2019 April 07 Archive - EXEIdeas – Let's Your Mind Rock

What makes a good logo in 2019? Have you ever thought about that? Designing seems easy. But it isn’t. There is more to creating a visual identity of a brand than aligning text into a box and finishing the task.There are people experienced in this particular task— logo designers. They are in demand, and why not! They are the one who creates the face of business for easy recognition. Paul Rand, Milton Glaser, Saul Bass, Carolyn Davidson, and many others with their timeless logo creation etched their names in history.Their logo design earned them the title of “best designers” in the world. Don’t you want to create something like that?We live in a world where a brand is identified by its logo. Even those who aren’t brand-savvy can tell what a business sells by seeing its brandmark.If you are someone who wants to embrace logo designing as a career choice, don’t worry. We are going to discuss 8 vital tips to create an effective brandmark here. 1.) Be Unique, Be Memorable:Bring out the creative junkie in you by differentiating yourself from others. For that, you need to create something out-of-the-box. Don’t you appreciate the designers who created Apple, IBM, Microsoft, Twitter, Facebook, Amazon, and FedEx logos?A logo helps people identify a brand. It also distinguishes a business from others. So it is essential that your insignia stands out from the crowd. It should be something that looks not only great but unique. However, uniqueness is what every brand struggles with. Taking inspiration from what is out there is one thing and copying the same design is another thing.In many cases, the imitation game is the best methodology. But with logo design, it’s not going to work. What makes sense is to create something different from others. As a designer, your goal should be uniqueness and originality.There is no doubt that what appears online is going to be plagiarized. If you are uncertain of the uniqueness of your design, you can visit Logo Thief for plagiarism check.Remember, designing an original logo isn’t about staying away from replication, but also about creating something out-of-the-box. You can throw any industry icon on your page, but you need to think of putting it on there in a creative way. For example, Toyota’s logo isn’t about a car, Apple’s brandmark doesn’t have any computer in it, and the logo of Virgin Atlantic doesn’t have an airplane.2.) Understand What A Brand Is All About:There is no doubt a logo in actuality serves as an image. But it is also the face of a brand. It introduces the business to its audience. When you design one, keep this fact in mind. Note down your ideas about the brand. Even, you can make a mood-board with elements and images that remind you of the business and its ideology.Do not go deep in aesthetics but the meaning. You can research on your own. Take note of visual brands in the same industry. But do not take the inspiration too factually. Whatever you design, it must be original and related to the brand’s attributes.Think whether the brand is all about evoking emotions or utility-driven. Is the business modern or quirky? What does it aim? What customers seek in a brand? You can take help from emerging trends but stick to a brand’s personality.Let’s take for an example Wikipedia logo design. It has an incomplete globe in the form of a puzzle. The glyphs cover up it that are taken from various writing systems. It is simple, but it depicts the brand’s personality.This is what you need to include in your design. You need to decipher the DNA of a brand through smart design.3.) Do Not Bother About What You Like:Being a designer, you don’t have to create something that suits your personal taste. You have to create something that the customer and client would want. Whether we know or not, but personal taste creeps more often in terms of colors. And, that’s something a client always keeps pointing towards.Let’s imagine that sunshine yellow is your favorite color. But what if you are designing something opposite? Of course, you would keep that shade away from the brand you design for.It is better to keep your personal preferences aside from your projects as much as possible. Think from a client’s point of view, and you will find the right path for your design.4.) Understand Color Coding:We mentioned earlier that you should keep a brand’s personality in mind during logo design. Every aspect is important. Bright or bold colors are best for attention-grabbing, but at times, they appear brash. Likewise, muted tones convey elegance, but are easy to ignore. Each color has a specific meaning. Do not use a tone that would deliver the wrong message.There is science behind the use of colors. Big brands choose colors wisely to convey a specific message. Understand the color psychology plus color wheel for better connotation.For example, blue depicts trust while red stands for boldness and so forth.5.) Use The Name Of The Brand Uniquely:Have you seen the logos of CocaCola, FedEx, Amazon, IBM, and Ray-Ban? What do you find? Their logotype consists of just the name of the brand. A logo has two elements— a symbol and a wordmark. While some companies stick to symbols for their logo design, some opt for wordmark.The type of the logo you would create depends on the name of the business. If the name of the company is unique, you can use the name. But if it is too familiar, you need to do something to make it identifiable. Use negative spaces (just like FedEx) wisely and tweak fonts for a better look. Stay away from gimmicky fonts.6.) Count On Simplicity And Flexibility:The most popular logos are simple. Don’t trust us? Look at Amazon, Apple, IBM, Microsoft, Nike, and Facebook logos. A logo with an equal amount of quirkiness and simplicity goes a long way in identifying a brand and attracting customers.You should create something that works across various platforms and devices. Even it should look well on paper. The size should be flexible. However, a little visual change might appear depending on the platform you use it.7.) Take Your Time, Don’t Expect Overnight Success:When designing a logo, the more time you invest in it, the better it becomes. Audi, Puma, I Love NY, all the iconic logos haven’t been created overnight. It took time to create those masterpieces.Look closely at each one of them. What do you find? They originated from a thorough understanding of a brand’s principles. Logo design requires patience not rush. Do not go for a color change or any element modification just because you are tired of seeing it or others have it. Take your time and if you find it’s the right time to evolve it, go forward with elements that would suit the purpose.8.) Take Help From Online Tools And Sources:You will find a vast library of information on the Web for inspiration purposes. Even, there are various tools to help you out on short notice. Crowdsourcing websites and logo makers are the sources where you would find different logotypes. You can take inspiration from them to kick start your design journey.Conclusion:Logo design when done right doesn’t just make a brand famous but the designer. A focused approach is what it takes to create something unique. Follow the tips discussed earlier to kick start your logo design conquest.If you have any tips in mind, feel free to share it with us in the comment section below.Happy logo designing!About the Author:Alice Jackson is a business consultant, blogger, social media enthusiast, online market analyst, amateur designer and an avid author at Designhill. She has written on several topics including social media marketing, SEO, content marketing, startup strategies and e-commerce. When she’s not writing, she loves spending her time reading romantic novels, creating new online tshirt design.Find Me On Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn