5 Characteristics of a Spectacular Logo

10 years ago

Alright, you’ve done the hardest part; you’ve created your own business, and you’ve worked out every detail except for one.  Now you need an incredible business logo by which people can recognize your brand.  Whether you want to create your own logo or you want a custom logo design, you need to consider some of the characteristics that make a sensational logo.

1. Keep It Simple

Your logo should be quickly and easily recognizable.  You want people to see your logo and immediately associate it with your brand.  Too many colors or a complicated design is often distracting, and it can keep people from really connecting your logo to your brand in an instant.  If people are required to think too long about your logo design, then it may prevent them from associating the design that you’ve created with your brand.

The ModCloth logo is simple but remains cute and fun, much like its many vintage-inspired wares.
The ModCloth logo is simple but remains cute and fun, much like its many vintage-inspired wares.

 

2. Make It Distinctive

Having a simple logo doesn’t mean that your logo should be boring.  You want to have a really cool logo.  In fact, you want your logo to be better than cool; you want it to scream the uniqueness that is your brand!  You need to have a logo design that catches the eye and holds the attention long enough to leave a positive impression on the memory.  If no one can remember who you are, then your logo isn’t working for you.

This unique logo by Nashifan is intended to be an energetic business logo, exemplifying the strength of the business with the lion face and showing the business at its zenith through the bird.
This unique logo by Nashifan is intended to be an energetic business logo, exemplifying the strength of the business with the lion face and showing the business at its zenith through the bird.

 

3. Keep It Focused

Creativity is awesome; however, you still want your logo to be appropriate to your brand.  If you’re company sells cat food, then having a picture of a pair of shoes as your business logo really doesn’t make a lot of sense even if that pair of shoes is the most incredible illustration anyone has ever seen.  No one is likely to associate that awesome logo of the shoes with cat food, so everyone will be saying to each other, “Hey, don’t you just love that awesome logo with the shoes?! What’s it for again?  This makes a rather ineffective sales strategy.

If you're Batman, then using a bat symbol as your logo completely makes sense.
If you’re Batman, then using a bat symbol as your logo completely makes sense.

 

4. Make It Versatile

One of the most stupendous things about logos is that you can put them pretty much anywhere, on pretty much anything.  Thus, your logo needs to be designed so that it can be used in multiple mediums.  Will it look just as glorious embroidered on the small pocket of collared shirt as it will plastered across a billboard?  I know that printing in color is prevalent, but what if your logo needed to be printed in black and white for something?  Would it still look just as amazing, and still be just as recognizable, as it is in color?  Keeping your creative design simple is definitely a major component of its ultimate versatility because your design must be easy for you to reproduce.   From simple flyers and elegant business cards to t-shirts and coffee mugs, your logo is meant to be seen as many places as possible, so when you create your own logo, you should consider the plethora of places that you will want it to be able to go.

 

Automobile logos are generally excellent examples of versatile logo design.  Think of how many different sponsorships Volkswagen might participate in at any given time.  The simplicity and recognizability of its design allow VW to easily put this logo on anything.
Automobile logos are generally excellent examples of versatile logo design. Think of how many different sponsorships Volkswagen might participate in at any given time. The simplicity and recognizability of its design allow VW to easily put this logo on anything.

5. Make It Timeless

Yes, it’s great to be trendy, to be on top of whatever is the hot thing in pop-culture at the moment, but that’s the thing about trends; they’re really of the moment, and a moment later pop-culture has totally moved on to the next hot new trend, which makes your formerly trendy logo totally outdated.  Do you want your brand to strike like a hot match and then burn out just as fast just like some one hit wonder of a song that you heard on the radio last year (who sang that again)?  Probably not.  You more likely want your brand to be remembered for a very long time to come, and if you want your brand to endure, then your logo needs to have a sense of timelessness about it.  This doesn’t mean you need to create some boring, antiquated design.  You simply need to create a design that will transcend the trends, that will still be relevant no matter what the hot new thing.

The Twinings logo has been in continuous use since it was created in 1787.
The Twinings logo has been in continuous use since it was created in 1787.

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