Perhaps you are in a rebranding process or you are developing a completely new brand. The logo is an important part of your corporate identity. This image and/or word mark is your business card that is visible in many places. Think of your website, on social media, but also on stationery and promotional materials such as pens or notebooks. Maybe you have your logo designed by a freelancer, marketing agency or colleague designer. That doesn’t change the fact that it’s good to know what’s important when it comes to designing a logo. That way you can make the right choices more easily and ensure that you make an impression with your new logo. We help you on your way with a number of tips for designing a logo.
Make the logo match your branding
Make sure the logo properly translates your organization’s identity. You want to position your brand in a certain way, with a certain message and a certain image. And those parts must match the attitude, wishes and needs of your target group. It is therefore important to properly map out your target group. The new logo can also be part of a rebranding process or repositioning your brand. It is possible that the strategy, vision and/or mission has changed over time and you therefore want to start the rebranding process. Or your logo is outdated and in need of a makeover. Read this article with even more information and practical tips for rebranding.
Determine the type of logo
Decide what kind of logo you want. We refer here to the structure of the logo. This structure should not only be ’beautiful’, but also logical for your company and fit in with the core values. For example, are you going for a logo, a word mark or a combination of both? And do you want to design a logo in the form of an icon or illustration? Do you only want to show the initials of your brand name? Want to combine your brand name with a mascot? Are you going for an abstract symbol or a combination of words and symbols? Or do you opt for a logo in the form of an emblem? The picture below shows some nice examples of the different logo design options. See step 4 in the article ’Designing a logo for your brand’.
Think carefully about the font
Do you have a logo designed with a word mark? Then it is important to think carefully about the font. During the development of a corporate identity, the font that you use for online and offline communication is normally already considered. But the font for your logo doesn’t have to be the same font. Just make sure the font reinforces your message. A logo that is too striking distracts from the message. In addition, it is important that the font is easy to read in order to be able to identify the message properly.
Choose the right colors
Which colors are best for your logo? Again, it is important that you choose a color or colors that match your brand. A logo with the right colors can emphasize the strength of your company. Each color has its own meaning. Red, orange, yellow and their variations are among the warm colors. Green, blue and purple are cold colors. More information about the different colors, meanings and uses in logos can be found in the article ’Color Theory for Designers’ from Smashing Magazine. Does your logo consist of multiple colors? Then it is smart to also make a monochrome variant or have the logo made in one basic color. Such a logo is often desired in collaborations, but it is also useful when printing certain products with your logo or if you want to incorporate the logo into a specific design. A white or black variant can also be useful for this.
Note the printing colors
When it comes to printing colours, a distinction is made between the CMYK and Pantone® (PMS) color systems. We explain the difference between these colors in detail in this article about printing colours. A logo design usually consists of no more than four colors. Pantone® colors are very suitable for this. Because Pantone® has a universal color palette, you can always be sure that the colors are the same. Of course you don’t want your logo to look different on stationery, for example, than on promotional items.
Make sure the logo is timeless
Designing a logo and implementing the new logo can be quite a lot of work. Maybe even more than you might initially think. Ultimately, all corporate identity carriers will have to contain the new logo. Don’t just think about your website, but also about stationery, business cards, pens, car lettering and so on. That is why it is important to design a timeless logo that will keep you going for years to come. Normally a logo should last at least 10 years. A logo in which both your company and your target group will still recognize themselves in a number of years and which people will not tire of.
Provide ’hero space’ around the logo
You may want to maximize the space for your logo design. But make sure there is enough white space around the logo so that it can ’breathe’. This white space is also known as ’hero space’. It ensures that a logo stands out more and gets the stage it deserves. To determine this white space, you could remove a part of the logo, such as a letter. You then derive the minimum white space from the height and width of this letter.
Have the logo made in different sizes
Are you wondering whether it is better to design or have your logo designed in a rectangular shape or square? The correct answer is: both. Ultimately, your logo has to fit in different places on different materials. For use on social media channels such as Twitter or LinkedIn, you need a square logo. Never use a rectangular logo in a square space. Your logo will be very small or cropped automatically, which doesn’t look pretty. There are several websites with a handy overview of the different logo formats for all social media channels. For example, check out Hootsuite’s ’social media images sizes guide’. But also think of having your logo printed on ’offline’ materials such as a pen with a logo or a bag with a logo. So make sure you have your logo in different formats. For example, you can also make variations of the logo with or without payoff, or a small version that you can use as a ’favicon’ or the small image that you see in the tab of your browser. Its default size is 16 x 16 pixels.
Make sure you have a vectorized file of the logo
If you have a logo designed by an agency or designer, it is important to ask if you can receive a vectorized file of the logo. A vector file is a graphic image that can be enlarged or reduced infinitely, without degrading the quality of the image. This is possible because the image consists of vectors or a start and end point consisting of lines and shapes. For example, IGO Promo needs such a vector file for printing promotional gifts. You can recognize a vector file by its file type. These are files with .ai, .pdf, .svg or .eps as an extension.
Store the logo files in a central place
You have a nice logo that you are happy with. After designing the logo, the next step is its practical application. An important first step that not everyone thinks of is storing the logo files in a central place. Make sure it is a place that you can easily find and that the other employees in your company can also easily reach. This saves a lot of time and effort in the future and ensures that the correct logo is always used.
Make an inventory of all assets with logo
This is a step that you can start with during the design process. It is important to have an overview of all current brand carriers or all assets that currently bear your current logo. And not only that: also consider whether it is useful to have these assets printed with the new logo. For example, not every company uses business cards anymore. Also consider which brand carriers you want to add to draw attention to your new logo. From printed water bottles with a logo to t-shirts with a logo: the possibilities are endless.
Introduce your new logo in a fun way
It is first of all important to inform the employees of the new rebranding and the thinking behind it. In addition, you can choose a good time to introduce the logo to the outside world. You can do this, for example, with a nice promotion. Raffle a number of nice gadgets with the new logo on it or surprise your customers or relations with a free giveaway with a logo.
With the help of the tips above, you already know what is important when it comes to designing a logo. Do you have questions about the optimal match of your logo with business gifts and promotional items? The employees of IGO Promo are happy to help you with that!