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Everything you need to know about Logos

Does your Logo Stand Up to the Test? Part I

Everything you need to know about Logos - Part I

Does your Logo stand up to the test?

by Linda Laforge-Koebel, L.A. Designs

 

You’re designing a new logo for your new business, or maybe you’ve been in business for a while but aren’t sure about how to use your logo properly. There are some rules that I see companies break all the time. Breaking these rules usually means you’ve wasted your money on your logo and on your advertising.

If you want to know how to get a great logo, or if you already have a great logo, you need to learn what it really is. Read carefully. There will be a test!

A logo? What's the point?

Your logo is your icon. It is a basic symbol which represents your company. It is not your brand.

You develop your brand everyday, in the way that you and your staff and/or partners interact with customers on both business and social occasions. Your brand is in the message you send out in your advertising. Your logo represents all that work you’ve done, wether consciously or not, towards developing your brand.

The point of having a logo is twofold it has to attract so that it can act as a pointer. When a consumer sees your logo they should see and feel your message, and understand what you’re all about in an instant. People will remember your message, wether it’s a good one or a bad one, and your logo will remind them about it. That’s the interesting thing about people. We still think faster than even the biggest computer. In the wink of an eye, it’s all there, good or bad.

How to design a great logo.

Your logo has to look good in black and white.

Logos have multiple applications. Fax forms, websites, black and white newspaper advertising, vehicle lettering, billboards, and so on. It’s a long list. Your logo has to consistently look clear, crisp and good no matter how you want to use it. Beyond that, a good designer should know that any great design works in black and white.

Colour and cool effects can not only sometimes camoflag a bad design, but clutter it up as well. The first rule of any good logo design is to keep it simple. Less is more. If you want people to see your company brand in an instant, your company icon has to be simple. Most of the best logos are simple, and they are as powerful and recognizable in black and white as they are in colour.

The shape of things to come - simple.

As we go through our regular work day, we are inundated by advertising. Other people’s logos. You would have to admit that the most memorable logos have a simple shape. Think of Nike. Think of Apple Computers. Their logos are simple and sharp. You know exactly what they are in an instant.

It may also surprise you to know that names, when consistently presented in the exact same typeface, are also readily recognizable. Do you remember phonics? Our teachers had us tracing the shape of words so that we could learn to recognize them faster, to improve and speed up our reading. We do that naturally. It helps us weed out the clutter. This is the reason simple, unique designs work best. We recognize things by shape first, then by colour.

Colour your world.

We need to stick the KIS method here too keep it simple. It’s easy to recall one or two colours, but that recall decreases with the addition of each colour. I like to stick to two colours. One if I can. I then suggest making these colours the corporate colours. Use them in your office, your retail space, on your car, in your marketing material.

Selecting the colour can be as simple as picking your favourite colour, although many would argue against that. If you’re a big burly accountant and your favourite colour is pink, I would probably advise against it. But because most people already surround themselves with the things they like, including their favourite colour, most of the time I try to include those things in marketing material for a small business. If you’re the only person in your business, your favourite colour can still be a good choice. It worked for May Kay.

If your favourite colour is black, and you need help in choosing your corporate colours, this list is for you. Colours do evoke certain emotions and ideas. Afterall, there is a reason there weren’t blue Smarties for all those years. Blue doesn’t evoke thoughts of food or hunger. Red doesn’t elicit feelings of stability either.

Black: seriousness, distinctiveness, boldness, power, sophistication, tradition

Blue: authority, dignity, security, faithfulness, heritage, corporate stability, trust

Brown/gold: history, utility, earthiness, richness, tradition, conservative

Gray/silver: somberness, authority, practicality, corporate mentality, trust

Green: tranquility, health, freshness, stability, appetite

Orange: fun, cheeriness, warm exuberance, appetite, speed

Pink: femininity, innocence, softness, health, youth

Purple: sophistication, spirituality, wealth, royalty, youth, mystery

Red: aggressiveness, passion, strength, vitality, fear, speed, appetite

White/silver: purity, truthfulness, faith, contemporary, refined, wealth

Yellow: youth, positive feelings, sunshine, cowardice, refinement, caution, appetite

Once you’ve got an idea of the colours you want to use, the next trick is to choose something that reproduces well. Oranges and greens don’t translate well when printed in four colour process. Skin tones can be really tough to produce well sometimes as well.

Your designer should have a Pantone Swatch book to present to you once you’re ready for this stage of your logo development. This book of colours represents a colour mixing system used by printers to ensure that your colours will print accurately. These are Spot colours.

The test

If you’re thinking of designing a new logo, or of updating an old one, take the test. If your logo fails, you’ve got some work to do. If it passes, you’re on your way.

1. Your logo looks great in black and white.

YES NO

2. Your logo looks good in the colours you’ve chosen.

YES NO

3. Your logo only has one or two colours. (This can include black)

YES NO

4. You can see your logo on the side of your vehicle and it looks sharp and easy to read.

YES NO

5. Your logo works well on your website.

YES NO

6. You’ve been using the same logo consistently in all of your marketing material.

YES NO

7. You’re proud to display your logo everywhere, and it shows.

YES NO

8. Your logo will look good when embroidered.

YES NO

9. The colours in your logo have consistently reproduced well wherever you’ve used it.

YES NO

10. Your designer has provided you with several logo files for multiple uses, as well as instructions as to how it should be displayed and what your corporate colours are (using the Pantone mixing system).

YES NO

To pass this test you must have answered YES at least 7 out of 10. If you answered NO to more than one of these questions, you're on a bumpy road. If you answered NO to #7, you should consider revamping and updating your logo. I would hate to see you waste your advertising dollars any longer.

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To read Part Two in this series on Logo Design, please sign up for their Free Monthly Newsletter. Click here.

Linda Laforge-Koebel is an advertising professional dedicated to the business success of her clients. To see her portfolio and find more resources visit her at: http://www.CreativeEngineer.com or contact her at email : linda@creativeengineer.com

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