With all of the businesses across the world these days, it is not uncommon to want a logo to represent a company as a way to be identifiable, definable, and visible among the fast pace of an always busy society. Whether it is a matter of recreating or creating a logo, there are definitely a few things to keep in mind that might not expect.
The first and foremost being the customer base or audience that is dealt with because they are the ones who will have the first impressions of a company, most likely from its designated logo. Therefore, it is often suggested that logos are kept clean and simple. Why? Some of these reasons may surprise you. So, before creating your logo, read through and consider these questions:
Can you soak it in, at a glance?
One thing a business should want their logo to do is to be memorable. A strong point to being easy to remember is catching attention that can be held long enough for a person to make the association between a company and its logo. As the world is very fast-moving, when seen out of the corner of the eye, a logo should be simple enough for the customer or audience to interpret and remember, even at a glance.
Overly detailed logos won’t set into the mind quickly and the association may be missed. A good example here is to think of billboards lining the highway. How much time was there to soak in the visuals they display? Was it to the point, or was it a blur of color with no information?
That being said, logos shouldn’t contain too many layers or a multitude of detailed designs. The mind changes gears quickly when in motion, which can leave customers feeling confused when trying to recall the logo. The goal is to use simplicity as a tool and allow businesses to convey their message quickly, without leaving too much room for interpretation or questions.
Will it transfer mediums?
The majority of businesses know that advertising is key and it happens to be available on several different mediums. For instance, as we delve deeper into a technological world, websites are loaded with logos and images that represent the company.
However, advertising does not take place solely online. There are many other mediums to consider, such as news inserts, weekly shopping ads, business cards, and even billboards. The question you have to ask yourself here is whether or not your logo is simple enough to vary between different mediums and still look appealing.
This especially applies to the fonts and color of your logo, as colors will vary depending on printing methods and electronic screens, while font appearance will vary by size. Some fonts are easy to read larger but harder to read smaller, and even more so, complicated fonts can cause confusion making for dissociation in memories.
Most of the simplicity’s purpose entails appealing visuals and some mediums may dull complicated, super colorful logos and cause them to become less appealing. The availability of scaling is also very important, as resizing logos can cause them to become distorted. The more intricate the logo design, the harder it will be to display steadily in different situations and options may become limited to what a business can do to get their names into the public eye.
Does it speak to your company? Is it original?
While simplicity is important, logos should speak for the company. Be its initials or the outline of an image that demonstrates what the company does – it should be personal to the company. These two questions are grouped together because while taking care of making sure the logo speaks for the company, it should be one of originality.
An overly complicated logo may cause customers to feel unsure, or as though the company cannot run a smooth operation and originality allows companies to stand out against the rest and easy to recognize. Simplicity plays a big part in originality because it provides a quick representation of who, or what, the company is as a whole while remaining easy to understand.
Overall, careful planning and consideration should take place before finalizing a logo. Logos should be original, memorable, malleable for various display mediums, and most importantly – simple. By staying in the realm of simplicity, logos can go a long way when making decisions and even choosing to do business with a company. First impressions are everything, so it’s important to use your logo to create lasting impressions that easily explain into a passerby’s memory and recall.
