The importance of a well-designed logo cannot be underestimated – the logo is a visual symbol, a representation of the ideals your company, your staff, and your products. If your logo does not appeal to the right people, your company will suffer. A logo must be original, clear, and easily recognised, and it must inspire confidence. It should evoke strong feelings and good memories, or inspire dreams. Unfortunately, many make simple mistakes which result in a less-than-effective logo – often, these mistakes are because of laziness, misunderstanding the market, wariness to spend, or being content too soon. Beware when creating a logo! There are important things to consider. Here are some common mistakes you should know about when designing your company logo.
Don’t follow the trend
It may sound cool to design your logo based on what the fashion of the day is; but it would be a mistake. The neon flashes of the eighties are no longer in vogue, the antenna and four bars is used too much, and Gooooooooogle already has the multiple letters.
Trends come and go but if you’re serious about your business, you want it to stand the test of time. A classical design composed of traditional elements often work best in the long run.
Don’t use stock images
It may seem like a good idea to download pictures (which can be found, with user rights for free), but they are often popular and sooner or later someone will realise it’s not your own. To many, this is like shouting: “I don’t want to spend any money.”
Be assertive with the design
A designer is not necessarily someone who can make the perfect design. A designer is someone who can follow your instructions and form a logo out of your message. If the logo doesn’t work for you, be assertive and don’t trust the designer’s opinion too much. Be clear to the designer and communicate what you want.
Use vector images
Your logo should be made with programmes such as Corel Draw or Adobe illustrator. They save it in vector format so it can be enlarged easily. Don’t save in pixel format.
The above advice does not guarantee you a perfect logo for a roller or pop up banner, a poster, a flyer, or a business card – after all, creating that wonderful logo that will inspire trust and offer quality to the public does require a lot of market research and can only be achieved through testing various designs on a sample market segment. However, following the above advice will ensure you don’t make a fool of your company and product by equating yourself with a mediocre and unprofessional design. They’re simple rules, there to guide you to that perfect graphic symbol of success.