10 tips for a logo design that works
Designing logos is just like any other type of design work, to be professional you’ll need to pay attention to details. Even a great idea can be ruined by not thinking about simple things, the following tips will help you to keep your concepts safe.
- Work with vectors
This probably sounds obvious to most designers out there, but it isn’t to everybody so I repeat it as often as I can to avoid receiving those damn jpeg logos. Vector formats are the ones that will allow the most variations for your logo. - Don’t use more than 2 fonts
There is many nice fonts out there and we would all love to use as many as we can. Unfortunately using too many fonts will most of the time result in a loss of coherence. Using two different fonts can be good to create a contrast, catching the eye. - Keep it readable
If people can’t read your logo, it’s useless to have one. This sounds like dumb advice again, but it’s easy to get caught in creating letters or distorting a font until it becomes unreadable. Always stay aware of that when working on your logo. - Test sizes
Your logo should resize well at any size, whether it’s huge on a truck or tiny on a badge. - Adapt it for dark backgrounds
So you’ve got a wonderful looking dark logo, but now your client want to get it on his black car. It’s usually not too hard to adapt it, but you’ll look more professional if you already got that case figured out. - Make sure it works well in black and white
I have a very simple technique for that: I work every logo in black and white before adding any colour. This way choices are made judging by the shapes and you are not distracted by anything else. It makes it much easier to know that your logo will work well in shades of grey afterwards. - Don’t include photos in your logo
Well… this one goes along with the first tip. First, photos are not vectors. Photos also don’t scale, have no branding value and are hard to adapt for any use. - Look at it upside-down
This is a tip I got from my teachers in graphic design school, looking at your logo (or any printed design really) will get the meaning out of the way and give you a new look at the design’s balance and white spaces. Try it! - Don’t follow trends
It’s often hard to escape trends, especially if you’re passionated and love to look at inspiring logos on design sites. Your logo has to work on the long run, so try to avoid the web 1.0 swoosh or the web 2.0 reflection. - Get specific feedback
Asking people’s opinion is worthless if you don’t know what informations you want to get, so when getting feedback, try asking specific questions (eg. does your logo expresses the industry of the company?).
To take your logo design skills one step further, you should check out these great sites:
- Logolog, blog dedicated to logo design.
- Brand New, opinions on corporate and brand identity
- Logo Pond, identity inspiration.
- Logo Design Love, another blog dedicated to logo design.
- Logo of the Day, daily logo design inspiration.
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No gradients! (Unless it’s used in a way that you can replace it with a solid color for applications other than web and print.) If you use a gradient, you won’t be able to use the logo well on things like t-shirts (embroidery) and the like.
True, it should be #11. Thx for mentionning that.
Thank you very much for this article. In this time I create a logo of my school. This tips are very useful and I use it. Now I’m finishing. So when it’ll be done I share it with you.
Sure, send it to me at mirkohumbert (at) gmail (dot) com, I’ll take a look.
Pretty good list you have here
and thank you for the link out to Logo Of The Day!
Hey, excellent article. It is the basics, but you would be surprised at how many who call themselves designers, do not know the basics. Thanks for the article.
11- Learn Graphic Design or hire a graphic designer.
ehmmm…
All great points. I usually present the initial designs just in black and white. That way the client isn’t swayed if they see their favorite color.
Great list, thanks!
I think your point about avoiding trends is very important. A logo should be as timeless as possible. A company changing logos often is seen as struggling for identity, so make it something that would appeal to people a decade ago as well as today and as well as ten years from now.
useful list, thank you..
what is the web 1.0 “swoosh”? I am sure I am guilty of using it
Another logo tip, make sure it’s appropriate (you touch on this a little in #10).
I hope you’re keeping well, Mirko!
Great Tips, and I can’t tell you how much I agree with Test Sizes and Working in Black and White.
I’ve screwed myself before by creating marks that look great large and in color then fall apart at useable sizes.
Nick
So, logos shouldn’t all have that web2.0 look, use fashion colors, with a picture in it?! From a print perspective I laugh when someone shows me their logo with 8 colors and gradients all over it.
One thing I would add: limit the number of colors to two – maybe three.
Great list. #7 is definitely something to look out for.
stumbled
really cool tips
It’s a good site man, was worth being here
If you are using it now it’s ok, it’s not a trend anymore
Good point, too many colours will kill the logo.
This is a great list with lots of good advice. Logo design has become quite an art and skill over the years and it takes a lot of good techniques to master it. Thanks for adding some good ideas.
Forget web 2.0 trends…bring back bevel and emboss! And while we’re at it, whatever happened to repeating pattern backgrounds? I miss em.
Thanks for a great list of tips. I’ve never worked with vectors (being self taught in photoshop). Can you recommend any vector based tutorials for a beginner.
This is great article!
Thx
Sarfraz
http://www.greepit.com
Sound advice. I always start with KIS keep it simple.
Hi great tips! Can I add something to that too please. I am a designer myself and I find more often than not clients will contract me to design a logo, before they have let their business ‘evolve’ beyond the concept phase. The problem with this is often that makes the logo obsolete once the business finds its feet. So my advice or two cents is, be a caring and sharing graphic designer and advise your client that they can have the option of taking the logo design to the drafting stage and then they can sit with those for a few months until their business concept is a little more solid. More often than not, the client changes his mind by that time. They havent wasted money, the have appreciated your honesty, and you dont get the conflict that can come with the frustration involved when your clients feel like you didn’t ‘get’ there business concept (you can hardly say that neither did they!!). Apart from that if they are well established and need a fresher logo…jump in feet first! I recently came across this site for the graphic design school, they had a cool video on the process of making a logo. here is the link if anyone wants to have a geezer http://www.thegraphicdesignschool.com i cant remember what page its on sorry! Thanks for the blog I really enjoy it! Rachel x
Although using Vector art should be a no brainier, many design novices or hobbyists think a simple design cobbled together in Photoshop is acceptable, when it is clearly not. Thanks for the tips.
There is a lot of good vector tutorials sites on the web, I would recommend http://vectortuts.com/
Scalability is so important in designing a logo – no other design element will be used on such a wide variety of company materials, from billboards to business cards. Along the same line of thought, it’s not a good idea to include any kind of shadows or gradients – a logo should retain its integrity, no matter what the background or the size of the logo.
very nice article. Helpful for both novice and beginners. I went to the website find Free logo design last night and saw that they offered free logo design. So I designed a logo for one of my websites. It was very easy to do, and you can use it anywhere
lolz. of corz no pix allowed..
These are Helpful tips, I agree. A guide to those who are just starting to conceptualize a logo. Best thing is to consult an expert, it’s a smart move!
I think the best suggestion by far is to use a vector based illustration program. If you don’t can you really call it a professional logo?
I just can not appreciated any particular point. All points are meaningful.
Thanks for this nice article.
learn all Graphic Design or hire a graphic designer.thanks
Hey, excellent article. It is the basics, but you would be surprised at how many who call themselves designers
Nice Articles. I always preferred WEB 2.0 style for TEXT Based logos.
All these points are really informative. Cool tips!!!!
Great post. You seem to have a good understanding that how to design a professional logo. When I entering your blog, I felt this. Come on and keep writing your blog will be more attractive. To Your Success!