Are you looking to create a new brand or change an existing brand? Here are 5 practical ideas to help you create a fantastic new logo. Here is a bonus starting tip: it is so important to remember that your logo should align with your strategy and goals. If you nail your logo today, there is less chance you have to spend more on rebranding in the future. That means considering how the logo will appear in multiple formats, which leads us to our first tip:
1. Remember that your logo will be used in different formats and places:
There are tons of logo style possibilities that can dictate some of your usages. However, these 4 questions will help ensure your logo is versatile:
- Is it recognizable when it is small, say the size of an app button on your phone?
- What does it look like in a square?
- Will it look good in black and white?
- Can the text be used without the emblem and vice versa?
2. Try creating strategic variations like badges from the very start:
Badges are great because they can add more detail to your logo while maintaining a clean and professional look. Having a badge can help you answer questions like: how long has your company been in business, where is your company located, or what services do you provide. We shared a similar thought in this Upcity article: 33 Logo Design Tips to Boost Your Branding in 2022 by Jason Randall
3. Choose 3 Colors, but go black and white too:
Do yourself a favor and put constraints on the design possibilities by limiting yourself to 3 colors. Again, don’t neglect black and white – you’ll need this variation for print and some embroidery formats. After you get black and white down, add your brand’s colors! But don’t just randomly add color; try to find a palette that goes together for help see https://color.adobe.com/create/color-wheel or https://mycolor.space/.
4. Look across your industry for inspiration
I am a huge fan of inspiration. Rather than analyzing your competitors or searching for Business Type Logos on Google, look for businesses that already have a successful brand that mirrors what you imagine your brand to become. Look at different places they use the logo and think about why they might have made the design decisions they made.
5. Your brand is more about what you do and how you do it
Finally, remember – especially if you are starting out – that your logo is not the brand. Your brand is comprised of what you do, what you say, your internal company culture, and how customers perceive you. If you are rebranding, your first question should be why am I rebranding, and what is going to be different this time around?
