A Guide to Your Next Logo
What is your next logo going to be? The most iconic logos are often simplistic ones, designs that become irreversibly recognizable. Seeing as your logo will be your first, last, and consistent point of branding for the customer you likely want it to a) stand out, b) be easy to remember, and c) represent your brand message. So, let’s jump into a guide to your next logo.
Prepare for the Logo Design
There are few things you will want to consider. Certain bits of information assists the designer in understanding your vision and need. Having clarity in your branding and target audience will also allow the designer to better advise on the logo application (where it will be used).
Offering
It may seem like a ridiculously obvious thing to point out but more often than we like, we are approached for logo designs for individuals or companies that have not developed a minimum viable product or MVP. Sounds like silly business jargon, I know. Your offering funnel is hugely important in determining launch, growth process, and end goals. We all start somewhere and for an offering you provide, it is the MVP.
Break down what your business will offer and select a maximum of three that will be the most viable. By most viable, I mean resource-light and cost-effective. From there you can decide on what offerings could potentially be next in line until you have reached your complete vision. From this, you will gain valuable insight into how you want to position yourself in the market and how you want your brand to be represented.
Target Audience
Now you have some idea as to what you will be offering, both initially and overall. To whom are you going to sell this offering? Fair enough, you probably have an idea of the general demographics. But who is really going to buy what you have to offer?
Research your intended market and find out who competitors are speaking to and what type of language they use. Look at market reports and industry reports to see where there have been highs and lows. Get both a granular and big picture look at your target audience’s demographics, behaviours, and spending habits. Information that can add to your brand development.
Company Values
This exercise in brand messaging adds partly to the foundation of your brand’s visual communication. At this point, you likely have a good idea of what kind of business values you want your company to have or represent. Values such as credibility, transparency, and helpfulness with a touch of whimsy.
These core values are most likely aligned with those of your target audience. Having this common ground can only better assist you in communicating clearly from the start. Getting your brand message across easily and over time becoming synonymous with those exact values.
Style
Aesthetics is important to us as people and society. We find great pleasure and even a sense of calm in the stylized world around us. We decorate our homes, our gardens, our workplaces, and even our cities. No matter what you find intriguing, we are all driven to a certain style that makes us feel comfortable.
A logo is no different in this sense. A good logo creates a feeling of tranquillity in your audience, almost familiar in a way. Logo designs come in a whole array of styles. Each was slightly altered and made unique to the designer. We focus mostly on minimalistic logo designs and do enjoy a challenge. Get a good idea of what you want the logo style to be and use this when beginning talks with a graphic designer.
Colours
It is important to note that colours are secondary in the logo design process. Sure, you want to use colours in your logo design that will suit your market and represent your brand. However, do keep in mind that your logo needs to look in black and white. This one detail will ensure that your logo can be used in pretty much any application.
Before approaching the graphic designer, choose two colours you would like your brand to carry. Decide on one colour that is bold and one that is a bit more subdued. You can consider this as the start of your brand guide as these colours, the font, and iconography used in the logo will be placed in a logo guide. The guide will serve as the first step to a full corporate identity or CI.
Last Tip
Once you have received your logo design, ask for a logo guide or minimal brand guide. Also, ask about what formats the logo will be made available in as you will need vector files for printing and other file formats for social media or websites.
For any queries on logo designs feel free to email me directly at giulia@ontwerp.ch.
