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4 ESSENTIAL RULES FOR ANY LOGO DESIGN

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Louise Carruth
4 ESSENTIAL RULES FOR ANY LOGO DESIGN

The logo is the foundation of your company's brand. In collaboration with elements such as your website or your communication "print" (business cards, letterheads ...), it guarantees the promise of the brand and sets the tone of your company as a whole. All this seems pretty simple, yet many logos tend to do too much ... or not enough.

Let's see if your logo does the work and consider 4 essential rules for a successful logo design .

TEST YOUR LOGO

Before sharing the rules of logo design , let's start by analyzing yours or sketch, the idea you have in mind if you do not have one yet.

Take the time to answer the 14 questions below:

• Add 1 point for each "yes" below

  • Does your logo work horizontally?
  • Does your logo have two options, horizontal and vertical?
  • Does your logo work in black and white?
  • Does your logo work on a black or white background without a box around it?
  • Can you sketch all the elements (except typography) in five seconds or less?
  • Have you purchased the font you used for your logo (or is it royalty-free)?
  • Do you have less than two fonts?

• Subtract 1 point for each "yes" below

  • Do you use more than two colors for your logo?
  • Do you have more than one form in addition to the wordmark (text) in your logo?
  • Are all the shapes of your logo explicit or abstract? (Namely a globe, or a recognizable element)
  • Did you use a "clipart" of your logo?
  • Is there a photo or complex pattern in your logo?
  • Do you have a gradient in your logo?
  • Did you use the font with a default kerning?

• Score:

less than 0 = You will never be a graphic designer, alas.

From 1 to 4 = Acceptable (even for a CAC 40 company).

5 or more = Well done!

No matter how you did it, rest assured there are always ways to get a better score. Improving a logo is based on an understanding of the brand and how it differs from the visual identity of a company or organization and to sort it out you can make one by best logo design tool online..

BRAND VS LOGO

Your brand is the sum total of every interaction that someone has with your organization. Your brand is the music a customer hears while holding a call. Your brand is your parking. She's from your lobby. Your brand is every interaction with someone on your team. 
So, what part does your logo represent in your brand? 
Your logo is everywhere: on your website, your business cards, your mail headers, but also on your vehicles or through your advertising. It follows you wherever you go. 
But it does not tell the whole story either.

The job of a graphic designer is to provide a legible and recognizable logotype, true uniform of your team and basis of your marketing. A logo works in conjunction with your name to make your brand unique. But under no circumstances should a logo tell the whole story.

4 RULES FOR LOGO DESIGN

1. Start with your brand

When deciding on a logo, consider your brand as a whole. Know who your customers are and what they expect from you. Know what you want from your customers. Do some research and think about the message you want to convey. 
Remember to ask the right questions internally. If you ask ten people if they prefer blue or green, you may have 10 different answers. But if you ask, "Is it more important that we are technical (blue) or trendy (green)? Then you are on the right track! If you start by showing off your logo concepts and asking what people like, you're wrong ...
Once you have defined your brand more clearly, then you can make sure your logo actually represents it.

2. Simplify

Remember: your logo is not the whole story, it is a single unifying thought. 
Try to limit your logo to a single font. Two is very good if your slogan is part of your logo. Three is simply a mistake. Opt for flat colors, gradients always give the whole an amateurish look.

3. Know that someone will hate it

Let's face it, you will always find someone who will not understand your choice. Any major branding changes - such as the logo or corporate identity - should be the subject of an internal public relations campaign to ensure that people understand why you made the choices you make.

4. Use professionals

Who, better than the baker, will know how to make bread? You entrust your money to your banker, your accounting to your accountant ... So why not entrust the design of your logo to people whose job it is? Get in touch with a graphic designer or communication agency , who will be able to help you ask the right questions; or who, as we do, will have you fill specifications to better identify your brand, your target and your expectations. 
In addition, a professional will give you your logo in the right formats: bitmap (jpeg or png formats for example), and vector (ai, eps or pdf formats). 

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Louise Carruth
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