10 Logo Guidelines
1. Distinctive
One of the main purposes of a logo is to differentiate your brand from your competitors and market. If your logo isn’t distinctive or unique in some way, it will be impossible for your logo to accomplish its purpose.
We always strive to create logos that are distinct and original and purposefully avoid trendy designs that might look dated over time (remember the 90′s swoosh logos?).
2. Sophisticated
Although we design logos for a large variety of businesses and individuals, we strive for a certain level of sophistication in our designs. A design can be playful and friendly and still be sophisticated.
It’s actually more accurate to use the term “intentional” or “thoughtful” than sophisticated. Either way, the point is that a good logo has a certain level of design integrity. A good logo also shows restraint in the design – it’s better to stick to the essential visual information than to incorporate multiple motifs or concepts into a single logo.
3. Conceptual
With that said, a good logo always has a thought out concept that is in some way relevant to the core philosophy of the individual or company that it represents.
The concept is usually directly tied to one or more visual elements that make the logo distinctive. Most of the time a good logo leaves you with one characteristic that you can remember it by, which is essential for brand recognition.
4. Relevant
Another important aspect of thoughtful logo design is its relevance to the brand. Is the logo’s imagery, style, and look consistent with the brand’s core? Does it effectively convey the industry, product, or service of the client? If a logo isn’t relevant, it can provoke false assumptions upon initial viewing and compromise the consistency of the brand.
5. Versatile
“Whether a logo is applied to a sixty-foot-high oil tank or a ballpoint pen, it should read well.”
A logo is likely to be reproduced on a number of different applications and mediums. From print business cards and stationary to wood, metal, plastic or vinyl cut signs and web, TV, and digital media, a good logo should be easily reproducible in a variety of different circumstances. If you start by designing your logo in black and white, this is usually an easy task to accomplish.
6. Logos that are Cohesive
Logos should be visually balanced and cohesive by nature. Sometimes a sense of unbalance or momentum is desirable in a logo, but a good designer always strives for a sense of completeness and integrity in the design. If you feel the need to encapsulate a design in a box or square, chances are it lacks cohesion without these elements (and sometimes that’s ok!). Just be sure that you’re not making up for a poor design by adding unnecessary elements that don’t improve the mark.
7. Attractive
Although it can be difficult to quantify what makes a logo attractive, it should always be the goal to make the logo attractive to the largest number of viewers possible. This is why it is so important to understand the target audience of the company or individual you are working with. It doesn’t do any good for a logo design to be attractive to the wrong target audience.
8. Legible
It can be tempting to use obscure type faces in logo design to add visual interest and make the logo unique. But if the logo isn’t legible, it’s destined to confuse or even irritate the viewer. As with many of these concepts, a good designer must find an artistic balance between legibility and creativity. Keep in mind that some of the best logos are the most readable and simplistic in their design.
9. Memorable
One of the most important goals for any logo design is to create a mark that is memorable. If your logo leaves a lasting impression on its viewers, it is more likely that he or she will remember your client’s company. It is also important that a logo is memorable in order to create brand recognition – often the viewer will only be presented with your logo for a split second on a passing bus or at the end of a commercial.
10. Enduring
The most important goal (and subsequently the most difficult goal to achieve) is to create a logo that can stand the test of time. Unlike print materials and even a website, a logo design should last for decades. Your client is investing too much time, money, and effort into their brand to want to go through the entire process in a year or two. It is also critical to keep a logo in the public eye for as long as possible in order to build equity.
Often, brand will be refreshed to stay up to date with current design standards, but as much of the original brand equity should be preserved in these instances.
One of the main purposes of a logo is to differentiate your brand from your competitors and market. If your logo isn’t distinctive or unique in some way, it will be impossible for your logo to accomplish its purpose.
We always strive to create logos that are distinct and original and purposefully avoid trendy designs that might look dated over time (remember the 90′s swoosh logos?).
2. Sophisticated
Although we design logos for a large variety of businesses and individuals, we strive for a certain level of sophistication in our designs. A design can be playful and friendly and still be sophisticated.
It’s actually more accurate to use the term “intentional” or “thoughtful” than sophisticated. Either way, the point is that a good logo has a certain level of design integrity. A good logo also shows restraint in the design – it’s better to stick to the essential visual information than to incorporate multiple motifs or concepts into a single logo.
3. Conceptual
With that said, a good logo always has a thought out concept that is in some way relevant to the core philosophy of the individual or company that it represents.
The concept is usually directly tied to one or more visual elements that make the logo distinctive. Most of the time a good logo leaves you with one characteristic that you can remember it by, which is essential for brand recognition.
4. Relevant
Another important aspect of thoughtful logo design is its relevance to the brand. Is the logo’s imagery, style, and look consistent with the brand’s core? Does it effectively convey the industry, product, or service of the client? If a logo isn’t relevant, it can provoke false assumptions upon initial viewing and compromise the consistency of the brand.
5. Versatile
“Whether a logo is applied to a sixty-foot-high oil tank or a ballpoint pen, it should read well.”
A logo is likely to be reproduced on a number of different applications and mediums. From print business cards and stationary to wood, metal, plastic or vinyl cut signs and web, TV, and digital media, a good logo should be easily reproducible in a variety of different circumstances. If you start by designing your logo in black and white, this is usually an easy task to accomplish.
6. Logos that are Cohesive
Logos should be visually balanced and cohesive by nature. Sometimes a sense of unbalance or momentum is desirable in a logo, but a good designer always strives for a sense of completeness and integrity in the design. If you feel the need to encapsulate a design in a box or square, chances are it lacks cohesion without these elements (and sometimes that’s ok!). Just be sure that you’re not making up for a poor design by adding unnecessary elements that don’t improve the mark.
7. Attractive
Although it can be difficult to quantify what makes a logo attractive, it should always be the goal to make the logo attractive to the largest number of viewers possible. This is why it is so important to understand the target audience of the company or individual you are working with. It doesn’t do any good for a logo design to be attractive to the wrong target audience.
8. Legible
It can be tempting to use obscure type faces in logo design to add visual interest and make the logo unique. But if the logo isn’t legible, it’s destined to confuse or even irritate the viewer. As with many of these concepts, a good designer must find an artistic balance between legibility and creativity. Keep in mind that some of the best logos are the most readable and simplistic in their design.
9. Memorable
One of the most important goals for any logo design is to create a mark that is memorable. If your logo leaves a lasting impression on its viewers, it is more likely that he or she will remember your client’s company. It is also important that a logo is memorable in order to create brand recognition – often the viewer will only be presented with your logo for a split second on a passing bus or at the end of a commercial.
10. Enduring
The most important goal (and subsequently the most difficult goal to achieve) is to create a logo that can stand the test of time. Unlike print materials and even a website, a logo design should last for decades. Your client is investing too much time, money, and effort into their brand to want to go through the entire process in a year or two. It is also critical to keep a logo in the public eye for as long as possible in order to build equity.
Often, brand will be refreshed to stay up to date with current design standards, but as much of the original brand equity should be preserved in these instances.