In this economy, where traditional jobs are harder and harder to come by, more and more people are turning to entrepreneurship as a means of generating income. This can be both frightening and exciting, but you can maximize your fun as a business owner by seeking advice from people who have traveled the road before you. YouTube videos can help you design a simple website, entrepreneurial blogs can help you pack your page with useful SEO words, and affordable software programs can help you manage your finances. But for designing something as personal and vital as a company logo, there are no concrete steps to follow – just a few helpful tips that can increase your confidence in the process from start to finish. Here are some key points about what makes a winning company logo.
There are four simple things that every effective logo must embody: (a) describability, (b) memorability, (c) scalability, and (d) the ability to be effective without color.
A: To achieve a “describable” effect, your logo should not be overly complicated. Look at such successful logos as the Nike “swoosh” or the Facebook “f.” There is nothing dazzlingly complex about these symbols. You could sum them up with a brief description. This is part of what makes them effective.
B: To make a logo “memorable,” there are a few things to consider. First, simple, bold designs are usually preferable. More complex designs are sometimes effective, only if they are beautifully, artfully done. But if you don’t have a world-class artist on your workforce, your best bet is to stick to some simple, clear, bold strokes. Think the YouTube logo, the Netflix logo, or Donna Karan’s DKNY. These instantly recognizable logos are clean, crisp, and instantly recognizable.
Another, equally important tip for creating a memorable logo is to burn it into your customer’s mind through relentless repetition. Put your logo everywhere. This is how the big boys do it. This is how you can make it work too.
Finally, don’t change your logo, ever, if possible.
C: What it means to have a “scalable” logo is simply that it can be shrunk to a mere centimeter in size, and still do its job.
D: To test out whether your logo is “effective even without color,” simply take your logo design and view it in grayscale. Does it still have an impact? If not, maybe you should go back to the drawing board and design a logo that is not so heavily dependent on color. This is important for times when your logo must appear in black and white, for example on the inside pages of a newspaper. In these instances, you will want it to be just as remarkable as it is in color.
These concepts are just the rudiments of effective logo design, but they are essential tests every good logo must pass. Another good way to get a firmer grip on what makes an appealing logo is to go through a multitude of company websites, taking note of their logos. The things that strike you as effective and impactful will probably strike the consumer that way too.
About Jenny DixonJennifer has been apart of the EliteFlyers.com team for over 15 years. She brings a deep understanding of web marketing, thoughtful strategies, that she's able to design, manage, print, deliver multi-media campaigns to meet all client's goals. Her personal portfolio includes high-end design and printing of business cards, flyers, post cards for elite businesses and individuals from all over the world.
