4 Rules To Follow In Your Logo Design

Your logo can be used on web sites, banners, printed material such as business cards, t-shirts and coffee mugs, however when designing your own logo / brand mark or getting it done by logo design professionals, ensure the following three basic rules and you are sure to have a great and memorable corporate identity.

RULE #1: KISS the logo

The first and foremost thing to remember is to keep the logo design really, really simple, hence the KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid!) reference. Simple logos exhibiting clear demarcated elements and with lack of clutter are identifiable and easy to remember by its audience. You would be surprised to learn that good logo designers spend 1/4th of their total project time creating a logo design concept, then spend another 1/4th of the time in simplifying the same logo from its current, relatively complex form. (the remaining time is spent on working on the design revisions and finalization of the logo) A case in point is Microsoft’s logo, which is nothing but simple text written in italics. However, the clever use of the typeface makes it unique and identifiable.

RULE #2: Color it bad, but color it proper!

The colors used in your logo are also of supreme importance. You should identify beforehand the colors which are usually attributed to your industry, say for example, choosing fresh green colors and shades when you are a gardening and landscaping business seems a logical choice. Also remember that the colors you will choose will be used on all elements of your visual identity, that is, business card, letterhead, web site, packaging, signage etc, so choose colors which are easy applied, are practical and also look good at the same time.

RULE #3: Make it as flexible as an Olympic gymnast

Your logo design should be flexible in several respects. First of all, it should be able to be reproduced in both multi-colored and single-color (black and white) versions because there will always be media on which reproduction of your logo in color would either not be possible or downright inappropriate. It should also be scalable enough so that it looks equally good in all sizes, whether it is on a small business card, your web site or on a giant IMAX cinema screen.

RULE #4: No Talent? No Problem!

All is not lost if you don't have the chops to create your own logo design. You also do not have to fret too much about logo design pricing these days. Gone are the days when mom and pop businesses had to take out money from their child's college fund for their startup's identity development. With the advent of the internet, you can easily find logo designers who can create memorable logos and business stationery at rates which won't empty your bank.

In conclusion, remember that your logo design will tell your customers who you are, so make sure that you send them the right message. This can only be ensured when you follow the above three rules when either designing the logo yourself or through discussing these with your logo designers.