Have you ever seen a major brand that doesn't have a logo? No way! This is because the logo has a huge impact on the customer's perception of the brand. And who needs more than a graphic designer.
Like any professional business, logo design requires a lot of practice and experience to succeed, and most importantly: having the necessary knowledge.
For this reason, I present to you the 11 most basic rules that you must follow in order to design a successful logo.
Sketch
Initial drawings are an important first step in designing a distinctive logo, and it does not matter how they are drawn (whether using paper and pen or via a program such as Illustrator). It is important to start with at least 20-30 "drawings or an idea" and then branch out from it.
A successful logo designer spends more time sketching than any other step in the design process.
Create balance
Balance is important in logo design because our minds naturally see that a balanced design is both attractive and pleasing to the eye. Keep your logo balanced by keeping the "weight" of graphics, color and size the same on all sides.
Although you can break the rule of balance now and then, you should not forget that the majority of those who see your design are not experts who are looking for a "piece of art". So balanced design is the safest way to customers' hearts.
Dimensions matter
Dimensions of designs may be overlooked sometimes, but when it comes to designing a logo, the dimensions are incredibly important!
The logo loses its effect if it is no longer clear due to changing its size and dimensions, whether as a reduction (for use in brochures and promotional publications) or as an enlargement (for use in posters, road billboards, etc.).
How do I know this? Test it yourself: Start by printing the logo on a letterhead or envelope and see if it is still legible. Then test it by printing it on a label in a print shop.
Smart use of color
Color theory is undoubtedly complicated, but designers who understand the basics of color theory are able to use color to their advantage. Here are some of those basics:
Use the converging colors on the "The Color Wheel", for example, to get a logo in calm colors, use shades of red, orange and yellow.
Do not use bright colors that are harmful to the eyes.
Your logo should still be unique when printed in black and white.
It's okay to break the rule sometimes, just make sure you have a good reason for it!
It's also important to know how colors affect feelings and moods. (For example, (red) can evoke feelings of enthusiasm, love, and a sense of strength.) Keep this in mind as you try different color combinations.
Adopting one color for the logo does not seem like a bad idea, but there are many brands that their customers recognize through their distinctive one-color logo. For example, when you think of John Deere, a company that specializes in manufacturing agricultural equipment, the first thing that comes to your mind is its green color.
The design style matches the corporate style
You can use various design styles when creating a logo, but to reach the correct style, it is necessary to know the background of the client and the brand that owns the logo in addition to the field of work of the project and the audience directed to it, which guarantees you a successful and unique logo design.
As everyone knows, the current trend in logo design is the 3D-style logos compatible with Web 2.0. This may be compatible with tech companies, unlike other types of brands.
So let me reiterate the following point: Find your customer and their audience before you start sketching. This will help you determine the best design style / style from scratch.
Typography is more important than you think!
Choosing the "correct" font type and size is more difficult than many think.
If your logo will include text, either as part of the logo or in the meta sentence accompanying the tagline, spend some time testing the different types of fonts - often dozens of them - within your design before adopting one of them.
Allow me to draw your attention to three key points when choosing fonts:
Avoid heavy-duty fonts, like Comic Sans, or your logo looks a little less professional.
Make sure the font remains legible when you scale it down.
Do not use more than two types of fonts within the same design.
Expert Tip: Find a font designed just for you. The more original the font, the more distinctive the brand. Examples of successful logos with a custom font are Yahoo! Twitter and Coca Cola (You've had their logos as soon as we mentioned them, right?).
Don't be afraid to be different
How can you be different? Take a risk ... and try to break the design rules ... until you find the best method for your customer. Try different color combinations until you find one that will make your design original.
Keep it simple
The simpler the logo, the easier it will be to recognize.
For example, the Nike logo (True) is the simplest type, yet it is recognizable as soon as you see it.
On the other hand, the simple logo - along with the rest of the elements - achieves its desired goals, as the simplicity of the design contributes to making it versatile. It is more malleable to multiple marketing media such as business cards, billboards, promotional materials or even website buttons.
Often times, you will find that you start with a somewhat complex design - within the sketches stage - and eventually reach the simpler form, the important thing is not to go beyond that stage without reaching the simplest possible formula for the logo.
Expert tip: Be sure to make your design visible to about an inch (about 2.5 centimeters) without losing any of the detail. And that is by keeping it simple.
Stay away from influences
Design programs like (Illustrator, Freehand, Photoshop) have very powerful tools and many filters and effects that you can apply in many cases, but let's make (Logo Design) an exception!
Remember: our goal is to keep the logo simple.
The exquisite and distinct designs focus on only one distinctive element. Which leaves a strong impression on the audience. The customer will not spend a long time studying the slogan, but will often take only one look, and that view must be enough to stay in his memory forever.
Place the tagline in the Assembly Line!
To produce great logos every time, you need to develop the design process, by putting it in something like (assembly lines in factories), how? By following the following steps in order:
Brainstorming and generating ideas.
Preliminary sketches.
Prototype design.
Send it to the client.
Adjustment according to customer requirements.
Finalize the design and resend it to the customer
This will help you to simplify your work, stay organized, and keep your focus in the creative process so you can achieve better results.
Use other designs just for inspiration!
The final rule for designing a successful logo is really simple: Don't steal (or quote ... Unnecessary!) The work of other designers! Although there are stock galleries that allow you to use ready-made logos for free, and develop them under a Creative Commons license, we strongly recommend that you avoid using them. Rather, it suffices to use them to get ideas during the brainstorming phase (although the best option is to start your design from scratch and make it unique).
Stay in your customer's memory
A design that captures hearts is a design that will remain in the mind of those who saw it, even if by chance. Imagine transportation passengers - in crowds - seeing a large road billboard passing by, or a group of pedestrians on a street looking at the car of a large truck passing by with a logo of a specific company. All the designer has got is those short moments to make an impression on the viewers.
Do you follow these rules when designing your logos? How do? I would be glad to share your vision with me in the comments below.
Send every company would need a graphic designer to help them with their designs.