Branding

What Makes a Good Logo?

Last week we talked about the importance of knowing the difference between a logo and a brand identity.  Now that you have had a chance to think through those distinctions for your own organization, you may find that you are ready to reevaluate your current logo and possibly make some changes that better convey your brand’s identity and message.

 

We are passionate about strong logo design here at Cross and Crown. Take some time to peruse some examples of our logo designs to get an idea of our abilities. If you are ready to kick-off a major re-branding or if you just want an extra set of eyes to critique the relevance and longevity of your existing logo, we are ready to jump in and guide you through this important process.

 

In the meantime, while you are doing your own internal evaluation of your logo and overall look and feel, we wanted to give you a few pointers to follow as you test the endurance of your brand image. Embarking on a logo re-design requires significant attention to detail and thorough examination of certain technical and functional design aspects that can make or break the viability of your logo.  So keep these logo tips and best practices in mind as you are considering a new logo design, or reconsidering an old design.

 

Elements of a Great Logo
Please note these are not in order of importance, each items carries equal importance and significance in the process of logo development and design.

 

1. Logos should not be complex. Successful logos have unlimited functionality in terms of size, application and scalability.  When you choose to incorporate any level of complexity into the design of your logo, you lose the functionality and flexibility you will need to be sure your logo appears in the places you want it to be, whether that’s on the side of an ink pen or on the side of a New York City skyscraper, the logo has to look great in all sizes. This also means avoiding the use of gradients, drop shadows, and intricate artistic details that get lost or overwhelming depending on scale.

 

2. Great logos have a timeless quality about them — their use of fonts and colors is not trendy or dated according to what is currently “in style.”  There is a way to accomplish relevance while avoiding a trendy “here today, gone tomorrow” look and feel.  If you invite us to help you along with your redesign we can help you understand the difference and avoid pitfalls.

 

3. A logo’s impact and effectiveness should not be dependent on color.  There are many times you will have no choice but to use the black and white version of your logo so you must be sure that your logo communicates the same message in black and white and it does in color.  If the logo really pops in color but is bland and forgettable in black and white, you have work to do.

 

4. A great logo is memorable and unique.  It can be tempting to see another organization’s successful logo and want to copy their style. This is a terrible idea on a number of levels.  The entire point of developing a logo is to give your brand a visual representation of it’s message or “voice” in the marketplace.  If you sound the same and look the same as someone else more successful than you, no one will remember you, or worse they will only remember that you tried to copy a competitor.

 

5. Employ a professional designer with proven experience to design your logo.  A pro will be familiar with the rules of quality logo design. The last thing you want is a logo that includes some kind of clip art or is rasterized.  If your designer doesn’t understand why you shouldn’t have a clip art logo or the definition of rasterisation, they don’t need to be designing your logo.

 

These are just a few tips to consider as you think about redesigning your logo.  We would love to have the privilege of walking through this process with you and designing the prefect logo and associated look and feel to compliment your brand.  Logo design can be a complex initiative if you go it alone, please contact us to help you through the details and together we will arrive at the perfect logo for your organization.