Every business needs a logo. Sometimes a business is just starting out and building out their marketing collateral. Other times, the business is rebranding and looking for a fresh take.<\/p>\n
No matter who your client is or how old the company, the logo development process is fairly consistent. There\u2019s always some competitor research involved. There are brand-related questions you\u2019ll ask every client.<\/p>\n
That said, there are some tricks that speed the process along and leave your clients happier in the long run.<\/p>\n
So let\u2019s dig deep into some areas of logo development and see if we can help to streamline your process.<\/p>\n
Before you draw your first sketch, you must research your client\u2019s competitors. It won\u2019t matter how great your design is if it resembles an existing logo.<\/p>\n
This isn\u2019t just a question of avoiding confusion, though that matters. A new logo that resembles an existing, better-established logo just works as a marketing tool for another business. You don\u2019t help your client by advertising for someone else.<\/p>\n
There\u2019s also a legal issue at play. Many businesses trademark their logo<\/a>. Give your client a logo that looks like someone else\u2019s and you create a potential legal problem.<\/p>\n No one will thank you for opening up that can of worms.<\/p>\n Of course, you can\u2019t possibly research every logo in existence. There\u2019s just too many of them. The best you can offer is a good faith effort at not recreating a competitor\u2019s logo.<\/p>\n You can\u2019t design an effective logo if you don\u2019t get what your client\u2019s brand is about. That doesn\u2019t mean you must read their mission statement, but it does warrant a conversation. Make sure you ask a few key questions, such as:<\/p>\n The answers to those questions will inform almost all of your design choices. A company that aims for a light, cheery brand isn\u2019t well-served by a heavy font or dark colors. A business with a reputation for cool professionalism is best served by capitalizing on that reputation.<\/p>\n There is no greater friend in logo development than simplicity. There are a few important reasons for that.<\/p>\n Remembering simple things is easier than remembering complex things. For example, almost everyone knows that 2 + 2 = 4. On the other hand, how many people remember the Quadratic Equation from their high school math classes?<\/p>\n It\u2019s more complicated and that makes it harder to remember.<\/p>\n Think of any images you create as symbolic. You\u2019re trying to evoke an idea, rather than paint a scene.<\/p>\n You can see a great example of simplicity at work in a logo over at The Marine Battery<\/a>. The anchor image is incredibly simple, but it evokes the idea of the sea.<\/p>\n Another key element of good logo development is not getting hung up on your first idea. Coming first doesn\u2019t make an idea good or even viable. On the whole, first ideas are either vague or overly ambitious.<\/p>\n The brain is pretty lazy when you get right down to it. If it can work less in reaching a goal, it will.<\/p>\n Say your new client is a self-employed bricklayer. Your brain probably jumped straight to a picture of a brick or brick wall.<\/p>\n What about a freelance writer? Your brain probably conjured an image of a keyboard or a pen.<\/p>\n The problem is that you almost certainly share most of the same cultural and social touchstones as your competitors. That means their brains also went straight to some variant of those images.<\/p>\n Think of your first few ideas as cobweb clearing exercises. They let you deal with the obvious and the derivative. Once you get through those, you can start the real creative work.<\/p>\n There is always the temptation to avoid color in logo development, but don\u2019t go there too fast. Color is a primary reason around 85% of customers<\/a> choose a product.<\/p>\n Again, the goal here is simplicity. Limit your palette<\/a> to a few colors. If the business already uses specific colors for it\u2019s marketing collateral, most of the decision is made for you. Consistency in branding more or less requires you stick with those colors.<\/p>\n If the business is new or hasn\u2019t settled on a color scheme, reference their answers about what their brand represents. Choose colors that dovetail with their intentions.<\/p>\n If all else fails, look at broader industry trends. Is there consistency in color choices? If so, start with those colors.<\/p>\n The client can always ask for different colors if they aren\u2019t happy.<\/p>\n You can\u2019t predict where a client will use a logo these days. For now, it might just go on their business cards and letterhead. It could turn up almost anywhere down the road, such as:<\/p>\nMake Sure You Understand Your Client\u2019s Brand<\/h2>\n
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Simplicity<\/h2>\n
Play Around with Several Ideas<\/h2>\n
Color<\/h2>\n
It Must Scale<\/h2>\n
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