If an image is worth a thousand words, a logo is worth a thousand pages.
It may sound a bit too much, but the truth is quite true in this case. A logo is not simply a combination of letters, shapes and colors, it is a symbol that helps convey your brand personality, the values you represent and the goals of your business. to the public. It helps you connect with the people you like to call “customers”.
In other words, the logo will have a great impact on the life and success of the business. So you need to know how to create an outstanding logo that will help you make an impression on your customers.
The pressure is gradually on your shoulders, right? But don't worry! We will guide you step by step. After reading through this guide, you'll know how to create a logo that resonates with your target audience, inspires you with confidence, and will become an ambassador for your brand.
1. Know your target audience
You should think of your logo like choosing what you will wear to a party, where customers, investors, and colleagues are present. This outfit needs to be neat and clean, but if you want to make a good impression, it must also look good on the other person. You won't wear a suit to a picnic or you won't wear shorts to a wedding (and if you try, you'll be politely asked to leave).
Assuming investors are the laid-back, laid-back type, it doesn't matter what clothes they wear, but your clients are rather shy and reserved, then a weird or scary outfit will make them not want to. come and talk to you, no matter how beautiful you are.
Back to the main point, because the first impression of the logo will shape the way potential customers think about your brand, so it needs to be directed to the right people. Logo is the bridge that helps you get closer to the public, and to do that, you need to know what your customers like and dislike. So, before embarking on logo design, you need to define your target audience.
For example, if a person needs to hire a professional attorney, they will not look for law offices whose logos include garish colors or weird fonts. Likewise, a children's toy brand with a dark logo and minimalist design may find it difficult to increase sales. With this in mind, start by clearly defining the primary audience your business will serve, before moving on to the next step.
2. Let's write a story
Each logo helps you tell a story: the story of your business, your values, and your brand. A good logo can both convey a story and evoke the following emotions for customers when they hear your story: happy, worry-free, trusting and steady.
But why is your business story important to your customers?
Because consumers are fed up with being seen by businesses as "dairy cows" that help businesses make money. Distrust of businesses has skyrocketed in recent years, and consumers now tend to trust only reputable brands they already know well. Therefore, you will have a much better chance of success if you make customers “feel” your brand’s story, rather than reaching them through products and services.
Take a look at how different brands tell their stories:
Moondust Art Studio convey the concepts of creativity and innovation, which are the favorite areas of artists.
The logo of Smart City Construction gives a sense of trust and stability, as if they build buildings using the most advanced and modern technologies. This is exactly what you want from a business to help you renovate a city.
Finally, the color, name and symbol of River House give us a sense of comfort and privacy, which any real estate company should ensure for customers when they want to buy a house. first house.
Just like these brands, find a clever and subtle way to tell your story through your logo.
To get to the heart of your story, ask yourself the following questions:
- For what purpose did you set up your business?
- As a business, what do you believe in most?
- Who do you want to help?
- What made you special?
- What are the three adjectives that best describe your brand?
Answering these questions will help you determine the story of your business as well as your brand identity, or in other words, how people can identify your brand through social media. design element, and the first element that we talk about here is the logo.
3. Find Inspiration
Have you envisioned what your logo would look like?
If the answer is "no", don't worry. Now is the time to brainstorm.
Before you start implementing, try to generate ideas. And if you're stuck with ideas, there are plenty of ways to find inspiration all around you. And when your creative inspiration has grown, you can start focusing on shaping the design for the logo. There are many websites that specialize in this area that can help you find inspiration for your logo designs, such as Behance and Dribble (or social media platforms like Pinterest and Instagram).
While looking at design ideas, don't forget that choosing a logo should be tied to your brand's story and values. This is when you have to automate your brain to create a logo for yourself.
It is very difficult for us to evaluate our own work objectively, so don't hesitate to involve others in the process. The people who know you best, like your friends and family, may come up with great ideas that you wouldn't have thought of yourself.
Put all your ideas down on paper, even if it's a weird idea. No idea is meaningless, and brainstorming sessions with your team can help you "clear" your mind and get the best ideas.
Read more: 4 steps to help you design a beautiful logo
4. Stand out from the competition
Competitors can also serve as an inspiration, as they will show you what type of logo is familiar to your target audience, as well as what style and design will make an impression. with customers.
However, you can refer to some ideas here and there, but never copy them. In addition to being judged as ethically questionable (which is obvious, as everyone condemns plagiarism or plagiarism), creating a logo that looks exactly like a competitor's logo Competition will be detrimental to your brand.
Remember, your goal is to create a logo that both matches the tastes of your customers and stands out from the competition.
Take for example the logos presented above. Each logo has its own character, but all convey the concept of education.
While they have some things in common, each logo conveys a different message: Sophia Williams uses a book icon, Emma plays on words using math characters, and Up Academy's font creates emphasis. evolution.
In your research and research, create a portfolio that includes designs that interest you, then try to figure out why you like them: you're drawn to colors, fonts, shape… or a combination of all of them?
Next, think about how you can present your brand message in a unique way, while still attracting the same audience as your competitors.
5. Choose the right type of logo
Did you know that there are 9 popular logo designs? Don't worry if you think that's too much. Basically, we can distinguish them into 3 types: image-based logos, text-based logos or logos that combine images and text.
Your industry, company name, and design taste are the three main factors that will influence the type of logo you choose.
Here is a brief overview of the three basic types of logos:
Logos based on images
These logos are usually made up of a simple image, so it is easy to stick in the mind, making it easy for people to remember. Ideally, choose an image (or logo) that represents the name of the company or the products/services it offers.
You might consider using this type of logo if you want to be associated with a particular product you offer or a value you want to showcase. Note that it takes time for the audience to remember the business name just by looking at the logo. So marketing your brand can be longer and more difficult.
Example: McDonald's, Twitter, Apple.
Text-based logos
Contrary to the above, this type of logo does not use any images. Instead, we will focus on typography and colors. You can choose to use the full company name, or if it's too long, use an abbreviation of up to three letters.
Note that fonts are a very important element in text logo design, because the audience's eyes will be attracted first by the letters, and then by the brand's name.
Example: Coca-Cola, FedEx, Uber.
Logo combines image and text
If you want to create the most perfect logo, then we can combine the two elements mentioned above, which are both images and letters. As a result, you will create a more flexible design, and have more means to convey your brand's message to consumers.
However, it is important to ensure that the combination of these elements will help you write a cohesive story, not patch up many components that do not fit together.
Examples: Taco Bell, CVS, Toblerone.
6. Try different typefaces
Remember the brand story we talked about earlier?
The typeface used is an important part of telling your story (unless you choose a logo that is purely image-based).
Each font has its own character and can be divided into several “families”. The most popular fonts used for logos are serif, sans serif, slab serif, and script.
Serif fonts (also known as serif fonts)
In typography, serifs are small strokes added to the beginning or end of the main stroke of a letter.
These fonts are usually elegant, classy and sophisticated, they convey messages of wealth and confidence. These are probably the best known and most used fonts in logo design.
Some famous brands that use serif fonts include Tiffany & Co, Giorgio Armani, Burberry.
Sans serif font (sans serif)
Unlike its serif cousins, sans serif typefaces are not stylized and are more modern, simpler, and cleaner. Because sans serif fonts emphasize legibility, they are often used to convey messages of clarity and innovation.
Many famous brands use sans serif fonts for their logos, such as Google, Facebook, and Microsoft.
Slab serif font
Slab serif is a modern font, breaks the existing rules, and will make a difference from the two traditional typefaces, serif and sans serif as mentioned above.
This font is characterized by large and bold strokes, with rectangular legs. This will make the logo exude boldness, strength and confidence, and convey a message of trust and creativity.
Some well-known brands that use slab serif fonts in their logos include Sony, Honda, and Volvo.
Script fonts
Script fonts are fonts in which the characters are shaped according to handwriting styles. They are characterized by curving lines, which look like calligraphic letters. These fonts are personal, free and feminine, used to tell a story of elegance and emotion.
Examples of well-known brands that use script fonts are Coca-Cola, Ford, Instagram, and Pinterest.
7. Choose the right logo color
Like fonts, each color is unique and conveys a different message. Each color carries a certain "emotional baggage", thereby evoking special feelings for your audience.
This is why the colors of your logo contribute greatly to the delivery of your message, because they express your brand's personality and identity. In addition, studies also show that colors affect human psychology by the effect they create in each person's subconscious, which in turn will affect consumer behavior.
Let's try to analyze the psychological meaning of colors:
- Red: softness, energy, romanticism, warmth, love, comfort, passion.
- Orange: energy, excitement, prosperity, warmth, play, change.
- Yellow: friendliness, cheerfulness, youth, energy, positivity, happiness.
- Green: nature, health, wealth, tranquility, harmony, fertility.
- Blue: wisdom, loyalty, spirituality, mystery, sophistication, respect.
- Purple: spirituality, luxury, authenticity, truth, quality, introspection.
- Brown: spontaneity, trust, seriousness, confidence, security, friendship.
- Black: power, strength, intelligence, charm, luxury, modernity.
- White: hygiene, purity, innocence, cleanliness, purity, youth.
When choosing colors, don't just focus on creating visual harmony: be aware of the color's impact on the psyche of your customers and make sure it corresponds to your business. your career.
Monochrome logos are very rare in the market right now, you can use multiple colors to design your logo, that will help you convey multiple messages at once. However, don't overdo it, two or three colors are enough for a logo. If you use more, your message can get messy and confusing.
8. Create Multiple Variations
Once you've designed a logo that you think is perfect, try creating some variations, either by experimenting with similar fonts, icons, or playing around with different colors. For example, if you chose to combine images and text to create a logo, try changing the position of the elements: place the image icon above your company name, then move it to left. Which solution do you think is the best? What if you made the icon a little bigger?
Try to create at least five different versions of the logo, then consult with friends and family to see which is the perfect one.
Finally, ask yourself whether the design you choose captures your brand's entire story. Is it memorable and unique? Is your message well conveyed?
When you're ready for the ultimate test, it's time to…
9. Put your logo everywhere
Once you've started using your logo, you need to place it wherever your business is: on your company website, on your business cards… and make sure it looks professional. and clear.
Test and preview your logo on different platforms like website, business documents, letterhead… before launching it. You can even post it on your social media pages to test the reactions of your target customers.
And if you still have doubts, before you start printing, you can use software that allows you to create mockup models (simulated images) to try the logo template into specific contexts, from there. you will get a realistic overview of the effectiveness of the logo.
Remember that your logo needs to tell the same story across all mediums. So you need to make sure you like the look and feel of it before deciding to go with it for a long time.
It's time for you to get started!
Creating a logo will take time, but once you've completed the final design, you can use it as the foundation for all of your future branding materials: business cards, post your brochure, catalog, and of course, your website.
Remember, your logo isn't just limited to colors, fonts, and shapes. So the final design, in addition to looking eye-catching, it must also speak to who you are and convey the brand image you want to build.
