Anyone can make a logo, but making a truly good logo design is something that takes more than just a PC or mac with the required software. There are many guidelines you should have a look at before deciding which logo design you choose in the end.

Remember that your logo will be part of your brand and for that reason it needs to be taken seriously. If you’re a designer you would want to look out for these tips. If you’re someone ordering a logo from somewhere – make sure the provider can give you a logo fitting most of these criteria.

It should fit your image and be relevant

If there is any use of other elements in your logo besides the fonts, make sure it is relevant. The use of wrong elements in your logo design could give a confusing effect towards potential customers. Also if you already have a strong color-scheme on your website and so on, you would want to make sure the new logo fits in with that style.

Something to remember, catches the eye

Picture by Guillaume Riesen

By adding relevant elements that fit the image you want to reflect, your logo is likely to get attention. Try out different color schemes and fonts to make sure its memorable and looks fresh. This way you make people stop for a second when they see your logo. This is a very important part of building up your logo as a successful part of your branding. Try to think a bit different, play around a bit to find something that is eye catching.

Unique

You’d want your logo to be unique. Never copy the look of any other logo you’ve seen, no matter how much you liked it. You want to stand out from the crowd. This also means being able to think outside the box and experiment with the different elements. Some niches can sometimes have many companies with similar blending logos. Have a look at your competition in the business. Instead of blending in – you should aim to stand out!

Simple, yet smart

Picture by Zsuzsanna Kilian

Less is more, simple is smart. Never use too many different fonts or colors, and never add a photo to the logo design. If you want an illustrative element to accompany the text, use  simple shapes. If you look around at some of the logos you remember best, they’re all simple. Some examples are the Apple logo, Nike, Coca Cola, Pepsi, Samsung, Nokia and so on. You recognize them immediately and they’re all very simple at the same time as they’re part of powerful brands.

Timeless

The logo you want to go for should be something you can stick with for years to come. By steering clear of all current trends and going for solid and simple, smaller changes can be done later on without losing the characteristic look. If you have a look at an Apple logo from years back, it still has those characteristics you recognize today. If your business or website last for another fifty years, you are likely to make smaller changes along the road – but they should be simple. The simpler the logo you make from the start, the better it holds through the years.

Versatile

Picture by Michal Zacharzewski

Keep in mind where you want to use the logo, and make sure it can fit. This could be on websites, as part of ads, on T-shirts, printed media and so on. Again, simple goes with everything. During the process you should also take the time to try it out on different media to make sure you get the look you want. What looks good on plain white paper may not look so good on a busy website. Only one way to find out: try while you’re in the design process to be able to do adjustments as you go.

A Clear message

As part of being simple comes a clear message. If you’re trying to say anything with your logo, make sure it can be executed in a simple way. Test out the design on friends or co-workers to hear their associations when they look at it. It doesn’t help that you see one thing if no one else get it.

Well-drawn

Picture by Ivan Prole

Make sure every element is crisp and flawless. If you want for instance a flower in the logo, make sure it’s done exactly how you want it. Sometimes there can be one tiny thing that will make you crazy for years if you don’t get it solved immediately. Make sure none of the shapes look as something other than they are (except if that is your message). The logo should be drawn and cleaned up in proper vector-software without any loose ends. This will also make adjustments easier during the rest of the design process and in the future.

The client loves it

The one who orders the logo should be satisfied. If that person is you, make sure that you keep a good communication going with the designer. And if you are the designer, you have to make sure the client is happy, even if it takes a redraw or three to get there. Happy clients make a good portfolio and keep coming back for future projects. If it’s your own logo and you’re not satisfied from day one – this can be a very bad influence on your brand.

Goes well with different backgrounds

Picture by Flavio Takemoto

As with versatility regarding where to put it, a good logo also has to do well on different colors. Try out the design with light and dark backgrounds to make sure both work. There are many reasons for why you want this. Some are that it won’t need a redesign for use with different T-shirts, ads and more. We can all change our minds, maybe you do changes to things later on – so make sure the logo will still fit for the future.

It scales well

It’s common practice to get the logo designed as a vector. This means that it will still stay crisp and clear no matter how much you enlarge it. You also have to remember that it should be able to work well in a small version. Don’t have so much detail that everything disappears if you for example put it on a business card or in a smaller printed newspaper ad.

It works well as black and white too

Picture by Hugo Humberto Plácido da Silva

Most great logos remain recognizable even if they’re changed into black/white. This should be the case for yours too! This can in many situations save you costs when needed and it will do fine if a document is copied. It can also be the test of the logos «personality». If you still recognize it when in black and white, that’s always a good sign.

Working well with different types of media

As mentioned before you should try your logo out in different settings before you make your final decisions. It won’t cost you much to make a test including a business card, cd-cover, magazine ad, website-banner and so on.

These were some of my top tips on how to make sure your logo has the good characteristics from the start. Please leave a comment if you have any tips of your own and remember to share the article if you’ve enjoyed it! Thank you for reading