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What Makes A Logo Successful?

Design

What Makes A Logo Successful?

Monday, June 28, 2021

First impressions are one of the most important ways businesses can gain and retain customers. Your logo will be a customer’s first look into your brand. In today’s society where many people are constantly in a rush, your first impression needs to be extremely impactful as to not be lost in the noise of life’s many distractions.



Determine Where the Logo Will Most Commonly Be Viewed

Understanding where customers will be viewing a logo will give you a better chance of creating a successful logo. For example, if you are creating a logo for an app, you need to consider the view-ability requirements needed. Apps showcase logos at one of their smallest points. Thus, the logo needs to be designed with that in mind so try to avoid overcomplicated logos with too much detail.


Consider Scalability

Scalability refers to how well a graphic can be resized to be larger or smaller. Scalability in logo design is extremely important. If a logo doesn't scale well, it could be due to elements that are too small to be legible at a reduced size. To help combat this issue, avoid making lines that are too thin, and avoid small text and thin typefaces. Utilizing negative space can also helps by adding needed separation between elements; improving legibility at small sizes.


Pick the Appropriate Type of Logo

In logo design there are 7 types of logos:


  1. Abstract
  2. Mascot
  3. Combination
  4. Emblem
  5. Lettermark
  6. Pictorial
  7. Wordmark


Knowing which type of logo to chose based on the brand can help guide you in the right direction. If you blindly chose a direction without considering where the logo will be viewed, and the target audience, you’re limiting the chance of creating a successful logo. Trust me, you don’t want to gamble!


Keep It Simple

The attention span of many people today is not much better than goldfish. With that in mind, a logo should be as refined as possible.


Many new designers try to describe the brand/company through the logo, and often times this overcomplicates it. The logo doesn’t need to tell a story, rather help to convey core values and general feelings/ideas the company is trying to portray. If you struggle with this, take a step back and chose one core idea to portray. Doing this can help to condense the amount of concepts being added into a logo. In the end, KEEP. IT. SIMPLE.



Create Something Memorable

Creating a memorable logo is much easier said than done. To help ensure a logo is memorable, there needs to be a differentiating factor. Whether that be a logo with a double meaning, a minimalistic direction, or unique quirk to it. A good way to test the memorability of a logo is to have someone look at your logo for 10 seconds. After they finish looking at it, have them try to redraw the logo. If they can draw it fairly accurate, then your logo is more likely to be memorable.


For example, which logo are you more likely to remember?






















Most of you probably answered 1. This is because Animal Planet did great job conveying a minimalistic design of an elephant and didn’t add anything unnecessary. As for number 2, Fuddruckers logo is over complicated. They have included many graphic and text elements that may make it harder to recall.




Be Your Own Critic

The logo design process can sometimes take a considerable amount of time. Creating successful logos in a more time efficient manor may be as simple as stepping back and asking yourself these questions:


  1. What first impressions do I want potential customers to have when looking at my logo?
  2. Where will my logo be most commonly viewed?
  3. Does my logo scale well?
  4. Does the type of logo I design fit the desired feel of the brand?
  5. Does my logo have unnecessary elements that are making it overcomplicated?
  6. Is my logo memorable?


By asking yourself these questions you are setting yourself up to create a more successful logo. At the end of the day, just remember – A logo doesn’t need to tell a story, rather help to convey the core values and general feelings/ideas the company is trying to portray.


Interested in chatting more about design? Contact us at info@irisdesigncollaborative.com.

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