When you create a business logo, you need to keep certain things first in mind. What do you want your logo to convey? Will it represent your product/mission/service? Is the design potentially memorable and timeless?
There should be a lot of discussion and research involved before a business determines its logo. There’s no need to be literal in its depiction, but you do want to keep it simple.
Here are some key questions to consider when creating your business logo.
Does it represent what you do?
One of the things that a logo does is it gives the audience an idea of what type of products you make or sell or the types of services you provide. It may also represent the process of making a product or the services you provide. You can also use a business logo to represent the lifestyle of your target audience.
You don’t want your business logo to be too literal, however, because abstract symbols tend to last longer over time. You want to be unique and, therefore, memorable.
The Nike logo is one of the most iconic logos in history. The Nike name was inspired by the Greek goddess of victory, Nike, and the symbol is known as the “swoosh,” which stands for fast sound, speed, and motion. This symbol perfectly represents the company and the products it produces and sells.
Does it represent who you are?
Logos can represent the visual structure of you headquarters or brick-and-mortar store. Many logos include a visual representation of their business. Transamerica has the office building that they own in the logo itself. It’s visually appealing and unique enough to be set it apart from its competitors.
Logos may also represent a fictitious or real person related to the business. This can personalize the business. The objective is to connect with the customer on a personal level by giving your business a persona. The Wendy’s fast-food chain logo is an example of this. It represents the owner’s daughter, Wendy.
Wendy’s Old-Fashioned Hamburgers implies that the burgers are made by someone you know. With her friendly smile (and a collar that spells out “mom”), Wendy invokes a feeling of trust and the sense that you’re getting a home-cooked meal.
Is it visually appealing to your audience?
Although this is very important, it’s not the most important. Moreover, what might be appealing to one audience may not be equally appealing to another.
Who are the customers or clients you hope to attract? The logo will need to be designed to appeal to your target audience. A B2C logo may be more cartoony or animated in nature while a B2B may be more formal or abstract.
The point is to keep your target customers in mind when you are considering options for your logo. Identify the group of customers you are appealing to and develop a persona for the ideal customer. Design the logo to appeal to that persona.
Some logos use typography only, with no symbol. Often, a company’s offerings are too complex for an image to sufficiently convey them. A combination of typography and image “manipulation” can result in a highly effective business logo. IBM and eBay are some famous brands that use typography to represent their company.
The eBay logo conveys the diversity of its products and reflects its sense of community.
How long should a logo last?
A logo’s lifecycle depends on the company, the audience, and culture. As time goes on, a company’s business objective or mission and vision may change. Such change may require some tweaks or iterations. Sometimes, there may be a need for a complete logo redesign.
Pepsi’s logo, for instance, has gone through 13 iterations with the latest, in 1998, being the most drastic. Altogether, there have been four complete redesigns throughout its history.
Image source: https://logodix.com/logos/5045
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