🔮Foolproof tips for creating a great logo!

There is a lot to creating a great logo. It is a complex, creative process that calls for graphic design skills.

Any designer can create a logo, but only an excellent designer can create an excellent logo: one that follows the principles of communication and is truly unforgettable.

Logos are just one aspect of branding, but they are the centrepiece of a company's brand. When the perfect logo meets an outstanding product or service, it becomes a powerful asset for the business. The Nike swoosh, McDonald's golden arches and the Michelin Man are some of the world's best-known and most impactful logos. Can you do the same?

Here are a few tips for designing a great logo.

1. Client briefings

Designers learn very different things on each project. Every client is different from the last and, even within the same profession, designers work in different ways.

But there is something every designer should do: meet clients and understand exactly how their brand is positioned, why they want a new logo (if that is the case), what they do and how they do it, among other essential questions.

These questions seem easy, but are often difficult to answer. What you discover about the brand or business at the start is crucial in pointing the designer in the right direction.

2. Sketches, lots of sketches

Using rough paper to put ideas down is essential to the creative process. Always keep a notebook handy so that you can immediately record an idea when it comes to you. Yes, even on your bedside table! Many good ideas come during sleep or on waking.

3. Work in black and white

Leaving colour until later helps the designer stay focused on the core idea, and it is simpler too. The right colours might turn a weak idea into a worthwhile logo, whereas a good logo always looks good, whatever the shades.

Picture a familiar logo. Think about it. We remember its shape, not its colour. The lines, shapes and idea immediately spring to mind, whether it is an apple with a bite taken out or three parallel stripes.

4. Adapt to the target audience

A logo should be relevant to the ideas and activities it represents. An elegant typeface suits a five-star restaurant or hotel better than a children's hospital. A fluorescent pink or yellow palette is not appropriate for a business aimed at retirees.

Creating a logo that resembles a swastika does not go down well, as we all know, but sometimes it is difficult to avoid certain mistakes.

Adapting shapes, colours and content to the message the brand wants to convey is crucial.

5. Make it memorable

Simplicity makes recognition easier, especially when so many brands are competing for potential customers' attention. When a designer creates a logo, it should give the brand a chance to be remembered after just a glance.

6. Stand apart from what already exists

When your client's competitors favour a particular typeface or the same colours, do something completely different. This gives you a chance to set the company apart from its competitors rather than blending in.

Similarities in the market do not mean the designer's job has become easier. On the contrary, they mean the client and designer should stand out by being different. Take a risk.

7. See the bigger picture

We very rarely see a logo in isolation, outside the context of a website, business card or app. That is why presenting a logo to a client should take account of how it will appear to potential buyers of their product or service.

It is important to show the design as part of an OOH (out-of-home) advertising campaign or without its symbol, as well as choosing a typeface that can be used in advertising headlines.

8. Do not be literal

A logo does not necessarily have to show what a company does. In fact, the more abstract the shape, the more likely it is to be timeless. Historically, a factory might have been depicted, or a family crest for a family business. Instead, symbols do not show exactly what is made or done, but represent who makes or does it. Take Mercedes as an example.

9. Symbols are not essential

Logos featuring the company name generally do their job, especially with unique names such as Google or Pirelli. But a version of the logo that works at a small size will always help.

You can do this by using one of the letters in the name in the same colour, or by incorporating a symbol that can serve as a secondary element, rather than the traditional symbol beside or above the name.

When lettering serves as the logo, remember legibility and show the client that the design works at any size or weight.

10. Make people smile

Taking a few risks in your work not only makes it more fun, but also helps the client be more successful. It is not something you would recommend in every profession, but as a designer you have the chance to work with less formal businesses.

Even if you are creating a logo for a law firm or a financial company, adding a little humour to the client's identity helps them stand out from the competition.

But, importantly, keep the balance right. Subtle humour can attract customers, while bad taste has the opposite effect.

This is not possible with an extremely complex logo.

A brand should focus on its concept and story. The logo should express that concept through simple shapes, as well as adapting to a wide range of sizes and uses.

Want to make a difference with a new logo? Get in touch!