12 Logo Design Ideas For Your Next Project

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Creating a logo can be a challenge for designers because it requires a great deal of skill, creativity and brand awareness. It’s easy to create a fit-for-all logo, but creating something original that encompasses all these aspects can be tough.

Do you want to make a great logo for a company? Here are 12 creative logo design ideas you can make use of.

1. Do industry research

Research, research, research! This is the most important aspect of your logo design. Before you even decide to sketch out the logo, make sure you do a thorough analysis of your client’s competitors. By doing so, you get to know the conventions that are generally associated with companies in that industry.

Note: Clearly you won't want to produce something that looks too similar to designs used elsewhere. Researching is conducted to find images of similar themes, so you can use examples as design inspiration for your client’s project.

2. Know the company’s heritage and values

Logos function as the face of the company. This means it should be associated with certain ideals and values of the company, and its heritage could play an important part in the final design.

3. Make the logo catchy and memorable

When it comes down to logo design, you should make sure the logo is catchy and memorable for first time viewers. The first impression created when someone views the logo will be a lasting one. Your main aim should be to make sure customers can relate their expectations with it. For example, Coca Cola’s logo is made up of curves which give off a friendly and approachable look. By creating this design, Coca Cola was aiming at younger-thinking people, who are interested in things that are approachable and look exciting.

However, if Coca Cola was aiming at a more serious generation; for example, middle-class adults, the logo might have been refined to look more prim and proper. By changing the style in this way, the logo would have reflected more of a sense of elegance and class to appeal to a different mindset.

4. Make use of negative space

If cleverly used, negative space can lead to a memorable logo design. Sometimes the best logos have a simple design and colour scheme. They make use of the empty space around it to make the symbol stand out clearly. Some logos make use of empty space to insert symbols  associated with the company’s products or services. A good example is the logo design for FedEx. It cleverly uses the negative space between E and X to sneak an arrow in between the letters.

5. Connect people to the brand with imagery

Images can add a magnificent effect to your font and colour styles. When creating a logo with an image, you should be sure the image represents a certain aspect of the company. Images are great connectors, and most people form an impression of what your company deals with just from the look of your logo.  

When designing a logo with an image, make sure the word is properly legible. Some logos place the word within the image, while others have the image first, then the word. Your choice of placement is very important. Everything must be clear.

6. Make use of symbols creatively

Great logo designs make use of symbols instead of the company name; for example, Apple or Shell. Sometimes a symbol speaks more than the company’s name. That is why many professional designers incorporate symbols in their logos.  

Before you decide to place a symbol as the logo, you should be confident it represents the company’s name and services adequately. One way that designers do this is by going literal with the wording.

7. Choose the right colour combo

When designing your logo, you should choose your colours wisely, because color is known to indicate mood. Think of the boldness represented in the Coca Cola example, and contrast it with the cool blue used by Skype. Another important aspect of color choice is that different colours evoke different emotions to people around the world. What might be a symbol of danger in Western or Middle Eastern cultures - red - can be a symbol of prosperity and health elsewhere. Designers of logos for international brands may want to bear this in mind.

You should always choose one dominant colour in your logo design (unless in extreme cases). This will allow you to balance this colour with complementary ones, in order for you to come up with a professional looking logo.

8. Invent a character

At times, you might need to invent a character to go hand in hand with the logo. A good example is KFC’s logo where the character is an image of the founder. These characters serve as the products' mascots, and people will connect with the company in a more human way.

Furthermore, characters can be digitized in commercial advertisements, which can make a huge difference against competitors. Start using your character design skills on logo design projects today!

Note: again, demographics play a huge role here. There are places where this type of logo might not fit the audience but in other areas, it might be the key to the whole branding.

9. Get a second opinion

There’s nothing worse than putting out a logo, only to find there is a big cultural misunderstanding with the manner in which it was designed. It’s therefore important you get a second pair of eyes (or even a third) to go over your work. This could let someone catch a design flaw you might not have seen, or even considered. The error may not necessarily be with the design itself, but in the meaning the logo might propagate to the public.

10. Develop the logo with the brand in mind

If you are developing a logo for a huge company, you have to keep its whole brand in mind as you go about the design. Ask yourself questions about how it would fit their already existing brand, and in what major ways will it be different from the previous logo. If you can answer these questions effectively, you will be able to come up with a logo that properly represents them.

11. Stay flexible during the design process

Don’t just follow your design pattern from start to finish. Be flexible with your work. Get design ideas from other colleagues, or even the client along the way. This will allow you to incorporate everyone’s input, and come up with a design everyone’s happy with.

Note: It’s always better to get input and ideas during the visual design process. At times some strategic ideas might look good in theory, but fail to work in application. If you are a freelance designer, this stage may be extremely important, and help to build trust between yourself and the client.  

12. Ask the right questions

Logo design has become a strategic process rather than a design process. This means that designers need to be able to strategize effectively in order for them to convey the company’s brand through the logo. One of the key things for strategy is to ask the right questions of the client, with regards to their logo and company’s processes. Before you embark on the process, make sure you know exactly what image the company wants to promote through its logo.

Conclusion

Nowadays, many people are attracted to brands because of their logos. They might be simple and static, but they are also key in attracting your market towards your product or service.

Do you have any suggestions or additions? Share them with other freelancers in the comments section below.

 

Ilmoitettu 12 syyskuuta, 2017

TomCoulter

Designer // Writer // Creative

Tom is a Design Correspondent for Freelancer.com. He is currently based in Melbourne and spends most of his non-work moments trying to find the best coffee.

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