The company logo is a little image is meant to work in a big way: When done correctly, it helps distinguish and shape your brand. But what makes a great logo? Yes, creativity is important. But after speaking with our resident graphic designer Courtney Morrow, I learned that creating a great logo takes extra finesse.
Great Logo Characteristics
- Legible -Needless to say, your audience needs to be able to clearly read and interpret your logo. While creating a unique logo is ideal, a confusing design can hinder your branding efforts. Always make sure your design is clear and readable.
- Scalable – Meaning the logo should be legible and consistent from the size of a penny to the size of a billboard.
- Sustainable -Your business isn’t going to want to spend the time or the money to rebrand every 10 years. Think about creating a logo that features a classic or timeless design.
- Versatile -You will need your logo to to be versatile enough to be used on all print and digital mediums. While some logos may look great on a computer screen, they often look completely different on a printed brochure. So keep where you’re going to be putting your logo in mind while designing. Also, be sure to design a logo that can be printed in only black and white.
- Simple -If you think about some of the most successful logos of all time – Nike’s Swoosh, Target’s Bullseye, or Apple’s MacIntosh Apple – you’ll notice they are overwhelmingly simple. When in doubt, stick to a design and color scheme that is simple and recognizable.
To learn more about design principles, check out our blog post on contrast, repetition, alignment and proximity here.
And special thanks to Courtney Morrow for all of her graphic design insight!
