Designing a great logo is crucial. That doesn’t translate into designing an expensive or complicated logo (the original Google logo was created for free by its founder and is as simple as they get), but you want it to be one that makes people think positive thoughts about your brand when they see it. It needs to be recognisable and evoke the emotions you want instilled in your brand persona. In some cases, your logo might be the first contact someone has with your company and you want their reaction to be singularly positive. Not too much to ask, is it?
Before starting, take a long look at what your direct competitors are doing. You want to stand out, but it is wise to ask why they haven’t gone in certain directions and why they use the colours they do. Similarly, do some research into the wider logo trends that are around at the moment – where have logos been redesigned in recent years and what changes were made (for example, take a look at the way that companies have been tending towards flat logo designs). Make a note of these factors, but don’t let it force your logo one way or another at this stage. There are always exceptions to every rule and logo fashions, like everything, go in and out of style.
You will then need to decide whether you want to create your logo in-house or hire an external designer. While you might consider yourself a dab hand on Microsoft Paint with a keen eye for colour combinations, you are unlikely to produce a logo of the same calibre as a professionally-trained designer. You should recognise that there is a lot more that goes into a logo design than random squiggles and a nice font – for example, look at the Twitter logo that was built on principles of geometry, or the FedEx logo, which contains a hidden arrow.
Paying for a professional might seem like an expense at the time, but the likelihood is that it will be designed to last and a few years down the line it will be paying for itself. In this instance you should also note that with logo design you definitely get what you pay for, so don’t be afraid to splash out, after all, this is going to be the main visual anyone associates with your business and you don’t want it to look amateurish.
If you do decide to approach either a freelance logo designer or a branding company, then you must be clear on your company’s identity, so that you don’t go in with confused ideas. Create a strong brand persona and compose a few lines about the aims and objectives of your startup. This will enable the designer to create a logo that aligns with your vision and targets your ideal customer.
There are three main types of logo design that you can go for. Font logos, which will use the company name in a typographic way, representative logos, using a symbol to demonstrate the company function, and finally abstract logos, which will have a symbol completely removed from the meaning behind the company.
Although many abstract logos are some of the most recognised in the world (Nike’s swoosh is a great example) they take a lot of lengthy and expensive marketing campaigns to ensure they are placed with the business in a consumer’s mind. As a startup your best bet might be to go for something representative or font based.
At this point take a step back and don’t attempt to micro-manage your designer. You hired them to do a job because they have expertise where you do not, so while suggestions are usually welcome, don’t be upset if they don’t agree with the excessive shading that you asked for (although a good designer will usually try everything once).
Often you will be presented with a few logo designs to choose from and there are a few things to bear in mind when making your selection. The first is versatility – will it work if represented in miniature, as well as blown up huge? Does any of the detail get lost when viewed from far away? Does it have the same impact in black and white? Will it appeal to a range of different people? It needs to be able to work across the board.
You should also familiarise yourself with the basics of colour theory before agreeing with a colour scheme (and note that only 5% of the world’s top brands use more than two colours in their logo), so that you can agree with your designer on a colour that is evocative of the correct emotions.
You might also consider getting feedback on the logo from people outside of the company. Some of the most valuable insights can come from people with no prior association with the brand at all – do they get what you intended from the logo? Ask family and friends as well, but we wary of having too many options shouting to be acknowledged. Looking at the data gathered from market research objectively is the best way to collate data about which logo design has the most impact.
Lastly does it stand the test of time? When researching other logos that are popular at the moment it is easy to get caught up in what is on trend right now. Take a step back and ask yourself whether it will still be relevant in 5, or even 10 years’ time or if you are likely to be shelling out for a new design in the not too distant future.
BrighterBox works with all startups (great logo or not) and matches them with fantastic graduates. Search 'BrighterBox Jobs' to find out more.
