The business of designing your company logo is of utmost importance. While a logo design may seem like a peripheral part of your business, it is the visual embodiment of what your business represents. Your audience will associate your business with how your logo looks and what feelings your audience can draw from it.
Your logo is also an extension of your brand. If you have established a branding strategy for your business, you want all your marketing assets and collaterals to observe your branding guidelines. The same can be said about your logo – it should fall in line with your company’s objectives and mission statement, both of which are foundations on which your branding stands.
Now that you have a better understanding of coming up with a business logo, we will discuss the best practices of a beautiful logo design.
The business of color
From a visual perspective, the right choice of colors for your company logo can help improve the visibility and legibility of the texts and shapes used. However, aside from their visual effect, colors help develop the judgment of consumers towards your business.
Below is an image from 99design about colors in logo design and the characteristics of each.
Explain the psychology of color and how certain colors have certain effects on people. Link to this resource page: to help people choose the best and appropriate colors for them.
The psychology of colors explains why businesses chose a particular group of colors as part of their brand. For example, Inc.com uses black as its brand color to exude formality and promptness, something that its audience would appreciate from this business publication.
When choosing colors for your branding, keep the following in mind:
- There are no rules in the number of colors for your logo – You can choose as many as you want like eBay did with its logo or you can keep it simple by selecting just one. The important thing is that the colors you will choose must communicate the brand of your business.
- Consider cultural implications – While a color like red may feel like a right choice for your logo design, this is not the case in some countries. For example, red in South America represents mourning while red in China is used for a wedding. Consider the meanings of the colors in different countries and determine if they are appropriate for your target audience.
- Use colors different from your main competitors – If you want to stand out in your industry, you need to use colors that do not resemble the color used by your competitors.
The business of shape
Just like colors, the shape of your logo design bear different meanings to the naked eye. By following the appropriate shape that best reflects your business, you can encourage them to take a positive outlook of your company through your logo.
For example, round, sideless shapes exude a positive message such as love and community. On the hand, logos that have triangle shapes are associated with religion and power and thus have a more masculine trait as opposed to other shapes.
For more information on the psychology of shapes in design, refer to this excellent post at Creative Bloq.
The business of typography
Known as the font face of your text, typography can be a logo design in itself. The use of typography as your logo allows you to take a minimalist approach to your business, enabling you to focus on your content and message instead of design. After all, there is beauty in simplicity.
Typography lets you come up with a beautiful logo design, especially if you consider the psychological effects of the most popular font faces chosen by businesses.
The infographic above talking about the different qualities of fonts is taken from Weemss, an event management software. While the infographics talk about how fonts can be used on invitations, the same concepts apply when you come up with a font face for your logo. For example, do you want to present your business as a reliable and traditional one (Serif) or do you wish to be seen as a more contemporary and stylish one (Modern)?
Also, consider different factors such as the following:
- Some fonts – While there is no rule on the number of fonts you can use on your typography logo, it is best that you carefully choose two fonts at the very most that closely resemble each other to keep your design aesthetic and professional.
- Letter scaling – Choose from narrow or broad font scale and tight or loose spacing in between letters.
- Capitalization – Uppercase typography is perceived as streamlined and professional while lowercase typography is viewed as friendly and casual.
Wrapping it all up
The process of designing a logo for your business need not be a complicated process as long as you keep in mind the guidelines below. By considering the psychologies involved in color, shape, and typography, you can come up with a design that best reflects your business brand, which helps you achieve your goals.