The market in which you operate also might dictate how you present yourself. Accountants or financial advisors, for example, would also want to appear professional and certainly not too creative. Colour can also induce different emotions which must be taken into consideration. For example, navy blue is a safe, traditional and trustworthy colour which will work well for some businesses but completely miss the mark with others as the wrong conclusions could be drawn. Again, to avoid blending in and risking obscurity, the colours used by competitors should always be avoided. Logos often feature a symbol or other graphical device. Careful thought should be given to developing a shape or icon that encapsulates your brand and value proposition. It could be vectorised, or even hand-illustrated but should always be instant in it’s meaning so that it resonates with the target audience. Simplicity is a key ingredient for a logo design. How many recognisable trademarks do you know that aren’t simple? Simplicity provides recognition, clarity and strong meaning. In practical terms, it is important that a logo can be scaled up and also down in size so that it can be applied to a wide range of materials, stationery and email footers. A logo that is overly complex will not scale up or down well, and the meaning can, therefore, get lost.
Social Media is a huge consideration these days as well. The opportunity to use a logo on many platforms dictates that there should at least be a square variation that can be applied to Twitter and other social media platforms. Perhaps you are developing a branded app? A letterbox shaped logo will not transfer well to an app store icon. Once your logo design is approved it should then only ever be applied within brand guidelines to ensure consistent and proper use of the logo across different platforms and by different members of staff. A list of do’s and dont’s is important when guiding people on usage and application.
