A logo isn’t simply an image that represents your company for easy reference, or something that looks pretty on your company’s website. A logo reflects your business’ image through the use of colour, typography, shapes and pictures. A logo is your commercial identity and should inspire the look and feel of everything your business communicates from your company’s website to the business cards that you and your employees hand out.

What does a logo represent?

Your logo is a representation of the trust, recognition and admiration that you have built between your clients and your company. A logo is not, however, meant to symbolise everything that your business is or isn’t. The logo is simply an image, simple enough to be deciphered and remember, that will strike a chord with your customers. The logo will make a connection with your customers and provide that link between your company and everything that it represents.

What makes a good logo?

There are four commandments when it comes to creating the perfect logo for your business. You must be able to DESCRIBE it, MEMORISE it, still recognise it even if it is coloured BLACK, and be able to SCALE it within an inch of its life and still be able to make it out. Take a look at some of the most recognisable logos on the planet at present and see if they obey the four commandments. Take a look around at all of the logos on your next shopping trip too; you can easily distinguish the difference between a good and a bad logo. This is exactly what you customers are doing when they are shopping around for their needs. This begs the question, what is your logo doing for your business image?

How is a good logo created?

Designers usually find creating logos one of the most frustrating and time consuming processes in the profession. This is simply because of the innate simplicity and crystal clarity that is required from the finished product. A designer simply can’t add a few design elements here and there to improve the overall effect. A logo needs to have impact without any assistance. This is a heavily time consuming process, which generally explains the cost in producing a great logo.

Designers will be looking to learn as much about your company and what you want to get from your logo before they begin. They’ll also be looking at other logos similar in the industry to find out what the competition has to offer. From there, they’ll be brainstorming, sketching, prototyping and conceptualising possible logos. When you choose your logos, you need to think beyond the obvious and consider how the logo you choose will be able to symbolise your company in everything that it does and presents to its customers.

So is my logo helping my image?

To answer this question, simply ask yourself whether your logo truly symbolises your company. Would your logo stand out in a shopping mall with your competitors? Will the shoppers remember it for next time, or just keep on walking by…

Author Bio: Darren Bruce is a designer for Grumpy Fish Designs in Sydney, Australia. Grumpy Fish provides affordable graphic design, desktop publishing and website design and development solutions.

Category: Marketing
Keywords: graphic design, logo, brandmark, corporate image,