“Logos and branding are so important. In a big part of the world, people cannot read French or English–but are great in remembering signs.” ― Karl Lagerfeld
What if we were to say “Facebook” or “McDonalds”, or even “SEARS?” I am willing to bet that you immediately thought of the logos of each of these well-known companies. A great logo design will instantly call the brand to mind. Elements of a great logo design help make it credible, simple, distinct, versatile, appropriate, targeted, memorable and timeless.
This is why you shouldn’t just slap some clip art together and call it a day. This is the literal symbol of your company we’re talking about – it’s the first impression you leave on potential clients, before they even talk to you.
This symbol is so important to your business that the design process must aim to make the logo immediately recognizable and easily remembered, which means it must be SIMPLE.
5 key elements of a great logo design:
1. An Effective Brand Logo Is Credible
Your logo needs to look professional and clear in order to make people confident enough to want to do business with you. This pretty much excludes any sort of clip art or logos built with an online logo generator.
2. An Effective Brand Logo Is Simple
DO streamline the design. DON’T overcomplicate things.
Simplicity and straightforwardness communicate confidence and power, which is what you want.
Keep the fonts used simple and easy to read, yet avoid the most commonly used fonts, such as Comic Sans. You don’t want your design to appear amateurish.
One font is ideal, and avoid more than two font styles.
3. An Effective Brand Logo is Distinct
DO set yourself apart. DON’T look just like everything else out there.
You want your logo to be unique, recognizable, and set apart from competitors’ logos. Take a look at your competitors’ brand logos before you decide on your own.
4. An Effective Brand Logo Is Versatile
DO consider various applications. DON’T design for just one size or medium.
In the digital world, it’s essential that your brand logo performs equally well in a variety of sizes across multiple devices. In addition to being your logo, it may also have to function as a favicon, profile image, or icon for your social profiles. Make sure the font is still legible when scaled down, especially with script fonts.
5. An Effective Brand Logo is Targeted
DO design for your intended audience. DON’T forget the customer.
A great brand is a reflection of what your company is, what your company aspires to be, and how people perceive your company—and your brand should also be based on what your target market wants and needs you to be.
Get Your Project Off the Ground
A professional logo that matches and extends your company’s image can really be useful, and periodically, you should review the logo design and your overall corporate image so nothing ever looks dated.
It’s pretty obvious if you are just launching your construction business that you will need to create a great logo. But there are other times when a logo design may be needed, such as when you decide it’s time to up your marketing game or when scaling up your business.
You’ll also want to refresh/redesign your logo periodically when there are major changes to your business. These changes might include such things as a merger or major revision of your primary market focus or adding a significant new service to your offerings.
Get ready to start that productive conversation with the designer that’s going to artfully and scientifically craft the most effective new logo design that communicates who your business is and what it does.
You’ll want to choose a logo designer who is experienced and successful. One who has positive testimonials from previous clients. One who communicates professionalism and acts in a timely manner. One like CMK Marketing.
We have helped dozens of agencies elevate their business with new logos that effectively communicate the company or organization’s mission. The value of your designer understanding this mission and exactly where the company is going cannot be understated. We seek to fully understand your company, your goals, and your vision – before even touching pencil to paper (yes, we sketch ideas out first – call us old school, but this process gets the creative juices flowing!).
Ready to get started? Here is a partial list of questions we will be going over with you:
Who is your audience? (Be specific) This will help you determine the best design style from the start
What is the tonality of your business? (i.e., fun, serious)
Emotional Message (i.e., my audience should feel compassion)
Logical Message (i.e., my audience should think I need this)
Color or Shapes
Positioning (i.e., how are you positioning your brand in the market?)
Vision
Mission
Values
Competition
