What Makes a Successful LogoLogo Design Denver
You might have thought before, what exactly makes a logo successful? You know a brilliant logo when you see it, but you cannot always place why it works. In this post, we discuss what makes a great logo and why.
Identity
What exactly is an identity? Simply put, it’s how the brand identifies. A brand identity is an all-encompassing message a business wants to send to the world. Who they are, what they do, and how they do it. A companies mission, goals, and values along with its ethics and ways of doing business are all apart of its “Identity.” It’s imperative that the designer understands the companies identity and reflects that identity in the logo design denver and branding. For example, below is a logo identity we did for a security systems company, NSS. Would this logo be as effective if it were to use pastels or a monochromatic color scheme? It might look nice, but it wouldn’t be coherent with the companies identity which is focused on tech and security. The logo is a clear reflection of what the company is, and supports the message of the brand.
Simplicity
Complex logos speak for themselves in what they do - showing off the designer's ego. A logo that is complex is more of an artistic flex than trying to get a message across, and it doesn’t help anyone - even the designer. The massive difference between art and design is the message itself. How clear it is versus how much thought should be put into it. Art is subjective, and can sometimes have a clear message, and sometimes it can be abstract, but the common goal remains: art is dedicated to making you think. Design is the opposite, actually. Design is here to help you understand. The message should never be abstract and never force you to have to figure it out. The message should be clear, concise, and transparent. Designers do this through simplicity. Simple elements and logos create a clear understanding of the identity and thus, make the brand more recognizable. The best way to simplify a logo is to ask yourself, “is this element or feature helping anything?” If the answer is no, it might be best to scrap it. Do the lines separating the icon and the title of the company help you read the logo? Does this color splash behind a silhouette of a person create a mood or feeling? Logos can be condensed into 1-3 elements to do the goal. The experienced designer can identify these problems immediately, and simplify the logo design denver.
Memorability
It’s pretty obvious a logo, at the very least, should be memorable. Luckily, there are special techniques and skills to do this. A simplified logo is always helpful, but this is where creativity and being unique is equally important. Logos that we remember and notice do not have equals, as if we have seen it before, we will glance over it and pay no attention. Logos that are creative in their execution and have subject matter that is outside the norm sparks interest. This is why the discovery and research phase of the logo design process is arguably the most important. To find a unique logo, you have to explore all avenues and use techniques like word mapping to link the message to the logo mark in a creative way.
For A New Design Co, we like to double the efforts of initial sketches to pursue all possible avenues in the discovery phase of a logo mark. We find that early extensive exploration is vital in finding that mark that hits all the right targets for our clients. To see our process in action, check out our portfolio - Logo Design Denver.
Timeless
An ongoing trend that is getting more and more attention, are trends themselves. It’s been clear to most designers that trends come and go, and it’s a challenge to decide whether a trend is going to stick or if it is here for the year. A logo should not depend on trends and modernization to be relevant and creative. Great logos can transcend decades with the slightest edit here and there. Depending on effects like neumorphism and glass morphism (two current trends that are gaining popularity in UI Design) to make your client like your logo isn’t a great idea unless you plan on redesigning it next year. That is not to say these effects are brilliant and beautiful when applied, but be cautious of depending on these trends to ensure the success of your logo. A good test for this? Turn your logo into a solid black logo on a white background and a solid white logo design denver on black background. As long as your logo’s identity still reads, and the creativity is not all lost, then you have succeeded in applying the trend. Make sure your logo can stand the test of time.
Versatility - Logo Design Denver
Something that gets frequently left behind, and is such a shame because the designs are brilliant, is how it applies to all production efforts. If you print this logo on a business card can you read the business name? Can you tell what the icon is? Is the wordmark too thin and going to look terrible at small print? If you are wanting a logo with zero issues for future printing and displaying, test the logo on large and small scale mockup designs. It will save you the headache and money later. Size is one thing, but there is also the dependency on color and contrast. We are in the age of dark mode as of 2020, and it doesn’t look like it’s going away in 2021. There are more and more logos on dark background with a beautiful color palette that reads perfectly, however, when applied to a white background, loses its readability and clarity. Referring to the timeless section above, test on both dark and light backgrounds! Make a color palette for each, and ensure the success of the logo design denver for the future. Want to learn more about logo design? Reach out to us with questions! We’d be happy to answer them or have a discussion!