Bigger Isn't Always Better - Why Your Logo Doesn't Need to Be Bigger

You’ve been the visionary behind design concepts for your team in the past. You’ve had a hand in reating everything from PR material and email templates to themes, social media posts, graphics, and more, you’ve always operated on the “bigger is better” mindset with the business designs. 

But is bigger always better when you’re creating the hypothetical focal point of your brand? 

You’ve recently been tasked with partnering with a graphic design studio to create a fresh logo that reflects the new direction the business is going in. You immediately take bits and pieces of the old logo and magnify them. 

After all, the logo comes first, right?

Recognizing a brand doesn’t necessarily mean looking at the size of the logo. Rather, brand recognition is about other design elements that tie everything together. 

When people see a logo, they think about the things your brand offers — It’s a reassurance factor. However, it’s only a small piece of business and strategy. 

Connecting with your clients via other creative elements is just as important as the logo. Let’s take a look at some of the misconceptions behind “bigger is better” when it comes to your logo and branding.

Is Your Logo Everything About Your Brand?

Sure, the logo might be the first thing that new clients see, but the logo isn’t everything. People will be drawn in by what you can offer them, not just the size or style of your logo. 

What else are you doing to attract business?

Giving potential or existing clients a reason to believe that your brand is the one to choose for your industry goes well beyond the logo into the realm of creativity and purpose behind your brand. The logo makes you recognizable; the brand makes you memorable. 

Is Your Logo Your #1 Message?

The medium is the message. But does that mean the size of your logo has to be the focal point of it all? 

When potential or existing clients are coming to your business website, they aren’t looking to see how flashy your logo is. They’re looking for a headline, call to action, or way to solve a problem. 

Say a client is looking for a content marketing plan that you offer, but the logo is taking up more of the page than the description of services. They have to search for what they need rather than seeing a call to action from the start. Will you retain the business here? 

Probably not. They aren’t looking for the logo. They’re looking for a solution. 

Is White Space Bad?

The first thought most business owners and fresh designers have is to use all of the white space available. Fill it up with text, color, pictures, etc. 

A good design incorporates white space. But increasing the logo isn’t necessarily the best use of any existing white space. 

Consider the use of white space on your website. Let’s take the desktop version of the page. The logo looks great in that upper corner. But does the enlarged logo work in the same fashion when it comes to mobile devices? 

Sizes of logos, navigation menu elements, photos, and textual elements must be considered when designing a website that is both desktop and mobile-friendly. 

Implementing great user interface (UI) elements instead of solely focusing on logo size will help the customer take the desired action or solve a problem. 

Should Your Logo Capture Their Attention First?

It’s true. Your logo will generally be what customers remember in looking for your business again. It creates a sense of familiarity that will be memorable for them when interacting with your business. 

But does the logo have to be bigger to grab the user’s attention and boost your business?

Hierarchy is the order (of design elements) at which they get the user’s attention. Visual hierarchy in web design is critical in how a client views a business from the get-go. You want them to see the logo in that top half or “above the fold” of the landing page without scrolling. 

With hierarchy, the user should know how to use the website, see a navigation menu or search bar, and what the purpose of the business is. 

If your logo can convey all of that without any creative or textual user interface elements, you’ve done what most business owners can only dream of. 

For designers and business owners alike, making sure the user isn’t overwhelmed and chooses to stick around is key. Present them with aesthetics and navigation that support the logo and branding, not the other way around. 

Having Trouble Finding a Balance?

Impactful design can be hard to come up with unless you have the right creative team behind you. 

At Carrboro Creative, our carrboro-based design agency is a team of creatives that live and breathe graphic design. They artfully and skillfully take information and use design best practices to create visual hierarchies, simplify information, and develop graphics to help tell a story.

Need a brochure? Book? Brand Development? Web Design? We do it all. 

Our graphic designers will bring your idea to life digitally and in print and we love taking on new projects of all kinds. Get in touch today for a free quote on your next project and let’s work together.