Wise Startup Blog

Your logo sucks! Ouch! So what can you do about it? We’ve covered the basics that make any logo a great logo and how you can do it yourself.When looking at your company, often times, the only element that stands out to a potential client is your logo.

Your Logo Is Everything

Most of us consider design as a subjective matter; we all have different choices and preferences for colors, designs, flavors and so on. Naturally, it’s not surprising when it comes to selecting a logo; the business owner usually favors the one which is more close to his personal design taste.

I see nothing wrong with that, in fact, to an extent I believe that following this route results in a logo design, which is truly a representation of the mood, people, and culture of the company.

However there are still, certain guidelines and criteria that every logo design should comply to. You don’t want to fall into the category of logos that suck! If your logo already does not comply with these guidelines, you can consider a redesign.

Is it describable?
Is your logo misinterpreting? Many companies struggle in building a unique brand identity with a weak or vague logo that portrays a different image than what the company is actually about. Even a slogan line, a suggestive image, or color element does not help much. Instead, keep your logo simple. Don’t overcomplicate it with too many design elements that nobody can understand what the actual message is.

Is it memorable?
Does your logo have enough simplicity and creativity that it could be remembered and recognized at a glance? While selecting a logo, business owners usually prefer a logo with more colors and graphics, but it is better if they go with a simple design. In fact, the simpler is your logo the more memorable it will be.

Is it still effective in black & white?
Does your logo have an ability to grab the viewer’s attention even in black and white? With other task of defining colors, fonts and design, you should also focus on the black and white version of your logo. If your logo only looks good in full color, you may have a problem when situation arise where it can only be represented in black and white, for example, when you need to fax a letterhead to the client.

Is it scalable?
Ask yourself another question, can you resize your logo for every medium? If not, your marketing collaterals would be of no use from marketing point of view. The logo should be easily scalable in almost all sizes because this identity of your brand usually revolves in the form of visiting cards, letterheads, envelops etc.

Is it unique?
The most appealing thing about a logo is its uniqueness. Be sure that your logo should not be a copy of any popular brand identity; otherwise you’ll be in trouble with copyright infringements and law suits. For instance, Apple sues Victoria school for pirating their logo, see it yourself:

http://www.schoolvictoria.com/ApplesandOranges

This is usually happened because of the laziness and the lack of creative thoughts of a logo designer. So, check before final delivery, whether it’s a unique emblem or does it more look like any other logo.

Does it have a good font?
Using the right font is as important as working with other design elements. Avoid using those fonts that can’t reflect the actual business purpose. Plenty of logos could be found with good designs and styles, but all efforts are wasted due to not choosing the right fonts. Have a look at these real examples:

Ferrari font doesn’t portray it as a racing car company, and Nikon doesn’t look like an imaging company. Actual message could be portrayed if the right fonts were used.

So, do you find your logo a perfect one for your business? If a single attribute is missing, you should consider redesign with an expert who already knows about these characteristics. Otherwise, your business identity would be lost in a crowed.

This was a guest post from Ben Johnson at Logo Inn, they specialize in logo design services for their clients. For more information, please visit their website LogoInn.com