Most important features of a professional logo design
Logo design is the embodiment of a brand. It takes the brand identity and manifests it into something that not just represents the brand, but makes it identifiable and memorable. When done properly, a logo will not just act as a symbol to remind people of a brand but remind them of a product and even an association with it.
Many factors contribute to making a professional logo design not just work but also benefit the brand. When it comes down to it, however, there is no most important feature. Rather, every aspect that goes into a logo makes it work as a whole. If one element is off or doesn’t flow with the rest, it will disturb the overall harmony of the logo. This is a good reason to have a logo design agency assist in making your logo, so everything is broken down for you and nothing falls through the cracks in making the most fitting logo for your brand.
When it comes to creating the ideal logo, there are two different aspects categorically when it comes to the creation: design elements and conceptual factors. Conceptual factors are what need to be involved or incorporated with a logo, whereas the design elements are the aesthetic aspects that pull together all the subtle elements in order to portray a bold statement a logo needs to make.
Conceptual Factors When Creating a Logo
Make it Simple
Simplifying a logo will help in making it memorable. Miniature nuances that are incorporated into a logo can give depth, but actually making a logo too intricate will lose focus, which will deviate from the entire purpose of an efficient logo.
Key examples of simplicity are Nike, Apple, Adidas, and Puma. The list of examples is endless, but with each of these brands there is only one symbol that embodies the brand, and as soon as people see it they know exactly who the brand is and what they represent. Simple means effective, not basic.
Finding the appropriate symbol isn’t always that simple, because it needs to be defined and not too generic. This is why logo design agencies can make a huge impact on the development of a brand.
Make it Memorable
Making a logo memorable also goes hand in hand with being simple. The swoosh from Nike is just as easy to remember as an apple with a bite out of it. Everyone knows what the Microsoft Windows looks like and what it stands for. Amazon has an arrow that points from “A” to “Z” which not only shows they cover everything from “A” to “Z” but also makes a pseudo smile to show they make their customers happy. Even FedEx incorporated a subtle arrow to show they move things forward with shipping within their logo. These nuances that logos interject into the representation of the brand through the graphics help remind people not only of the brand but also what they do.
Make it Relevant
While having covered the previous logos and what makes them memorable, it was a prelude to the fact that they are memorable because they incorporated elements in the logo that are what makes them relevant. Again, Amazon covers all of your needs from “A” to “Z” while FedEx pushes all of your deliveries forward. Even BestBuy has a sales tag that encompasses its brand name within its logo.
A different aspect of a brand that uses complete relevancy when it comes to its logo based on the brand is Target because they literally use a simple bullseye as their logo. Beyond using it as their logo, they even made a mascot that was a dog they called bullseye, which yet again incorporated their logo into another form of their brand for advertisement. The transition for them was simple because they took their existing logo and transferred its relevance to a different plain.
Apple took the same stance when they began to print their logo on stickers for people to put where they pleased, which sometimes led to people putting it on the cars they owned. This not only showed status when it came to being a user of the company’s brand product but also showed the diversity of the people who owned it based on the brand of vehicle they owned.
Make it Timeless
Adidas has never changed the symbol they use as their logo, just like Nike and Apple in addition to Puma. What makes a logo timeless is its simplicity in addition to its being steadfast. When a brand updates its logo prematurely or too often, it shows that the brand is inconsistent. Timeless implies consistency. Logos that are based on trends imply that they will last as long as the trend. The 80s were full of neon colours in addition to very specific colour schemes. Timeless brands pushed through these times, such as Mcdonald’s, who have always represented red and yellow as their colours in addition to the golden arches.
Design Elements
Colours
Colours make the first impact on anyone. They are what attract the eye before an image or the words that are incorporated. Colours also set the tone when it comes to a logo. Going back to Mcdonald’s, they only use red and yellow. Red is the first colour that attracts the human eye. Yellow and red together create a feeling of being alert and rushing. As a fast food restaurant, the main concept is to get people in and get them out, which is why these two colours are ideal for the mentality of a fast food restaurant.
Colours can also exemplify aspects of a logo. They can bring attention to certain aspects when it comes to the graphics, but they can also initiate subconscious feelings. Each colour evokes certain feelings in a person, whether it be calm, alertness, entitlement, jealousy, or wealth.
Shapes
Shapes can actually show different emotions or evoke correlations based on how complex or simple they are. Triangles can emulate leadership or dominance while squares or rectangles can portray security or trustworthiness. Lines can create different tones of their own based on their orientation. Curvy can be relaxing while horizontal can imply stability & vertical can mean success or command.
All of these elements that almost don’t seem to have any implication actually hold a mental dominance when it comes to a logo.
Typography
Fonts exist in high numbers and represent countless styles. Typography covers every tone and emotion that exists and gives different options as to how they accentuate it. Just like it was mentioned with how lines are used in a logo, it is also the same when it comes to typography. Curves and sharp lines also create a persona or tone with the font that is used. Taking the right font and making it bold or italic will also change the perception.
Making it All Work
When a logo maker takes all of these into account, that’s what will make a logo attractive. When you see every aspect that is incorporated into a logo in order to make it have the correct presence, it makes it very apparent that it is no easy task. A logo is something that should not be taken lightly. If a brand expects to be around forever, it should make sure that its logo emulates that. Otherwise, a logo can also show that a brand may also be temporary.
These are subconscious cues that the consumer will pick up. This is why it is important to take a logo to heart and consider having a logo design agency make sure that your logo will represent and last as long as your brand should.
