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A company cannot exist without a logo. Doesn’t matter if we are talking about a cross-industry company or a small boutique – the company’s logo is necessary to even exist on the market. The logo has many of purposes none of which should be underestimated. The primary functions are, informative, marketing and distinguishing. However, to make it work properly, it needs to be designed properly.
What are characteristics of a good logo?
It seems that a logo is just a short caption and a simple pictogram. However this small (apparent) element plays a big role in creating the brand awareness and without a doubt influences, its success. So creating a logo is a serious enterprise which should be taken seriously. The company’s sign shouldn’t be designed spontaneously, overnight. There are a lot’s of things which need to be taken into consideration. First of all the message of the brand and the associations connected to it should be clear. It is important to take into consideration psychological and marketing factors.
A good logo should first of all:
- be functional – you logo is a business tool. Emotions aren’t the best advisers when designing logo;
- contribute to the brand’s image – to make sure that the logo meets this requirement we need to think of the associations the client should have with our brand, what we want him to remember;
- translate brand’s character – the SPA salon will have a different logo than a football team;
- reach the target group – upon entering the market with a product or a service you need to have a defined target group;
- be original – Do an analysis of competing brands and try to catch what they have in common and…avoid it at costs while designing a logo.
- be readable – to make the logo clear you need to think about: colour, font, structure but also the message. Do not try to squeeze into one logotype every idea that you have. You need to prioritise the messages. A simple, clean logo is easy to remember.
- be universal – logo should look good on website, app and in print.
- be timeless – remember that trends come and go and you shouldn’t think about them when creating a logo.
While creating an Indigo logo we went through each of these points. This is how we created a company logo which stands out on the market and at the same time is unpretentious and timeless. It translates the character of the brand and is linked to nail styling while not being literal. It looks great on products, in printed materials and on the internet. It is one of the most recognisable logotypes on the market. It is supported by products which are associated with high-quality and innovation. All this adds up to company’s image.
Logotype and symbol
When designing a logo, we need to remember that it doesn’t have to contain a symbol – it’s not always necessary and justified. In many cases, all you need is a logotype. However, if we decide on both typography and symbol, we need to make sure that both elements match each other. Font and symbol need to create a harmonic unity. Let’s remember this while choosing the shape, thickens, the angle of letters etc. all of this factors influence the general impression – let’s choose them wisely.
Let’s remember that symbol which creates the company’s logo doesn’t need to be literal. In Indigo logo there is no gel polish bottle – there is a signature wave above “i” which is associated with a brush stroke and painting nails. A little touch of abstract is a great way to design a logo – it is important to use your imagination.
As you can see designing the company’s logo is more complicated than criteria of liking it or not. While brainstorming and gathering the ideas it is important to gather in one place all factors that go into a logo making sure that each feature is described in detail. When we have a ready concept let’s ponder for a while if our logo fulfils the most important demand and will the members of our target group be able to remember it in detail.
The logo is a baseline of the entire complicated communication system. It is an extremely important investment into the most fundamental part a brand – the image. That’s why it is important to spend time, attention and means to create a unique and functional logo.