What makes a good logo?

A lot of planning needs to go into the creation of any successful logo. Your logo is the face you present to the world, and it needs to speak for your brand story. However, there are some universal elements of all good logos, and we have gathered some of them here for you.

1. Timeless

Logo trends come and go, and if you jump on the bandwagon too quickly, then in a couple of years you may have a dated log already in need of a redesign. Good logos may need a little freshening up every few decades, but with their overall look remaining the same. Right now a big trend in design is “2.0.” Basically, this look can be boiled down to giving graphics a 3D look, a gel treatment, and usually a glossy shadow. It’s hot for the time being, but chances are in a few years it will be out, and if that trend is all you have to support your logo, it will be too.

2. Unique

Your logo is your logo and should be unquestionably and uniquely yours. For one thing, copying is just unethical. When we have clients ask us to make a logo “like” something else they’ve seen, we have to tell them no.

Logos that aren’t unique cannot be the foundation of a strong brand. Your logo is supposed to be a voice for your brand story. It should evolve through a process of collaboration with a designer to communicate your vision to the marketplace. It needs to be a custom message that appeals to your consumers, built with your philosophy in mind. Copying others cannot accomplish these goals.

3. Memorable

Having a memorable logo is tied in with having a unique one. If you look like everyone else, there’s no way you will meet the memorable requirement. Your logo has to leave an impression on consumers. If you can get your logo stuck in people’s minds, then that is the first step to gaining their loyalty.

4. Scalable

Logos have to work on huge signs and small cards. It will need to be used in a wide variety of applications, and because of that must work at 1 inch or smaller. Gimmicky logos with too many superfluous bells and whistles will be unrecognizable at small sizes, and therefore ineffective.

5. Effective in black and white

Color, while an important aspect of branding, should be added to a logo after a design is chosen. If the logo does not work in black and white, color is not going to help it. Logos that rely on color to hold the design together are most likely not going to be scalable and will probably turn into a indistinguishable blob when printed in black and white. Since there will be cases in which your logo will have to be printed in black and white (faxes, checks), this really is a necessity.

6. Adaptable

You will want to put your logo on everything you do to maintain brand consistency. This includes print ed brochures, websites and online ads, embroidery, faxes, black and white newspaper ads, pens, and anything else you can think of. As with scalability, logos that try to do too much or add unnecessary effects will not transfer well onto a variety of applications.