Logos are crucial for a business to make their products and services visible to the world at large. They not only help in identifying the brand but can have a good recall value among customers, if the corresponding business earns a reputation with them.
In today’s world a new business springs up everyday. Studies show that only few business sail through the first year, and there will be still lesser the number who make it to the second and the third year respectively. One of the main reason identified with such failure, is the inability of a business to connect with its customers.
In fact such businesses did not research their niche markets and target customers. Hence they didn’t have any idea about customer requirements and preferences and simply went directionless. They invested money, time, and energy but in vein. Thus the key is to engage your customers and visual communication through logos is one of the best ways to do so. A logo is a trademark of the company.
When people buy products they first see the company’s logo to find out its authenticity: hence, here are some key tips on how to get an effective Business Logo Design.
Research (and understand) your Brand
The foremost important thing is to have the brand details. A designer should be aware of the personality of a brand. For example, a brand in the business of making toys has a softer and amicable personality. A brand that manufactures heavy truck has a robust and strong personality.
Some brands may fall between the two. Therefore, identify the personality trait of your client’s brand. A client should clearly state about the type of industry it is in when briefing a graphic designer for a logo design.
A logo is an introduction to a brand. It must reach a specific audience and when designing, you must keep this in mind.
Know your target Customers
All the efforts made for creating a logo are to please the target audience. So, first, have some insight about who your ideal customer of product or service is. Prepare a detailed customer profile that gives a information about social, economic, educational and cultural backgrounds. With this information in hands, a logo designer can come out with precise use of typeface, colors, shape, lines, images, etc. to create a logo.
Use the right Colors
Use of right colours can make a logo design effective and desirable to its audience. One of the quality of colors is that they can evoke feelings of people. For example, when we see red color, we get emotions of aggressiveness, love, passion etc. So, first know which emotions you want to evoke from your target customers.
You can use bright and bold colors to grab user attention or muted tones to show sophistication. Every color has a different implication and can bring hidden message — don't fall into the trap of conveying the wrong message because of a simple logo design.
Pursue the Versatility
A good logo is versatile.This means that the logo can be used in varied forms and surfaces. A logo is generally used in a variety of sizes. These sizes range from a size of a stamp to big surfaces such as that of billboards.
The logo will be part of an advertisement campaign launched by your client. Therefore it must be clearly visible on the smallest surface like that of a stamp or pen. It should not be losing its sense of proportion when it becomes part of a billboard design.
Also ascertain that the logo looks impressive in its colorless version. The logo will appear in newspapers, photocopies, stationery, documents, etc. in black and white. Test your logo, if its design is impressive without colors also.
Check out the Competition
The rule of logo design is to remain exclusive and unique. Find out how the logos look like of the client’s top three competitor companies. Then, try to come out with a unique concept that is entirely different from those logos. In fact, take a good look at business card design and other graphic design products of your competitors. This will also help you pick a right color scheme and other design elements.
Keep things Simple, Easy and Flexible
You should keep the design of your logo simple, regardless of your preference in designing it. A simple logo design along with graphic designs such as a packaging design, will deliver the right message to your audience. A complex design will create confusion in the mind of viewers as they get mixed signals from many colors, typefaces, etc present in the design.
Collect Feedback
Never forget to get feedback on your business logo design from experts and most importantly your clients. After all, you are designing the logo for your client and target customers. You should approach your client with the initial drafts of the logo. Make some sketches of logo and get approval on one of them. Once you have finished designing the logo, its good to take opinion from experts and other people.
If as a business owner you think the design quality is not up to the mark, as submitted by the designer, then consult your peers and family members. Convey the feedback you receive to the designer to make further improvements.
Conclusion
You can get an effective business logo design only when you precisely know your design requirements. The designer should know about the client’s business and its brand personality beforehand. This helps in picking the right elements of colors, typeface, shape, symbols, etc. This helps to design a logo that builds brand identity and drives customers.
A business logo design company created after lot of groundwork, such as the one where I'm currently working, will likely have the potential to tap niche market and target customers.
Alternatively, you can try one of the many "logo maker" platforms available on the web, such as Hatchful, DesignEvo (which we reviewed here), Smashinglogo, Logomakr and the likes.
Always remember to be ahead of your competitors, if you dream of becoming a leader in your market. To achieve this goal, everything should be created with care - whether its your business card, website, brochures, or leaflets. But your logo is the most important marketing material that should be on the top.
