How to Design a Logo – 7 Proven Rules on How to Design a Logo
You may need to know how to design a logo for your own business or perhaps you are just researching for a school graphic design project. Whatever your reason, the following ‘7 Proven Rules on How to Design a Logo’ are tried and tested rules that I use every day in my own logo design business. Because logo design is a creative endeavor, having what I call a design process is essential in provoking the creative juices. First, you want to start with rule number 1:
1. The Design Brief The design brief is a compilation of data that you will base the design development on and may include the following:
- Company name or more specifically, the logo name.
- A tag line if necessary.
- A brief outline of the desired style or message the company desires to communicate i.e. corporate, conservative, stylized / organic etc.
- An actual description of the services or products the company provides.
- Any color considerations or dislikes.
- Budget and time restraints.
2. Research The research stage is extremely important in the development of a unique and compelling logo. Do not take this part of the design process lightly. It can and will make the difference between ‘sweet success’ or ‘sucking lemons’. Direct Competitors: Start by researching direct competitors in your market. You do not want to inadvertently plagiarize a competitor’s logo. In addition, you need to look at what the masses are doing and ensure that your design does not fall into the ‘same old’ cliché type designs. Target Market: What is your target market demographic? Design for your market.
3. Thumbnail Research If you have successfully compiled all of the necessary data, it should prompt a flow of creative inspiration. Now is the time to channel that energy and start drawing. Explore all the possibilities without reserve and until you can no longer come up with anything else.
4. Further Development of the Strongest Design Elements If you have completed rule number three, you ought to have a number of design elements worthy of further exploration. Keep pushing the design process until you come up with the winning design. In most cases, this will be with the collaboration of the business owner or marketing manager etc.
5. Checklist Once you have the strongest logo design, go through the following checklist and make sure it comes up flush with the suggestions: Is it unique? – Or does it blend in with competing messages in the same industry. Is it simple? – Will it be recognized instantly when viewed only in the peripheral? Is it scalable? – The logo design needs to hold its integrity in a large-scale format, as well as it does when rendered small. Does it look good? – If your logo looks unprofessional, then it is going to say the same about your business. More than that though, your logo should be appropriate to the product or service you provide. Does it work in black and white? – Your logo needs to be able to hold its own in black and white.
6. Revision After going through the checklist, the logo may need to undergo some revisions to comply. This may involve adding another element, but more likely, it will involve culling redundant design elements.
7. File Formats for Appropriate Media Once you have your finalized logo, be sure to get the following file formats: The original EPS (Encapsulated PostScript) vector file A PNG or GIFF for web-based application A high-res PDF (Portable Document Format) often used for print media
Conclusion: The 7 Proven Rules on How to design a logo are not overly complicated or too simple. They are tried and tested principals used by successful logo designer’s everyday. If you adhere to these rules, you will be better prepared for a successful outcome.
