What Makes a Logo Great?

There are logos, and then there are iconic logos – think the Nike Swoop.

A logo is an essential aspect of any brand, and rushing its design can spell disaster.

Often, companies and individuals seek a logo design and want it done quickly, causing them to seek out designers on freelance platforms.

Yet, they often fail to consider the need for and the value of thorough research and educational knowledge that goes into a successful logo design.

If you are currently seeking a logo design, it’s imperative to understand how important your logo is to your branding and how working with the right designer can set you up for success.

By moving too quickly, focusing on how fast you can receive a logo from a provider on platforms such as Fiverr, you’ll potentially find yourself dealing with files to clean up or edit. You may even need to adjust or redo the design completely before becoming a trusted quality brand and moving forward with your investors.

What, then, makes a logo great?

Here are the top three characteristics to ensure your logo is the best it can be.

1. Keep It Simple

You may think you need to go big with your logo to make it stand out. However, the most successful logos that make an impact are, in actuality, extremely simple.

Complicated and overly busy designs can be overwhelming to remember, and consumers won’t easily connect with your brand.

Instead, find a way to express your brand’s personality simply.

You only have so much space to create within, so you want to use it wisely.

Think colors, shapes, and fonts that feel like your brand.

Go with wordmarks or single letters in a particular font.

Distill ideas and your brand’s values down into their simplest forms.

Essentially, you want to utilize as few design elements as possible and still represent your brand’s identity.

2. Make It Timeless

Your logo will be with you for a long time, so you want to make it timeless. That is, you want the logo to be relevant years from now and continue to connect you with your customers.

For example, look at the golden arches of McDonald's. This logo has been the same for decades and is lodged in the minds of customers and non-customers alike.

That’s not to say you can never update or recreate your logo. It just means you need to take the necessary time to create the best logo possible, then use it in all your external branding and your internal branding to establish it as a representation of you and build brand collateral.

Avoid trendy elements that can change from year to year, and make sure your logo can stand the test of time.

3. Make It Memorable

While you want your logo to be simple, you want it to be a unique part of your brand design.

Within seconds of seeing your logo, consumers need to understand what they are observing. With so many choices available today in just about every niche, consumers have gotten into the habit of scanning for products and services.  If your logo is memorable, it makes their decision-making process that much easier.

Essentially, you want to create a logo that is easy to recall and communicates your brand to the consumer quickly, allowing them to connect it with your brand.

A Few Final Words

Storytelling in business can be represented through your logo, conveying the why and what behind your brand. If that logo is also simple, timeless, and memorable, you can count on it to represent you in the best possible ways.

Whether you’re already considering the importance of branding to investors or just beginning to present your brand to the world, your logo will play a significant role. You want to get this right, so take the necessary time to create the one you need.