Designing a small business logo should generally be left to professionals.
Even so, as an entrepreneur, it’s a good idea to know a few things about logo design so that you know what to ask for when hiring a professional logo designer.
Here are 5 tips for a successful small business logo…
1. Keep your logo simple
When designing a logo, you might be tempted to include a lot of detail.
After all, you want your logo to be a work of art!
However, don’t forget that your work of art needs to be able to work for you under all types of (sometimes stressful) conditions.
For example, if you’re thinking of putting your logo on promotional baseball caps, you might lose some magnificent detail in the embroidery process.
Your business logo needs to look recognizable and consistent across ALL mediums, so make sure you keep it simple.
2. Have alternate versions of your logo
If you use a tagline with your logo, remember that text is not always distinguishable in every medium.
For instance, on social media, your logo would typically be a very small profile icon, often viewed on a small screen (likely a phone).
So, if you have important text under your logo, it’s likely going to look like some illegible squiggles in some situations.
Not good.
At the very least, consider getting a version of your logo done that doesn’t include any text, so that you always have another option.
We all know Nike wants us to “just do it” when we see the iconic swoosh, text or no text.
3. Your logo should be timeless and ageless
Your logo is something that is meant to be synonymous with your brand.
It is not something you can change on a whim. Your logo needs to stand the test of time.
If you suddenly change your business logo, you run the risk of confusing your audience and potentially alienating them. They may no longer recognize you.
Sometimes, even if you tweak your logo just a bit, something will seem off to your audience. And that subconsciously eats at their trust. It’s like when you see a knock-off item that is trying to copy a more established brand.
Switching up your logo is also a bad idea from a financial point of view. If you’re going to apply your logo to business cards, tote bags, car wraps, t-shirts, or any other print media, keep in mind you will have to destroy and reprint all your branded material if you decide to change your logo. More often than not, changing your logo is expensive.
Your digital branding (website, social media, email newsletter, etc.) will be easier to change but it’s still a hassle you’ll want to avoid.
So, when you design a logo, make sure it’s something you can see yourself living with for at least 5 years.
Choosing a logo is a long-term commitment. Make sure you’ve put lots of thought into your logo, and if at all possible, hire a professional designer who will get it right.
4. Be mindful of the colours you use for your logo
Who doesn’t love a splash of colour?
Sadly, when it comes to logos, you want to show some restraint with your colours. You don’t have to use all your brand colours in your logo. A brand may use up to 5 colours in their pallet but it may only use 2 of those in the actual logo.
Make sure to select web-safe colours so that they look consistent across all digital media.
Gradients, blending, or shading can go bad if used in the wrong way. They should accent an already good design not cover up a weak one.
Typically, colour printing will be available to you in 1-colour, 2-colour, and 3 or 4-colour options. So, it is best to have a 1-colour, or a black and white version, in addition to full-colour versions of your logo.
5. Your logo files are priceless
In order to maintain your logo’s quality and consistency across different media, please make sure your logo designer provides you with all the relevant graphic files and colour specifications.
PRO TIP: Make sure to ask your designer for a Vector file of your logo design so you can make it any size you need. That way, you can make it big enough to go on a billboard and small enough to go on a postage stamp.
Anyone who is remotely involved with using your logo on websites, marketing material, merchandise, signage, storefronts, and ANYTHING that calls for your branding is going to need your logo in a format that can be sized up or down without losing clarity.
Make sure to have a brand style guide that has all your logo variations, colours, and fonts to maintain consistency in all media and when working with various vendors.
When designing a logo for your small business, remember that it is best to keep things simple. Your shapes should be smooth and without too much fussy detail, so that they can be recreated with accuracy in different mediums and look distinguishable even if they are viewed on very small screens. If your logo includes a text slogan, ask your designer for a version that is textless, because sometimes the text will be hard to read depending on the circumstance. Your logo should be timeless and still look cool and relevant even after a decade. Choose your colours mindfully, so that you know they will look consistent across digital and print media. It is best to have 1-colour, 2-colour, and full colour versions of your logo so that your bases are always covered. Finally, don’t forget to ask your logo designer for all the files and colour specifications for your logo, so that your logo always looks its absolute best!