Logos are, hands down, the most powerful symbols of what brands stand for. They penetrate through cultural and language barriers, and you’d be surprised at how much money companies are willing to cough up to have the most memorable one. Would you believe that the BBC paid a monumental $1.8 billion for its logo?

It’s among the most memorable logos, along with Apple, Coca Cola, Nike, and McDonald’s. These logos are the face of their companies, as it should be. A logo should be part of a business that grabs attention and makes a great first impression. 

It should separate your brand from the competition, foster brand loyalty, and serve as the foundation of your brand. The question is, how do you create a recognizable logo in such a competitive world? This is exactly what we’ll discuss in this post, and guide you on how to make a successful logo for your brand. 

Understand the Brand

Before you go to the drawing board to brainstorm with your team, it’s imperative for you to understand your brand. The logo essentially represents the brand and creating one without knowing the brand can be a massive logo branding mistake. It would be like creating an image with no purpose.

Most of the memorable logos you have come across happen to have hidden meanings behind them or hidden right in the logo. FexEx, for instance, has an arrow between the letters E and X at the end, which signified speed and precision. The Amazon logo has a smile in between the A and Z, which is not just a smile, but an arrow indicating that the shopping giant sells everything from A to Z. 

It’s vital that you consider the attributes of the brand because it’s an introduction of your brand to customers. Consider your target market, your brand’s history, your competitors, and intended visual identity. It’s important that you take time and note down what emotions your brand evokes in people, your plans and aspirations, your company goals, and your brand ideology. 

Create a Logo That Stands Out

A successful logo is simply one that stands out enough to be memorable. Apple, for instance, has a logo that really stands out. The bite in the apple relates to the byte of the digital information the company deals with. Consumers like it even more for the double entendre and dual suggestion, making it one of the most memorable logos in the world. 

This means that to create a successful logo, you need to think of a unique symbol and be creative with the fonts, colors, and images you use with it. Do something quirky and break the conventional rules if you have to, but make sure you design something interesting enough to be captivating and memorable. Your logo should be recognizable in a pile of hundreds of other logos, so don’t be afraid to go all-in here with ideas. 

Use the Right Colors

Talking about colors, did you know that different colors have different psychological relations? The right colors will make your brand beautiful, intriguing, and bright. Bright and bold colors grab attention much faster, while muted colors ooze sophistication. 

You also need to consider the brand colors and company representations while considering colors because consumers have to associate the logo with the brand. Different colors have a different impact on human emotions, so you need to choose colors that evoke the emotions you want. Red, for instance, evokes the feelings of love, affection, and passion, while green evokes those of nature and growth. 

Blue, which is the most widely used logo color, represents professionalism and trustworthiness, while purple is associated with royalty. Pink represents femininity, and the ever-powerful black represents power, authority, and credibility. 

Choose the Right Kind of Logo

What kind of logo will be most suitable for your brand? There are many different types of logos, and this is a question you should ponder before settling on the right one. Essentially, you can use lettermarks, pictorial marks, abstract marks, an emblem, a mascot, or a combination logo. Some great examples of lettermark logos include IBM and NASA, and wordmark logos include Visa and Google. 

Graphic logos, on the other hand, are like the Apple logo, mascot logos have some mascot like KFC, emblem logos have a flag in them, combination logos have two different types, and abstract logos can be defined in more ways than one, such as Pepsi. Choose the right one, depending on the personality of your brand and the message you want to convey. Beyond that, you have to consider what typeface and font will go well with your type of logo. 

Go for a Simple Design

When it comes to logos, the simple ones are the most memorable logos, and for obvious reasons. Most people only take a glance at most graphics, and you need to ensure that what they see within that glance is memorable and will be recognizable the next time they see it. A simple design is one that consumers find appealing without having to define or figure out the hidden meaning.

Don’t get this wrong, though, because simplicity and ordinary are two different things. Make your logo design simple, but quirky to the extent that makes it one of the most recognizable logos your target audience comes across. Come up with something eye-catching, and you can use it on your brand for years to come. 

Create Something Long-Lasting

Talking about years to come, you need to create a logo that will scale with you over the years, regardless of how much your business grows. Your audience may not like it if you change your logo years from now. Take GAP, for instance, that chose to change its logo a few years back, which really backfired after their audience complained too much about it.

Once your business grows, your audience will grow emotionally attached to your brand, and they will always want the logo they relate to. This is why most global brands have had their logos for decades, some only tweaking them a little when they rebuild their brands. 

Ensure You Test It in Black and While and for Scalability

Logos usually remain in back and white in newspapers, documents, stationery, and other promotional products. The logo you design may look exceptional with the right colors, but not so memorable or recognizable in black and white. This means that your logo needs to leave as much impact in black and white as it does in colors. 

Try designing your logo in pencil sketches first, after which you can add the colors of your choice, to meet both goals. Beyond that, it’s also vital that you test it for scalability and ensure it would fit well in a small stamp or a humongous billboard, and still retain its beauty and message. Use a secure online fax and send your final designs to experts for an honest review before you make it official. 

Creating Memorable Logos: This Is How You Do It

With these tips, creating memorable logos becomes much easier. There are so many businesses around, each one with its own logo, so you need to ensure that you create something unique that works well with your brand. 

For more incredible and informative content, please check out our blog section, where we have so much more. 

“Can you design a logo for us?”

These 7 little words can be awfully intimidating if you’re new to logo design. Where do you start? What if they don’t like it? 

Professionals have a process that they follow, so they’re never left asking these questions. 

Keep reading to learn all about the logo design process.

Brief the Client

The first and most important step of this entire process is to talk to the client! Clients want to be part of the process and to feel like they have a say, so sitting down and talking about their ideas is vital. 

Ask your client questions:

• What does your brand represent?
• Who is your brand’s audience or clients?
• What are the goals of your business?
• What makes you different from other businesses?

The answers to these questions will help you know what your clients want to say with the logo.

Additionally, you should verify with the client what type of logo they are looking for. 

• Abstract
• Pictorial
• Wordmark
• Combination Mark

Be sure to get an idea of which ones they would like. Logos will serve different purposes. So if they’re looking for a website header logo, that will be very different than a storefront logo.

Research

The next step is to research. What are competitors in the same field doing? How can you design something unique and better than what the competitors have?

This is a critical step! The last thing you want to do is preset a client with a logo that’s similar or not as nice as a competitor’s.

Brainstorming and Sketching

It’s time to start designing! You’ll want to start by brainstorming through your favorite method. Maybe this is a lot of post-it notes on your wall or a mind map.

It can help to visualize words that are associated with your client’s brand. Brainstorming and sketching will be a very intuitive process that comes with experience, but if you need some inspiration, head to Pinterest. 

Another great way to brainstorm is to create a mood board that represents the brand. 

Digitalize the Design

Once you have a rough sketch, you’ll want to take to an online program to start digitizing the design. Programs like Adobe Illustrator are the industry standard, but if you work in an HTML program and need to move from html to pdf converter c# to send materials to your client, that is always an option.

Presentation

The final step (unless edits need to be made) is to present the logo! 

Along with the logo, many designers will also send a color palette and other types of logos, depending on what the client paid for. 

Create Your Logo Design Process Today

Now that you know how to create a logo design process, start making it your own today. Each designer’s process will be different and will vary by client and experience. 

If you’re still not sure about the process, keep reading to learn more on our blog!

Any type of creative business needs to have cutting edge branding material. Even if they provide non-graphic services, such as content, the way they look online has a huge impact on their reputation. 

All brand personas start with a logo. This symbol is a unique identifier that forms a mental connection between a business and consumers. 

If you own a creative organization, it’s critical to design an ideal logo before you fully brand yourself. Your logo will be a constant on all your marketing materials.

Keep reading to learn seven tips for creating a logo that sets you apart.  

1. Understand Your Brand

It’s easy to jump the gun on your logo design because you want to get the process over with. However, it’s important you first understand your brand. This means pinpointing your target audience. 

Think about what type of people require your service. If it helps, make a list of reasons why a person would hire you. Doing so will help expose your target client. 

Then, think about your industry. Does your product create an emotional response or is it strictly technical? This factor has a huge impact on the vibe your logo should convey. 

Finally, consider what your business is all about. If you’re forward-thinking, your logo should be ultra-modern. If you’re traditional, you may be able to get away with a classic approach to branding. 

2. It’s All About Style

Once you’ve nailed down what kind of branding approach you’re going to take, you can start thinking about logo style. This refers to the aesthetic your logo design will have. 

If you’re not in the graphic design industry, it’ll surprise you how many logo styles are out there. Professional designers can take things in any direction. 

You may opt for a pictorial mark, which is a symbol used to represent your business. On the other side of the spectrum, a wood mark incorporates the name of your business. 

If you want to convey a fun, playful tone, consider using a mascot as your logo. You could also go abstract and use geometric shapes that send an effective message. 

This can be a tough decision, so don’t hesitate to hire a creative agency to help you out. 

3. Embrace Simplicity

Many businesses make the mistake of trying to “wow” their audience with a logo. The result is often overwhelming to the eye, which is a no-no when it comes to logo design. 

The opposite approach (simplicity) is better. A clean, subtle logo can be much more effective than a bunch of bells and whistles.

Don’t be afraid to use white space when coming up with logo prototypes. A well-positioned symbol with a sharp design can be very attractive. 

The primary thing to keep in mind is that your logo should be straightforward. All it needs to do is get the message across and stick in people’s minds.  

Consider the logos for companies like Apple, Target, and Twitter. They use one or two colors and a lot of white space. It’s all about the execution. 

4. The Science of Color

Even if you’re going for the most minimal logo possible, the colors you use are critical. Colors can evoke emotional responses, which means you need to spend a lot of time thinking about which ones to use. 

You’ll need to consider what kind of business you are when deciding on a color. This is your chance to convey compassion, creativity, assertiveness, empathy, or any other feeling. 

Blue is always good for creative businesses. It evokes collaboration, innovation, and intelligence. 

Red is a strong, energetic color. However, it’s loud and can evoke aggression, so be careful with how you use it.

Muted or earthy tones evoke classiness and trustworthiness. Black is always good for conveying power and credibility. 

5. Fun With Fonts

This is another element that’s easy to gloss over. However, the typography of your logo speaks volumes. 

Fonts have the power to exude personality. This is your chance to get creative and set yourself apart from the competition. 

The great thing is, there are thousands of fonts to choose from. Look for a program that provides you with a good selection. 

Like the other elements of a logo we’ve discussed, you’ll need to think about your business persona when choosing a font. You’ll also need to make sure there’s no mistaking what your font says. Remember, your business name is foreign to many people. 

6. Make a Lasting Impression

Your ultimate goal is to create a logo that’s unique and eye-catching. Unfortunately, this is hard to do in today’s competitive marketplace where seemingly countless businesses are vying for attention.

Take a look at the logos of your closest competitors. Write down what stands out about them and what you feel they lack. 

Then, brainstorm a logo concept using your business principles and with your target audience in mind. You’ll need to come up with several mock-ups and revise them. 

Don’t hesitate to get other employees’ opinions. There’s always a chance someone will provide a perspective you’ve never considered. 

Once you have a final prototype, show it to people and ask for their impression of it. If it’s not getting the reaction you want, keep working on it. 

7. Scalability

Your final logo will go on all your marketing materials. It needs to be easily scalable. 

This means that when it gets sized up or down, it will still look good. You wouldn’t want to add it to a print advertisement and realize after the fact that you can’t read the tagline. 

You’ll need to work with a graphic designer to ensure good logo scalability. They have the software and knowledge needed to do this. 

It’s also important to keep in mind that your logo will need to go on your website. Make sure you design something that looks good in a digital format and doesn’t have too much information included. 

Start Designing Your Ideal Logo Today

Even if you plan to work with a professional graphic designer, you can start thinking about your ideal logo concept now. Going in with a good sense of what you want will prove helpful.

Use the tips discussed above and create a logo that makes your business stand out. 

We hope this article has been informative. Browse our site for additional design-related content and more.

As a business, using promotional giveaways to convert new customers and boost your reputation is a no-brainer. They’re affordable, fun, and create instant interaction with customers.  

T-shirts are a favorite among consumers. However, creating a good design isn’t as easy as it seems. 

That last thing you want to do is produce a shirt that doesn’t get peoples’ attention. That’s why we’re discussing five tips for coming up with great t-shirt design ideas. 

1. Think About Your Target Audience 

Before you start thinking about designs, it’s important to consider your target audience. Your t-shirt will prove more effective if it appeals to people interested in your business. 

For example, if your target audience is young men, a promotional shirt that employs current men’s fashion trends will attract more eyes. Winners of your giveaway are also more likely to wear the shirt. 

If you’re not sure about your target audience, start by creating a customer profile.  This will help you better understand who to focus on. 

2. Consider Your Current Branding 

When it comes to branding and marketing strategies, consistency is critical. Using elements of your current branding in your shirt design is a great way to establish a solid reputation. 

Think about things like your business colors and logos when designing your shirt. Incorporating these will help increase brand recognition and make your shirt memorable. 

Keep in mind that you don’t have to force your brand down peoples’ throats. Subtlety can work to your benefit.  

3. Brainstorm With Your Team 

When you’re coming up with a design, it helps to get many brains involved. Trying to create something on your own may prove difficult and result in a lackluster design. 

Ask several people on your marketing team to submit a few ideas. Then, have a meeting and look at everyone’s concepts together. 

Gauging everyone’s reaction to each design is a great way to narrow down your options. After that, the team can start revising the idea until you’ve created the perfect shirt. 

4. Be Creative With Color

When it comes to clothing, color is the best way to get attention. However, you need to be sure you don’t go overboard. 

Think of the fabric of your t-shirt as the background color. What your printing on it should stand out well and compliment it at the same time.

Avoid creating a t-shirt that’s hard to read. If you want to make a huge impression, companies like Flashion Statement create shirts with LED printing. 

5. Originality is Your Best Friend 

If you want to stand out, you need to be unique. This may seem hard to do if you’ve never designed a t-shirt before. 

It doesn’t hurt to look at your competition and see what they’re doing. Just make sure you don’t mimic their designs.  

Check out old-school t-shirt designs and put a modern spin on a classic design element. Or, be abstract and come up with something people have to think about. 

Make Your T-shirt Design Ideas Turn Heads

A promotional giveaway is only effective if the item you’re featuring is attractive to your audience. Before you start printing your t-shirts, make sure your design pops. 

Use these tips for creating awesome t-shirt design ideas and make your giveaway a success. 

We hope you’ve found this article informative. Feel free to browse our site for additional information on graphic design.