Create a Successful Logo

Tips for Creating a Successful Logo Design

Branding
It’s not as easy as you might think! There’s a whole lot more that goes into creating a successful logo design. The first step, as always, begins with branding. Understanding your company’s point of differentiation, personality and competition will give you the tools you need to ensure that your logo isn’t just another me-too.

Naming
The second step, before we even get to design, is naming. A strong, unique name can make or break your company never mind your logo design. Working with a naming specialist and trademark or IP attorney guarantees that you carefully consider the legal ramifications and the protectability defensibility of your new corporate entity. So, choose carefully and make sure to vett any names before you fall in love with them.

Creative Brief
Next, develop a creative brief based on your results of your branding analysis. The three core branding personality attributes you developed in conjunction with your competitive/industry analysis as well as your customer archetype profile will guarantee a logo that wows them. Remember, certain industries are sans serif only or perhaps blue is the exclusive color for that group – while it’s important to look as through your company belongs with the pack, don’t forget to choose carefully which elements stand out and differentiate you from your competition.

Font
Choosing a logo font is a lot harder than you might think. The most important rule for your logo font to remember is that once you choose it, you can never ever use it again otherwise it will lose all of its unique value. So, resist the temptation to use in as your body font in your electronic letterhead or the header style for your website and marketing collateral!

Symbol
Developing a bug or symbol to accompany your logo type is your next challenge. By carefully considering your branding results and defining success against your brand personality attributes and customer demographic, you can ensure that it will be successful. Please don’t go the clip art route or get too cutesy unless that is core to your brand. If you don’t have the budget to hire a designer, you’re better off without a bug than one that is generic and makes your company appear to be of a lower quality.

Color
Selecting your color palette, believe it or not, is an equally critical component to the success of your logo design. Colors can evoke emotion, give credibility or surprise and delight. Again, color choices must absolutely be matched against your criteria for success: your customer archetype profile and brand personality attributes.

Results
If, after all this work, you now have a logo whose name is evocative and unique, whose font is distinct and not overused within your marketing material system, whose symbol is appropriate to your personality and easy to understand, and your color palette creates the wow effect you have been looking for, then you’ll know without a doubt that you have achieved your goal of successful logo design.