A logo design has become mainstream as the trend for establishing a brand identity started. As a designer, you must understand the value of a professional logo and how it influences a business.
No doubt, it genuinely represents a company persona, communicates message and conveys ideology to the target audience. Despite these considerable factors, your logo needs to be simple enough to resonate with whoever it’s attracting.
While working on it, remember, it doesn’t need to be timeless, but it needs to be distinct. If someone tells you otherwise, don’t listen to them.
On the flipside, there’re certain myths and misconceptions associated with logo designing. And oftentimes, these misconceptions influence the creative process.
Learn about the myths in this post and let nothing challenge your creativity.
But first, let’s understand:
The Importance of a Logo
It’s no secret that attention spans are short these days, and companies have about two seconds to grab the attention of a potential customer. That’s where a logo comes into the game. It can be the quickest way to capture attention in an interesting way.
More so, it can work as your company’s first introduction to its customers. If designed well, it can engage and motivate them to learn more about your company. Apart from that, logos are symbols that enable customers to recognize your brand even in the intense competition.
When people look at it, they instantly connect it to the memory of what your company does and how it influences them. Because a logo with visually interesting elements can trigger positive emotions about your company.
Since logos are essential when it comes to effective branding or setting your business apart in the industry, you need to focus on each designing step while ignoring the following misconceptions.
1) Reflection of What a Company Does
Have ever understood what a country is all about by just look at its flag? You haven’t! The case is quite similar with the logo. A creative symbol can’t tell you enough about a brand or business.
You need to understand that your professional logo isn’t a storytelling device, but it serves the purpose of identification. If you try to use it as a storytelling medium, you will likely to fail miserably. Because, there’s simply not enough room to incorporate every aspect of your brand story.
Let’s take beverage giant – Starbucks and tech giant – Apple logo design myths for an example. These logos from higher-end brands don’t tell stories, but feature an emblem that set them apart in their industries.
Image Source: Google
Logos are designed to differentiate brands in their respective industries. Consider it as an expression of identity and a source of pride for a business owners and their employees.
2) It Needs to Have a Symbol
Do you also think that a logo must feature a symbol? If so, look at the logos of popular companies, such as Facebook, Microsoft, Google, or even Sony. These brands don’t feature symbols in the logo, but are successful and quick to recognize.
Image Source: Google
While there’s nothing wrong in designing a symbol for your logo, it can be more memorable, such as the logo of Nike. You look at it, and instantly recognize that the swoosh symbol belongs to Nike. It’s a good idea to go for a symbol if your company wants to represent something unique.
Oftentimes, a symbol in a logo is just a hindrance, an additional decoration which doesn’t incorporate value or meaning to your design. Look at the semitransparent blue square in the old GAP logo.
3) A Logo Design Must Be Everlasting
There’re brands whose logo marks are, undoubtedly, timeless. McDonald’s logo make the best example of an everlasting logo. The fast food restaurant is popular across the world and masses relate to it, too.
Image Source: Google
Even if they modify the look or make slight tweaks, consumers would still associate it with the McDonalds they’ve known for years.
On the flipside, designing a timeless logo could be a myth. Like everything else, a logo ages, too. It needs modifications from time to time, as it needs to align with current trends.
Know that McDonald’s logo has been revamped multiple times since its inception. The Pepsi logo makes another great example for logo modification, as it has evolved over the decades.
4) Fonts Aren’t Important in Logo Creation
The visual component of a logo, such as overall style and appearance are essential to make a difference in today’s competitive digital space.
And as a logo designer, if you take typography for granted, you’re mistaken. Typography is an essential element that helps put together a compelling logo design.
While incorporating a font, consider these crucial principles:
- Clear your concept regarding the basics of art.
- Go for a font that you think will leave a lasting impression.
- Implement adequate space between characters.
- Don’t use multiple fonts and styles.
- Opt for correct alignment.
- Follow typographic hierarchy and maintain logical visual balance.
5) A Logo Design Needs to be Agreeable
Your product or service needs to deliver what it claims it does. It has nothing to do with your logo style. Because a logo contain a totally different goal – to be relevant to your company or brand. Therefore, stop thinking that people will start disliking your company if its logo isn’t aesthetically pleasing.
Image source: Google
Take Bacardi for an example. The logo features an unappealing black bat, but sells the best white rum products. Customers don’t bother the ugly bird in their logo, as long as their products are of highest quality.
Final Words
Logos are great for various reasons. The fact that emblems are quick to gauge customer’s attention make them an essential branding element.
So, when designing a logo, you need to focus on factors that make it visually appealing and memorable. From research to brainstorming to tweaking an existing logo design, there are endless ways to come up with the next great logo for your business.
But whatever you do, ensure to keep logo design myths aside and let your creativity to dominate the entire process.
