Did you know that over 92% of customers say that the visual appeal of a product or brand is the biggest influence on whether or not they make a purchase?
What about the fact that colors can be used to increase your brand recognition by about 80%?
Unfortunately, about 54% of people say they don’t really trust brands.
What can you do to change this?
To start, you need to create your own logo that communicates a message of consumer trust, uses the psychology of colors, clearly relates to your brand, and leaves a memorable impression.
To get a little inspiration, take a look at this list of some of the most recognizable brand logos of all time.
Think about what they have in common, then think about how you can use what you’ve learned to inform your own logo design.
Of course, the process to create your own logo isn’t always that simple.
That’s why we’ve created this post, which gathers 10 of the best tips out there to help you create your own logo.
1. Try Using An Online Logo Maker
When you’re trying to create your own logo, you’ll probably need to go through lots of “text runs” to figure out which of your ideas looks the best.
Or maybe you just have no idea how to get started and are looking for a little inspiration.
Awesome (and frankly, fun!) tools like this online logo maker take the guesswork and stress out of creating your own logo.
They let you choose your own text, fonts and sizes, colors, and symbols.
If you’ve already got a pretty good idea for the central image of your logo, or if you’re just re-doing a current logo design, you can easily upload your image into the new logo you’re designing.
Especially if you’re trying to compare potential branding images and logo designs, this tool is invaluable.
Not to mention, it’s a lot less expensive than constantly creating and printing up potential logo designs, only to see that they’re not going to work.
Plus, a design tool allows you to discover possibilities you hadn’t previously thought of, like adjusting the location of text or switching up your image size.
The possibilities are endless!
2. Really Think About Your Color Choice
As we already mentioned briefly in our introduction, when you start to create your own logo, your color choices should be one of the first things you think about.
You need to think about the kinds of emotions you want your logo to make people feel. Then, you need to make sure that those emotions match with the overall mission of your branding.
For example, if you own a yoga studio, you probably don’t want to go for bright reds, dark blacks, and neon orange.
Those colors don’t exactly put people in a calm state of mind.
Instead, choose colors that really reflect what your brand is all about. If you need inspiration, take a look at your website. What colors do you see featured the most?
Look at your office. What colors have you painted your walls?
All these factors can help you make the right choice.
3. Avoid Fads
If you’ve decided to create your own logo, you need to make sure you’re doing just that – creating your own.
Remember that while fads and trendy designs may look great now, they don’t have a lot of staying power. Eventually, your logo is just going to end up looking dated.
Plus, in the meantime, even if following design trends makes your logo look “in the now,” it also means that your logo is going to look like everyone else’s.
That’s no way to set your brand apart.
4. Don’t Be Too Obvious
We know that, if you’ve decided to create your own logo, it can be tempting to go the literal route.
For example, if you’re a bookstore, you might want to include a picture of a person reading. If you’re an SEO company, maybe your first instinct is to show a picture of a person on a computer.
In the end, these literal “translations” of your services often just end up coming across as generic.
Remember, your image should complement your text and reinforce the overall message of your brand. Your logo needs to teach those who see it something new – not something they can guess from reading your company’s name.
5. Consider A Custom Font
Your logo has a very small space to make a big impression.
You can use typography or font to tell your customers more about your specific brand.
A font that’s uniquely yours will help to increase your brand recognition. It also says to customers that you really went the extra mile when you chose to create your own logo.
You don’t want it to look like you just picked the first font you saw off of a drop-down menu in Word.
6. Keep Things In Balance
When you create your own logo, you always want to make sure that things look proportional.
You need to make sure that all the different portions of the “frame” of your logo have something going on. You don’t want a viewer’s eye to only go to a part of your logo, you want them to be able to take it all in at once.
Again, this is where using a tool like a logo creator can be especially helpful. When it comes to creating a balanced composition, your logo design is not the time to just “eyeball it” and hope for the best!
Uneven measurements can make your brand look sloppy and unprofessional.
That’s not the kind of message you want to send to potential customers.
7. Be Able To Explain It
Trust us when we tell you – people are always going to ask you about the story behind your logo.
So, if you’ve just picked some random image that really doesn’t have a lot to do with your brand, people are going to notice.
When you decide on a design, especially if that design includes an object or a person, always be ready to explain the story behind your logo.
First of all, it’s a great jumping off point for telling people more about your brand, and it shows that you’ve really taken the time to consider your design.
You can even turn your logo into the mascot for your brand!
8. Focus On Conveying An Action
When you’re creating your logo, you don’t want to make it look boring. Instead, you need to create a message of action.
Ask yourself if there’s some way to involve an illustration of motion in your design. Do you have a bird? Why not make it look like it’s in flight?
Instead of showing a cash register, show someone making a purchase.
It may seem simple, but it helps to convey to viewers that you’re a company that’s always evolving and on the go.
9. Pick Something Versatile
When you’re designing your logo, keep in mind that it’s going to be placed on a variety of different things.
Marketing materials, your building, promotional swag, the Internet….the list goes on and on.
Make sure you’re creating a logo that will look good anywhere – and that will appeal to a wide range of people.
Especially if you don’t want to fall into the trap of having to re-design your logo from scratch every few years, pick something that you could easily make a different color or that you could quickly upgrade.
Think about how many different shades of the Apple logo you’ve seen over the years.
Try to create a design that has at least one area that you can quickly change without compromising the overall message of your brand. For example, if there’s a person in your logo, could you change the color of their outfit?
It’s a simple switch that will help your logo stand the test of time.
10. When In Doubt, Leave It Out
Finally, always remember that there’s nothing wrong with a simple and minimalist design.
In fact, it’s much better than having a logo that’s cluttered, visually confusing, or just plain aggressive.
Think about some of the most famous logos you know: an Apple. An arched “M.” A swoosh symbol.
Keeping their logo design simple certainly didn’t hurt these companies.
You’re Ready To Create Your Own Logo
We know it can be easy to get intimidated when you’re trying to design your own logo.
In reality, no one knows your brand better than you.
Take the time to sit down and brainstorm with your team when you’re coming up with ideas. Think about why you started your company in the first place, the problems you solve, and what sets you apart from your competitors.
Above all, focus on the main mission of your brand, and create a logo that reflects that using the tips in this article.
And never forget to always keep on testing your designs.
Use our logo creator to come up with the perfect solution, and one that you’ll be happy with for years to come.
