Useful Website Design Articles

What makes a good Logo Design?

We are often asked: What makes a good logo design? It is important that several factors be considered in answering this question. What is the purpose of this logo? What mediums will this logo be published in? What is the intended audience for the logo? What sort of image do you or your company intend to portray?

One of the most important reasons to have a logo designed in the First place is to promote brand recognition and awareness. You want your customer and your potential client to remember you and recognize your product wherever he may see it. Current statistics indicate that the average child can recognize and identify over 85 corporate images, but only a handful of species of birds. The First half of that equation is the result of many successful advertising campaigns and some fine logos. Another important reason to have an excellent logo design is to raise the impact of your website and/or product. A professional, eye catching logo immediately establishes an impact and the perception of a higher level of credibility. Conversely, an amateur or poorly designed logo can do irreparable damage to your online image. After all, in e-commerce, your site is your store. In the brick and mortar world, it would seem doubtful that you would invite your potential clients into a dirty, grungy store and expect them to buy something from you. (Certain types of commerce excepted!) So, make your visitor's First impression a good one with a nice, professional logo!

The mediums in which you intend to use your logo make a difference in design. In the traditional world of printed products, it makes a lot of sense to limit logo design colours to a maximum of three or four, and less where possible. Printing costs increase dramatically with each additional colour required. All letterhead, business cards, flyers, posters, brochures and so on, all incur these higher print costs. In the design stages, the choice of software to create your logo will depend on its intended uses. Logos that will be used for high resolution printing or large applications such as billboards or the side of trucks need to be created in fully scalable vector graphics. On the other hand, logos that simply exist online can be as complex and colourful as desired, and need less scalability. Online logo design can make use of effects such as shadowing, gradients and texturing that may lose their impact and cost effectiveness when put into print. A note of caution applies here, however. Overly complex or cluttered logo design sacrifices much of its impact and value, too.

We suggest that your custom logo design be aimed directly at your target audience. A professional, corporate, conservative business should have its image reflected in its logo design and choice of fonts. A business that has, or desires, a more cutting edge image should keep that in mind when employing logo designers. The look of a logo can influence potential customers' expectations of the goods and services that a company offers, so you should use this to your advantage.

When choosing a logo designer, take some time to evaluate his or her portfolio. Do you like what you see? Everyone has their own unique style and taste, and you need to choose a designer that can show you logos that you find to be appealing. After all, it is your logo, and you should love the finished product!

Our experience is that the questions of purpose, medium, audience, image and taste are the most important factors in creating your perfect logo. Communicate your needs and wishes clearly to your logo designer, ask for revisions as necessary, and get the perfect logo design for your needs.

This article comes from DesignGraphics.org