The logo is the face of your brand; therefore, it is essential that it meets a whole set of characteristics so that it is not only appropriate, but also impactful. So here are the steps you need to follow to create the perfect logo for your business.
It will appear on your website, on your products, in your marketing communications, on your store sign and virtually anywhere else (physical or digital) where people interact with your brand.
It may seem like a small resource, but it contains a lot.
Your brand values, offerings, the tone of voice, audience, industry, background and personality...
I'm talking about him, your logo.
If you are about to embark on a new business venture or intend to renovate an existing one, it is one of the most important aspects you should devote yourself to.
A logo gives you the opportunity to have a strong impact on the way consumers perceive your brand.
Its function goes far beyond just the visual aspect: as the heart of your branding efforts, your logo should represent the essence of your company's personality. It is important from the outset to present a clear and consistent statement about the message you want to communicate.
You will agree with me that there are generic logos in the world that we easily forget and fantastic logos that we will always be able to recognize.
But what makes a logo recognizable? What is in the design that can elicit a memory or even a specific emotion? What makes it truly unique and distinguishable?
Above all: where to start to design a perfect logo?
Here is the answer: here are 7 key steps (with some tips) to create a logo that not only reflects the value proposition of your company, but one that can also win the hearts of your customers.
What is a logo?
Okay, before we show you how to create a perfect logo, let's take a little step back.
What exactly is a logo?
This term is used loosely to define any image, symbol or design used by a company to visually represent its brand.
In other words, a logo is a brand consisting of text and images that helps you identify your offering.
And there is no question about that.
However, a logo is also much more than that.
A well-designed logo should speak to your audience, communicate a message and clearly indicate the tone and personality of your brand. It should also be memorable, unique and visually appealing.
Ideally, a logo will present you to the public by differentiating you from your competitors. It will be rich in meaning and perfectly communicate all of your company's values so that consumers can quickly decide if it is right for them and resonates with what they need.
Why do you need a perfect logo?
Before you start creating one, it is important that you are aware of why you need a logo that is effective.
A logo is what piques people's interest and makes them want to know more about you and what you offer-so don't you better present yourself to the best of your potential?
Creating a perfect logo is just as important as providing great products and services to your customers.
So here are 3 reasons why you need a logo for your business:
#1 Communicates your brand identity
As an important part of your branding strategy, a logo should convey a visual representation of your company's history and visually communicate its personality, values and messages.
#2 Makes you distinguishable
By making your logo unique and identifiable, you can stand out from the competition, highlighting the advantages of what you have to offer over everyone else. Because customers connect with you on an emotional level, your logo reinforces this positive connection and thus fosters the brand loyalty.
#3 Meets customer expectations
Consumers expect a reputable business to have one: it is what they use to identify your business, the first impression they have of you, that affects how they will perceive your brand from then on.
Such association, positive or negative, will help them decide whether your offer is suitable for them or not.
(Read also: Brand Awareness: what it means; Brand Positioning what it is and how it works (5 benefits); Who is the Brand Ambassador? 5 reasons why it is important)
How to create a perfect logo in 7 steps
Creating a perfect logo is not a simple matter because there are many aspects to consider.
Here are 7 essential steps that can help you do this.
#1 Start with your story
To make a profitable business, you must be able to sell yourself and your product; one of the most effective ways to do this is to use your story.
People are looking for connections, and they are more likely to find them not with your offer, but with what's behind it: go beyond what you do and explain why.
This will be the root of your identity and must then emerge from your logo.
The first phase then is research: start by delving into your brand values and defining your entire personality.
Answer questions such as:
- Why did you start this business?
- What are the beliefs and values that are important to your company?
- What can you do better than anyone else?
- What makes you special?
- If you could describe your brand in three words, what would they be?
- What are three words you would like your customers to use to describe you?
The distinguishing characteristics of your brand, that is, what is most important to you and what will be most recognizable to your customers, lie in these very answers.
Before you put pen to paper, before you choose the colors and aesthetics of your logo, ask yourself who you are, why you started your business, what values are important to you, and what sets you apart from your competitors.
Once you have a clear idea of this, it will be much easier for you to make design choices that complement and complement that image.
#2 Find inspiration
Inspiration famously comes in many forms.
To create a logo that is creative and inspiring, there are plenty of places to look-even those that don't necessarily have any direct connection to the graphic design.
The first source of inspiration comes from your brand itself and what you've been aware of in the previous stage of identifying its values and history. Write down the words that define its personality and think about what visual concepts illustrate them.
That said, there is nothing wrong with paying attention to existing logos and finding out what you like and what you don't, what works and what doesn't.
Remember, the point of turning to outside sources for inspiration is not to imitate or copy an existing idea. The point is to learn what you like and dislike, to train yourself to think outside the box, and to open your mind to creative possibilities.
That said, this is the ideal brainstorming phase: start with a few ideas and draw them out on paper. Don't worry about the details now, but rather focus on the concept and the overall feeling you intend to elicit.
Select the strongest ones that align with the brand identity and eliminate those that do not meet the criteria-but be sure not to be afraid to be daring with your imagination.
#3 Choose style
Now that you have some ideas, it's time to start translating your logo into design.
There are many different elements that come into play here, from colors to shapes and typography-I recommend that you attend to each component individually so that you can proceed step by step and not feel overwhelmed.
Well, the first thing to do is then to choose the right aesthetic for your brand: of course, there is no absolute best style, only the one that best fits what you want to communicate.
The style of your logo should go hand in hand with the overall feel of your brand. It is helpful to think about what kind of experience you want customers to have and the idea you intend to communicate.
So here are the main styles to opt for:
- Classic: generally simple and elegant, it communicates a sense of reliability and professionalism; it avoids trends and stands the test of time, sometimes reaching a wider audience;
- Retro or Vintage: with text, images and soft colors looking a bit "worn," it inspires a sense of nostalgia and reminds of the past; a vintage logo tells customers that history is important to you and that everything you sell is done well;
- Modern and minimalist: with minimal details, white space and simple lines, it communicates a fresh idea; translated into a sleek and essential logo, it shows your customers that your brand is up-to-date, cool and knows what matters;
- Funny and bizarre: a popular choice for brands with a young (or young at heart) target customer base; colorful, with symbols and illustrations that create a positive and friendly atmosphere, often even unconventional;
- Handmade and handcrafted: with handwritten characters, shapes and drawn illustrations, it conveys a clear message: this brand is independent and represents quality craftsmanship.
#4 Choose type
In addition to the general style, there are various types of logos you can choose from:
- Monogram: consists of letters, which are often brand initials (P&G for Procter and Gamble, VW for Volkswagen, or LV for Louis Vuitton); it is simple, but helps people remember the company behind theirs (especially useful if your name is very long or difficult to pronounce).
- Name logo (or logotype): is a character-based logo that shows the company name (think Visa, Disney or Jeep); using only your business name, without symbols or monograms, in an existing or custom typeface, this type of logo works best if you have a short, distinctive business name and no slogan.
- Pictorial logo: is what you think of when you hear the word "logo"; based on the graphics, is an easily recognizable iconographic image that represents your brand with a stylized symbol or design (think Apple apple).
- Abstract Logo: is conceptual and consists of a symbol made specifically for your company that does not refer to anything real but is designed to express the uniqueness of your brand (e.g. Airbnb, Microsoft or Pepsi).
- Mascot logo: it represents your business through a character; it is often colorful, cartoonish and fun; it humanizes your brand and serves as its ambassador especially to children and their families (like M&M).
- Combined logo: is a combination of a word mark and a symbol, which can be placed close together or integrated into each other (think Ralph Lauren, Burger King, and Converse); it allows your brand to be easily recognizable because it uses two design elements that represent your brand together (and can be used separately when needed).
#5 Decide the color scheme
Choosing a color palette might seem like a minor consideration to make, but it is actually one of the most vital components of your design.
Colors can have so many different meanings-the psychology behind them is complex, but to make a long story short there are certain emotions and ideas attached to them.
For various reasons, we like some colors more than others, based partly on the feelings or moods they arouse in us-and this theory is exploited by marketers around the world.
The rules are not rigid (what works for one person does not always apply to everyone), and there is no color that is universally "best"; however, everyone says something different, so you need to make sure you choose the one that best suits your purposes.
To do so, keep in mind the following directions:
- Black evokes power and sophistication; it can also demonstrate elegance, formality or mystery;
- Blue is associated with professionalism and success; it is widely used in corporate logos, but it works in many areas;
- Orange expresses joy and optimism; it is a vibrant, playful and energetic color;
- Green conveys balance and serenity; it is usually used by those brands that want to emphasize a connection to the environment, well-being and health;
- The rose is a soft and delicate color often associated with femininity, but it can also have broader connotations of kindness, romance and love;
- The purple has always been considered a royal color; this has led to a cognitive association of purple with wealth, nobility and luxury;
- The red inspires confidence and ambition; it is associated with passion, but also with anger; it is a good choice if your brand is strong, young and wants to stand out;
- The yellow symbolizes happiness and positivity, is often very bright and expresses cheerful, youthful energy;
- The white is traditionally associated with purity, cleanliness, innocence and simplicity;
- The gray is classic and serious, great to use if you want to achieve a more mature look;
- The brown is often associated with natural ingredients and homemade products; it may seem like an odd color choice, but it works perfectly with vintage logos and can give your brand a unique, "agé" look.
#6 Choose a character
Your logo may not include text, but much of your graphic design will (e.g., your website or your marketing materials in general).
For the sake of consistency, it is therefore important to consider which typefaces your brand intends to use in the design process, even if you do not use them in the logo itself.
The most common system classifies characters into four types:
- Serif fonts: is the oldest typographic style and dates back to the Latin alphabet (just so we know, it is characterized by the "feet" at the end of each letter). Serif typefaces are associated with history and tradition and are often used by luxury brands to invoke a sense of elegance. The best-known serif typeface is Times New Roman.
- sans serif fonts: are the most modern and often most used in the digital sphere because they are easier to read on a screen. They are associated with simplicity and minimalism and are often used to convey a sense of innovation and modernity-perfect, therefore, for a modern, clean look.
- Script Characters: reminiscent of handwriting, they are fluid and often used in whimsical contexts; while sometimes more difficult to read at a glance, they make your logo more individualistic, distinctive and iconic.
- Decorative characters: they dispense with typographical conventions and can take on a wide variety of moods; stylistically diverse and should be used sparingly, as they can quickly become tacky.
#7 Make it scalable and get feedback
Now that your logo is more or less graphically defined, you have two things left to do: check its scalability and get feedback in order to improve and optimize it.
Scalability is vital for a logo: think about all the different contexts in which it will be used, from business cards to product packaging, from websites to social media platforms, from-who knows? - billboards to bus sides, and so on.
A scalable logo is one that will not lose its integrity when it is shrunk or enlarged. This means that it will not become blurred, distorted, or look bad just because it is not shown in its original size.
This is important to convey consistency and clarity, avoiding confusion in the audience-and you can even assume variations of this to do so.
At these points, rely on audience feedback so you can test your ideas.
Ask what is striking about your logo, what sticks out the most, whether there is anything confusing, and what kind of emotions it evokes.
Finally, it is time to decide on the final logo design. Easier said than done!
But don't worry: I still have some suggestions in store for you!
Bonus: 5 rules for creating a perfect logo
Let's start with an assumption: there is no such thing as a perfect logo.
Or at least, there is not one that is valid and effective for anyone in any context.
But there is a perfect logo for you!
In order for it to be such, after following all the steps I have outlined to create one from scratch, make sure it meets these 5 characteristics:
#1 Simplicity
The best logos-those that give the viewer an immediate and clear sense of "you"-are clean and uncluttered. In general, less is more, and simplicity has the greatest impact.
A good logo should therefore be simple and easy to understand. A complex design can confuse the audience and make it difficult to remember the brand, while a simple style with clean lines and a limited color palette can help the logo stand out and be more recognizable.
#2 Memorability
Your logo is often the first thing people see-it should therefore be easy to remember.
A memorable logo should have a unique design that is easily recognized and distinguishable from others. Aim to create one that stands out and can be recognized even without the brand name.
#3 Relevance
Your logo should reflect your brand personality and values, as well as be aligned with respect to the characteristics of your target audience.
#4 Versatility
We have said it before: a good logo should be versatile in its use. It should be able to adapt to multiple media and channels, without losing quality or readability-that is, look good at any size or resolution, so that it remains effective on all platforms.
#5 Consistency
Your logo is a representation of your brand and should be consistent wherever it is used. Make sure it happens the same way in all branding materials and that the design remains consistent. This increases brand recognition and builds customer trust.
Conclusion
Well, I guess you are now a little clearer on how to create the perfect logo for your business.
However...
Do you know what the truth is?
That you can create a beautiful logo all you want, but if it doesn't mean anything and doesn't communicate anything, then it won't be a good logo.
What really matters is its ability to express the brand, its purpose, and its personality-as well as being able to do so in a very simple, clear, memorable, and recognizable way.
Only then will you greatly increase your chances of making a good first impression.
But tell me, have you created your logo yet? Do you have any suggestions to share about it?
Let me know in the comments!