What should you look for in a logo design?
The first feature
you should look for in a logo design is weather it
represents your company's image. This could mean several things. Does it show your vision for the company? Is your message visible in the logo? Would any one looking at your logo be able to recall it again and associate it with the service your provide or the product you sell? Is it clear, simple and effective? Most people imagine a good logo to be flashy and colorful. That may be true. For certain companies. But is such a
logo good for your company? A flashy and
cartoonish looking logo design for a company that sells up-class ties might not be such a good idea. An elegant and too simple logo might not be right for a sports wear company targeting the younger generation.
There are many factors that you should consider when
selecting a logo design. And the company's image and target audience is high on the priority list.
Issues like level of abstraction, the font type used, the colors, the
logo treatment such as iconic, illustrative etc
all play an important role in determining if your logo is right
for your image.
Abstraction in a logo design is good. However too much abstraction might not be appropriate for every one. Some times, due to the nature of your business you might have to express what you do more boldly in your logo. In such cases too much abstraction in your logo would not help your cause.
Your target audience might not be able to associate your company with the services you provide. You should be aware of this fact even before your go to a designer to start your
company logo design project.
The font type used in your logo goes a long way in creating the right impact. The right font would enable
your target audience to associate your logo with the particular service that you offer more readily than another. You should look at your company and your services in a conceptual way and try to visualize what characteristics
you would like the logo to display. Bold and strong? Elegant?
These are questions you should ask yourself when deciding the
look of your logo.
Colors play an important role in expressing feelings. Certain colors, if used appropriately, would convey a feeling of trustworthiness, where as others might invoke feelings of mistrust. The choice of colors is usually influenced by this factor and also by your personal likes and dislikes.
Many a time we have observed clients go for certain colors because they like
them even though their company logo not represent their service
or their company message. Read about the
use of gradients in logo design.
An iconic treatment of a logo involves a simple and some times clever representation of an item associated with a product or service the company promotes. Incorporating a stylish and simple gavel in a auction company logo is a good example. Iconic logos do not have too much detail and border on being abstract. The designer's expertise determines how clever the icon is. A clever icon would always demand respect from the audience.
Illustrative logos are much more elaborate and hence harder to design and represent. To establish an illustrative logo as a brand in a highly competitive market, an illustrative logo
would take more effort. Illustration in the logo might involve a very clever and intricately detailed
design that would inspire awe in the audience. Elements of the illustrative logo can then be used in stationery and related promotional material to give the "look and feel".
