5 design rules and practices for crafting an effective logo

We all know the old proverb saying that a picture speaks a thousand words. This claim is probably the most accurate in the world of branding and logos. These simple assets are carrying on their shoulders the weight of the entire brand all while trying to stay simple, recognizable, and effective. In the best-case scenario, they should also be able to communicate the basic brand values without saying a word.

This is never an easy task but others have tried and succeeded. So let us take a look at these couple of golden rules for crafting a brand logo that should help you follow in their footsteps.

Narrow down the brand values to simple visual guidelines

Trying to describe the entirety of your company in a single picture is impossible. Therefore, instead of overthinking what you are trying to display, try peeling the layers off your organization until you identify no more than a couple of keywords you will use to define basic visual elements. We are talking about the simple concepts like ’speed’, ’efficiency’, family’, ’comfort’, ’agility’, and ’sustainability’ that can be effectively translated into easily identifiable visual elements, colors, ideals, and design practices.

Keep it simple and scalable

Of course, this exception has rules and some of the most memorable logos like Starbucks have a lot of different ideas floating around. But, in most cases, your logo should feature simple shapes, bold colors, be very easy to recall and draw, and look equally as good on branded lighters and huge billboards. Watermarks, pictograms, and simple drawings will usually dot the job. If you want to deviate from this practice, try to infuse the images with a dose of personality and create something truly striking and fun.

Pay attention to local sensibilities

In other words, your goal would be to create the images that will be understood by the audience you are trying to appeal to – some ideas and messages tend to be very easily lost in translation and it is in your best interest to keep the future clients in on the joke. So, if you are, for instance, starting a business in Australia you can be sure that a professional Brisbane design studio will understand the sensibilities of the local audience. Consider this even more important as you venture further from your native country.

Leave the color for the later stages of the design

Each color has a certain significance and a meaning that can push your basic idea to new heights. But, dwelling too much on how to make these different meanings and undertones fit together can eventually loosen the grip you have on the core concept. Do your best then to introduce the colors to the process only when you have the basic elements worked out. Keep in mind that some of the most striking logos in history like Nike, Apple, BBC, Coca-Cola, and HP feature very few colors thrown into the final mix.

Take into consideration the wider brand context

Finally, a brand logo is not a resource designed to serve a singular purpose. On the contrary, they are supposed to represent the face of your brand and as such fit into the wider context of the narrative of your brand. So, as soon as you come up with some satisfying idea see how that idea can be used in your marketing campaigns, how it translates the brand values and does it contribute to overall brand consistency. Even if they look appealing, ideas need to be ditched if they don’t have branding potential.

We hope these few suggestions gave you a general idea about the guidelines you can use to create the logo that will represent your brand in the most effective, recognizable, and appealing manner. A striking logo can go a long way in carving your company into the public consciousness. But in order to do that, it needs to be made in accordance with some common rules and good practices. The five mentions we gave you will definitely put you in the right direction.