Intended to show personality, convey a message and be easily identifiable, a logo is arguably one of the most significant aspect of a brand. A powerful graphical representation of a brand, no matter how great a brands services are, with a poorly designed logo it’s likely that businesses and organisations will have a tough time captivating their audience.
Logos need to be unique for each brand, not only visually, but also in how they convey the message they should, which is why even the best designer can find logo design challenging.
While logo design isn’t an exact science and there’s always room for some experimentation, some level of theoretical knowledge is always needed. With this in mind, let’s look at how designers can get logos wrong, in order to get it right next time!
1// Relying On Trends
In the design, world trends change daily and while it can be tempting to design a logo based on current trends such as flat or semi-flat design, the question needs to be asked – “Is this going to last?” A logo needs to be a timeless investment, it needs to last a lifetime, not just a season.
Taking inspiration from current trends is always a good idea as it’s likely that certain aspects of these trends will last, however, to design purely around one trend could actually lead to a logo looking outdated very quickly once the trend actually fades.
2// Poor Font Choices
Deciding on a font can be difficult and there’s often a lot of pressure put on designers to choose a font that is both captivating, unique and timeless, which is why many larger brands design their own fonts in order to reach all three of these goals, rather than using ‘off the shelf’ fonts.
By spending time researching the vast array of fonts that exist out there, designers and business owners can narrow down which styles match the tone of the brand and also of the message that the business is looking to send out.
3// Too Complex
The most memorable logos are the ones that are the most simple, the ones that allow for easier recognition and stand out amongst others on the market. A logo that is too complex isn’t always easy to remember, with audiences often spending more time trying to figure out what the logo means, that spending time to remember the logo.
Using too many colours, too many icons, bad fonts or simply overdrawing it can all make logos look much more complicated, failing to represent what the brand is truly about. Think about all the established brands and their logos, Nike, Apple, McDonald’s, they also feature simple logos.
4// Plagiarism
The most important thing about a logo is that it Needs. To. Be. Unique. The entire purpose of a brands logo is to represent the company in the best way, as well as show off their own original style and identity. Not only is copying a brands logo illegal, it also doesn’t reflect well on a business.
Drawing inspiration and researching other logos is fine, but plagiarising a logo isn’t! It’s can make a business look lazy and uncreative and if the brand you’ve copied finds out it could leave you heavily out of pocket.
5// Poor Colour Selection
A common mistake that logo designers make is choosing a colour that doesn’t suit the brand or their audience. Understanding colour psychology is important, especially when it comes to branding and it’s vital that a colour is picked that resonates with the audience, the key message and the brand’s overall personality.
It’s good to have an idea of which colours to include in the logo when the project is started, however, confirm these colours last! By creating a logo in black and white first, you can understand how the logo works and if it works well before finalising a colour.
For more advice or to take your business to the next level with a company logo, why not contact our team today?
