Three Rules of Thumb for a Logo Design

Logo design is an important part of the corporate identity of any business. It plays the vital role in brand building, brand identity development, and marketing. However there are many things that needed to be concerned in order to come up with a unique idea for a perfect logo design.

Simplicity
Simplicity is generally regarded as the best design rule. Simplicity does not mean an easy way out of your logo design job by designing something easy. The best logo designs are those that display very complex ideas with a very simple style. This makes these logo designs more easy to view and remember. So don't go over board with crazy curves and complex design technique, because if your viewers can't get your logo right then you would loose the entire purpose of having a logo design.

Standout and Shine
Another aspect of a logo design is that it should be unique. However coming up with a unique idea for a logo design is not as easy as it might seem like. You might feel that all good ideas are already taken and there is nothing left for you to use on your logo design. This is probably because you are looking for design ideas from a narrow perspective, if you broaden your view you can find some strikingly wonderful new ideas.

Avoid Conflict
Logo design act as the visual brand mark for your business. There are also some legal implications to the design, you need to make sure that your logo design is protected and that you have the exclusive ownership and rights to its usage. Also make sure that your logo design does not create conflicting situation from any group with in your target market zone.

How much you should spend on a Logo Design

Small businesses are struggling to survive in this tough economy. To save some money many small businesses cut back in the amount of money they spend on their marketing and promotional stuff, that's before they start firing workers. But the thing that small businesses in particular, need to understand is that marketing is even more important today than ever.

Whether you want to bring new customers in, or whether you want to keep your existing clientele. You need some kind of marketing, brand building related strategy.

Considering the cost of logo design services, many small businesses evaluate their budget and soon realize that logo design would cost them a lot more. Fortunately, there are small businesses who provide logo design services to other small businesses at affordable prices. But then again how much affordable is affordable?

It depends on your budget and the kind of services you are looking for. Some businesses need a thorough process to build a business identity. This thorough process where the designer sends you a draft and you send it back with suggestions is actually what makes logo design expensive. However there are some logo design services that offer unlimited revisions at very little extra cost.

Remember that the money you spend on marketing and creating brand awareness is actually an investment and would pay off as customer loyalty, trust and word of mouth referrals of new customers.

Logo Design - Marketing for Non-Profit Organizations

Just like businesses, non-profit organizations greatly depend on marketing. Specially those who do not accept any grants from governments and rely more on public donations. During troubled times such as economic recession, war or disasters; the importance of effective marketing becomes clearer to the organizations.

Effective marketing means spreading the word without spending much money or efforts. It is very crucial for small non-profit organizations since they plan to spend more on their actual programs instead of spending on advertisements. Their donors wont like the idea of spending money on costly reach out to donor campaigns, instead they would want to see their money well spent on the poor and the needy or the causes they support.

Thanks to the internet effective marketing does not need as much money as it once did. Today a non-profit can reach out millions of people easily using the internet and the web. But like all effective marketing, e-marketing also need you to create a good logo design and website where people can go and sign up or donate money.

This might sound a real expense to a non-profit and it's donors. Which is totally a myth, Web design services are cheaper than ever at the moment and hiring a professional logo design company is no big deal. There are several companies offering their services. Some of them do logo design as well as web design and would offer you amazing discounts if you are a non-profit.

Logo types – A must know for every business owner

A few days back I was looking for a logo design company who could work on my logo project. In search of that I typed the keyword ‘logo design’ on one of the best search engines named Google and to my utter surprise I got thousands of logo design companies who are operating online with a multitude of different graphic design services at very competitive prices. This surely got me confused as what to choose and how? Moreover, I didn’t have no clue what type of logo should I have for my business.

This became a problem for me as it is for so many others, so I started conducting a little research to solve this problem and here I am with what I have gathered for myself and for you to benefit from.

First of all, you as a business owner need to search for a reputable logo design company for your logo project and that can best be done by planning out what your budget is. Look out for different logo design companies which fit best in your announced budget. Narrow down your list by looking at the design portfolios and the testimonials written by their clients for them. After finalizing one for your project, now is the time for you to think what kind of logo should your business have.

Competition is fierce, so you really need to know the basic design factors which would be helpful in designing your logo. You should be very clear in your mind, whether you need an iconic logo, a text based logo or a combination of both. Now let’s see what we mean by these three categories.

·         Iconic Logos

When you are considering what type of logo will be most suitable for your own business, you can learn a good deal from those very successful logos that have really proven successful over time.  Indeed, there are some logos that have become so widely recognized that they can be considered to be iconic. 

Examples of iconic logos include the Coca-Cola logo, the Nike logo and many other logos that have been around for a significant period of time and that have really become a part of the consciousness of consumers from all parts of the world.

You can take tips and cues from these logos when it comes to the decision making process associated with your own business logo.  For example, there are some common factors associated with these logos, common elements that you wisely would translate into your own logo design efforts.

However, for a startup business, it is advisable not to design an iconic logo since it’s a new business and you first need to create either a text based logo or a combination of both text and image to let your potential customers know who you are and what you do. Once your business is a success and people know your business, then only you can take the plunge into redesigning your text based logo to an iconic logo.

·         Text based Logos

Many big brands have text based logos because they have a diversified portfolio of products and businesses that they can’t portray their business in a single image, so they opt for a text based logo. If you too sell a number of products or services that are difficult to be portrayed in a single image then text based logo is the best option for you.

·         Combination of both Iconic and text based Logos

In case you are a start up business with specialization in a single field, then it’s a better option for you to opt for a logo which should define your business in the form of an image as well as should have text in the form of your company’s name or initials. 

Considerations you just can’t overlook:

As a business owner you just can’t ignore few things, for example, you would want to be certain that your logo will appropriately convey at least an indication of the products or services that you are offering through your business venture.  If a logo really doesn't convey a sense of what type of business you are in will prove to an ineffective branding attempt at best and a devastating error in the worst case scenario.

When it comes to practical considerations associated with what type of logo you should have for your business, you also need to ensure that your branding devices are appealing and attractive to the specific market niche in which will contain the specific consumer group who will be most interested in doing business with your firm or company.

Always go for a Clean Look:

In selecting a custom logo design for your business, in determining what type of business logo will be most suitable for your venture, keep in mind that a clean and uncluttered look normally is the best selection, the best choice for your operation. 

With a clean, clear and uncluttered logo you will find that consumers will more readily connect with your business.  A quicker, sounder connection will increase the number of customers or clients that your firm or company will do business with both in the short and the long term.

Consider Your Industry:

While you definitely do not want to copy another business's logo design concept, it can be helpful for you to analyze what other businesses in your specific industry are doing in the way of logos, branding and related issues.  Within a specific industry there can be some themes that are commonplace and well suited.  Therefore, it likely will behoove your business to incorporate these themes into your own efforts at designing the most effective logo for your venture.

This is a step that a professional design firm will undertake as part of its own effort at developing the most effective and appropriate logo for your own business enterprise.

So make sure that your business ends up with the most suitable logo and this can only happen when you are clear in your head about the different categories of logos and of course about your  business. Do give your feedback on the article in the comments section and yes, take care!