it conveys your brand identity as well as being visually effective and powerful. And there you have it! Our tips on What Makes A Good Logo Design.
And now you know what makes a good logo design, why not think about what your logo says about you, with our blog ‘Functional or fussy: what does your logo say about you?’ where we look at what the latest research says about how people perceive you based on how many colours your logo uses, what kind of font and the impact of your graphics.
