Three Criteria That Your Brand Logo Should Follow

1. A logo must be simple, less is more

People have a tendency to over-communicate. Our desire to share as much information as possible often outweighs the need to share the information that is most important. We see this in logo design all the time. Brand’s get caught up by putting so much visual information (photos, icons, phone numbers, and several colors) in their logos because they think it will help attract and convert their customers. In fact, it does exactly the opposite by overwhelming them and making them feel like they are in an overgrown graphic design jungle. 

When you set out to create a logo, your goal should be to create something that is universally understood and easy to remember. A good way to accomplish this is by keeping it simple and straightforward. Use simple shapes, fonts, and colors that represent your business, your products and services, or your business values. As such, you need to avoid using too many colors or fonts in your design as well as too many shapes and textures or gradients. The simpler your logo, the easier it will be for potential customers to remember it. 

Let’s take a look at our examples. The original logo is hectic and contains a gradient, three type styles, a phone number, address, and a slogan. The rebranded logo is two colors, only contains the business name and icon, and can easily be translated into grayscale if needed. The simpler your logo, the easier it will be for potential customers to remember it.  Developing and maintaining mental real estate in the minds of your audience is incredibly valuable. 

2. It must be legible.

It must be legible. To state the obvious, this means any text in your logo should use a clearly legible typeface. It must also be concise, with no more four words in the actual logo. The type in the old logo above is too decorative and complicated for this application but, the type features in the new logo is clean, clear, and professional.   

Another best practice for legibility is making sure your logo visually relates to your business and industry, helping your audience understand what products or services you sell and provide at a glance.The logo should be easy to read and understand. Above, the old logo may represent elements of the surrounding area but doesn’t visually represent the neuro aspect of the business. The new logo integrates the concept of water but also reinforces the neurology aspect by highlighting waves in the shape of a brain. 

3. It should be scalable. 

A logo that is scalable is one that can be used in many different mediums and sizes. It should look good on a business card, or on a billboard. With our examples above, the old logo has elements that don't translate well to small mediums, like social avatars and business cards. The new logo’s icon is simple enough to work in small and large formats. Scalability can also refer to your logo's ability to adapt through time. Our old logo example uses colors and fonts that will become dated quickly which will cause the logo to lose its value in the market. The new logo’s simplicity will help it out last design trends which will help with branding consistency among consumers who have gotten used to interacting with it over time. 

Now it’s time to get started with your redesign. 

Hopefully this blog has been helpful to you in your quest to create or refresh a great brand logo. If you feel like your logo could use a makeover, your next step is to start playing with different concepts that fit the criteria we've outlined for you. There are several tools online that can help you draft colors, fonts, and icons that you might use in your new brand logo. Don't let your brand's visual representation cause you stress. If you’re looking for more guidance when it comes to refreshing your brand's logo or overall visual brand identity, schedule a call with one of our team members here at Bolt Marketing. We can help you clarify and create visual assets that will propel your business forward and put its best face forward.