What makes a good logo?
If you are a small business owner, I'll bet you have a file on your computer that is named something like “logo_final USE THIS ONE.jpeg” and you have no idea where the original one is. Maybe your sister-in-law made it, or maybe you worked with a printer that designed it for you for free. Or maybe you were bold enough to make it on your own. But I'll bet you aren't completely happy with it.
That's normal; logos are hard. Small business owners like you often put “branding” last on the priority list. They use logos they aren't happy with fort longer than they want to.
If you want to update your logo, here are some tips to consider:
Purpose of a Logo
A logo does not sell (directly), it identifies. A logo is rarely a description of a business. A logo derives meaning from the quality of the thing it symbolizes, not the other way around.
- Paul Rand
Do you want to convey a sense of competence, a feeling that people can trust you. Sometimes we encapsulate this idea using the word “professional”, but people often get the wrong idea, thinking they don't want their brand to be stuffy so they don’t want to be “professional.” Instead, think of the word professional as "ability to keep the brand promise."
Common Logo Misconceptions
A logo doesn't need to say what company does. Restaurant logos don't need to show food, dentist logos don't need to show teeth, furniture store logos don't need to show furniture. Just because it's relevant, doesn't mean you can't do better. The Mercedes logo isn't a car. The virgin Atlantic logo isn't an airplane. The Apple logo isn't a computer. Etc. - David Airey
If you are a dentist, and your logo has a tooth on it, don't sweat it. There's nothing wrong with that, but it does send a signal about the size of your business.
A good logo design is usually the result of 20+ attempts at a concept, and then countless refinements to the execution of that concept. It does not come easy or obviously.
Minimum requirements
1 Appropriate
Should a logo be self-explanatory? It is only by association with a product, service, a business, or a corporation that a logo takes on any real meaning. It derives its meaning and usefulness from the quality of that which it symbolizes. If a company is second rate, the logo will eventually be perceived as second rate. It is foolhardy to believe that a logo will do its job immediately, before an audience has been properly conditioned. -Paul Rand
2) Legible
Coat of arms vs. Apple Logo
3) Versatile
Your logo needs to work as big as a billboard, as small as the postage stamp, in reverse color, in one color and embroidered.
- Simple
What makes a great logo?
1) Suggestive
2 Memorable
Ultimately, the only mandate in the design of logos, it seems, is that they be distinctive, memorable, and clear. - Paul Rand
3 Timeless
Do you really want to change your logo again in three years? Not only is it easier for you to have a timeless logo, but the longer you can stick with any given logo, the more and printed it will be in the mind of your customers and potential customers.
