Everyone needs a visual representation of their brand or business, regardless of how big or small the realm of your influence extends. That is why logos are such a big deal—they become the symbol by which others imagine your startup or business. Not only is the logo one of the most important graphic design projects your business will ever face, it’s also one of the first tests of your creativity. In order to make the process go more smoothly, here are 5 steps to creating the perfect logo:
1. Consider the Competition
It doesn’t matter what you are selling—there will be competition. And you have to rise above it. Before you begin thinking about what kind of logo you want, you and your team have to scope out what the competition is doing. Check out logos. Assess the quality, what stands out, what color schemes are used, and if there seems to be an overused trend you want to avoid. From there, you can come up with ideas that will help out stand apart from the crowd.
2. Adaptable
Your logo needs to be flexible. Not only is your logo potentially going to be used on various mediums, such as online, on print, or on fabric. For example you may need a different format for envelope printing. It’s going to be have to be scalable as well as adjustable. To put it simply, is your logo going to be as powerful in black and white as it is in color?
3. Design Elements
Speaking of color, you have a rainbow of possibilities, if you will. However, not every color, shadowed font, and gradient is going to make your logo look like a winner. This holds true with fonts, shape, size, and so on. There are several design elements that you can play with, but knowing what works with your niche is important. After all, you don’t want your logo looking like the epitome of Comic Sans in the professional world.
Know when to use serif, sans serif, and scripts accordingly. Serif looks tasteful. Sans serif look clean and modern. Script is tricky and has a lot of personality, but using it well might not always be easy.
4. Icons
Similar to other design elements, just because you have the opportunity to select an icon as a logo doesn’t mean you go crazy with it. Before getting buried alive by all the possibilities, ask yourself whether or not you really need an icon. It’s perfectly fine to have logos made solely of text.
5. Sketching
Even if you plan on turning your logo design over to a graphic designer, don’t skip this step. Having some sketches of how you want your logo to look or feel is important. It not only helps graphic designers get a better grasp of the design you want, it helps you remember what you’re looking for. Make several styles, and stay open-minded.
Conclusion
These five steps are just the beginning to creating the perfect logo. Though the process can be quite extensive and may require a lot of repeats when thinking of and sketching out a logo, if you do your research and get inspired, you will have a great logo. Remember: adaptability is crucial when developing the ultimate logo.
