5 Tips for Good Logo Designs
Your logo is the most recognizable part of your organization’s identity. It must represent you all by itself, while at the same time imparting your overall brand. (For an explanation of brand vs. identity, click here.) It hints at company culture. It suggests organizational attitude. It quietly reminds everyone who sees it that you are standing by, ready for their call.
For all these reasons, we firmly believe that logo design should be left to the professionals. Funds spent on a professional logo design are funds well spent. You don’t have to hire us, but please, hire someone. Once you do, and you are considering your options, here are a few things you should think about:
Buck the Trends. Don’t worry about what everyone else in your industry is doing. Trendy logos get stale fast. For a glimpse of the design trends that will be tired a year from now, check out logolounge.com. A professional logo designer will work with you to examine your brand and then develop a design that represent you well for years to come.
Shape and Scale. One of the reasons you need a logo is so that you can put it on things. From event programs to coffee mugs, your logo needs to be versatile in both shape and scale. Consider the two extremes: a Facebook icon and a billboard. A tall, skinny logo won’t fit on either. A long, short logo might work on the billboard, but not on Facebook. A good logo doesn’t need to be perfectly square (or round), but designing a well balanced shape that is recognizable at any size, is critical.
Take Care with Color. Color is great, when you can use it, but you won’t always be able to. Your logo will be printed in black and white at some point. A good logo is just as recognizable in black and white as it is in 
color. Ideally, your logo will also work in reverse, should you need it to (check out how the Nike swoosh works either way).
Be Bold. By bold we not only mean that logo designs should avoid tiny lines that won’t translate well in small formats. We also mean to suggest that you need not design a logo that matches your business too closely. Pizza companies don’t have to use a slice of pizza in their logo. Airlines need not use an image of an airplane. Consider the Nike swoosh again. It in no way suggests a shoe, but it does what athletic shoes do – it lifts up, looks active, has strength. This is bold logo design.
Be Appropriate. Consider this a counter point to “Be Bold.” You don’t have to do what everyone else in the industry is doing, but it is wise to consider how your logo will be perceived. For instance, you wouldn’t want to use a childish font for an investment banking firm, or a shape with sharp points for an infant clothing line. Balance your boldness.
Logos are a critical part of any branding effort. You won’t regret taking the time to get yours right.