The Principles of Logo Design

When you’re diving headfirst into your business structure and design, you want to create something unique. From your website design to your marketing strategy, you’re developing a brand that will resonate with a new audience. And with a brand comes the need for a logo that fits your new identity. 

Your business logo represents your brand, who you are, what you do, and how you’re different from the rest. It is unique to YOU. 

But how do you make your logo memorable? 

Your brand logo is the first thing that potential customers will see. From there, they can generally do two things —  decide they want to look further into your company and the products/services you offer, or say, “This isn’t eye-catching, and I’m not interested.” 

So how do you determine how to design your logo and what to include? What design elements could you be missing that make or break closing your next sale or client deal? 

Let’s take a look at some key logo design principles to help you get started. 

Keep the Logo Design Simple

Say at some point you’ll want to rebrand or come up with a fresh look for your logo. 

Did you design it so that it’s easy to duplicate?

A good logo is simple. Keeping this in mind when designing your logo will prove more manageable for you over time and keep it clean-cut and recognizable by your customers. 

What do we mean by clean-cut? Keep the design simple. Make it clear, visible, and reflective of what your business is and does. 

What about the simplicity of the design elements, like typography and color? 

Don’t make your logo too busy - don’t overload it with too many colors or various overlapping points. Choose a simple color theme and a font that isn’t so busy that it distracts the eye or isn’t instantly legible. 

Implement spacing into your design by using what design gurus call white space. Remember, not every bit of space needs to be used. Your logo needs to stand out, and using extra space will help with that. 

Make the Logo Design Your Own

When you’re creating anything related to your business, you want to keep it unique. 

Think about some of the world’s most famous logos —  Nike, Apple, McDonald’s, Instagram, even ESPN. They all have a logo unique to their market, and the designs are entirely original. 

Keeping your logo along the same lines of simplicity and distinction will attract attention and set you apart from your competition. 

Is your design original? Is it memorable?

Think about what your business is about and how it started. Consider your company values, as well as products and services that may be the focal point for your audience. Creating something that your audience has never seen before but will keep fresh in their minds is the ultimate goal behind developing a brand logo.

Of course, it also helps to be skilled in graphic design or have access to an experienced graphic designer who can customize fonts, shapes, colors, and more to suit your brand’s needs and make a one-of-a-kind logo. 

Include Responsive Logo Design

Keep in mind that business is done differently than it was even a decade ago. You need to design —  not just your website, but also your logo — in a versatile way. 

If a potential customer accesses your website from a laptop one day and a mobile device the next, will the logo be the same? 

Maintaining consistency between everything from computer to mobile device to print is crucial in the logo design process. You don’t want to lose any critical focal elements to your logo design if it doesn’t transition well between devices or prints. 

Adapt your logo to a variety of places. Ensure it looks the same (including color, background, size, shape, etc.) so that the design’s originality and memorable nature isn’t compromised. Ensure that your logo is consistent across multiple formats for whichever purpose you need it for, including high resolution, mobile-friendly, and thumbnail options for each file type.

Make Your Logo Timeless

Let’s go back to the Nike, Apple, McDonald’s, and ESPN logos. 

How long have these logos existed in those formats? 

For decades, these companies have embraced new hordes of customers while sticking to what they know. The logo works because it is memorable, and why is it so memorable?

It withstands changes over time. 

Sure, we all want to be on top of the best design trends, but if you look at your company 10 years from now, will the same logo mean something to you and your customers? 

Your brand identity should withstand the test of time. If you have to keep changing your logo every couple of years, then you haven’t created something meaningful, recognizable, and timeless. 

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.