So you are forming a start-up company...congratulations!
Now it is time to build your brand identity. One of the go-to key parts of a brand identity is, of course, the logo.
The logo is like the face of the business as it is usually the first thing an audience sees on search engines, websites and social media profiles before they dig a little deeper.
Designing a logo doesn’t just involve picking a font or sketching a symbol/image. It’s all about portraying an emotion or message.
Here are a few things to keep in mind whilst designing your start-up logo:
What is your service/product?
First of, what is your business providing either service or product wise? This alone gives you ideas for visuals and styles for that specific industry. For example, it would be a bit weird using visuals of kitchen utensils for a taxi service.
Who is your audience?
Knowing your audience means you have an idea on the best way to communicate with them. This communication/attraction for you targeted demographic is displayed through your use of colour, typography and overall visual language.
Be Unique
Though you may feel like you have to follow a set of rules to design a logo for a specific audience, it is still important to be unique. Designing a logo that is unique shows creativity and individuality, showing that your business have that something extra.
Core Vales
A logo is almost like the visual equivalent to the elevator-brief. It should represent the tone, message and values of the company at a glance to win over your audience. Knowing your company’s core values will help establish that relationship between company and clients/customers.
The Design
Logos come in all shapes, sizes and styles; each differing and directed towards their demographic. However, there are a few key elements that make up a distinct and memorable logo.
These elements are the key to good logo design:
- Simplicity
- Versatile
- Timeless
- Vector
-Appropriate
Simplicity
A simple logo design will make it easier to reproduce in other platforms and formats. It will also be recognisable if recreated in black and white.
Versatile
A versatile logo allows the ability to work in a variety of colour as well as work well with both light and dark backgrounds.
Another aspect to a flexible logo would be the incorporation of an illustration or symbol along with text-based logos. The involvement of a small icon will allow for it to stand alone without the need for the full text logo to represent the brand.
Timeless
The sign of a good logo design is the lack of needing to constantly change it A timeless logo design doesn’t follow fads which allows it to withstand time and the changing world around it, making it less likely to feel outdated. The longer a logo holds its own the more likely it will gain brand recognition.
Appropriate
A logo represents the brand, therefore should be appropriate for the brand. If colours are used with a logo they should portray the correct message and emotion. For example: red to induce excitement and passion, white for calm or clinical, green for health and growth etc.
Vector
The best format to create your logo in is as a vector. Vector images have the ability to be scaled up or sized down to your heart’s content without the worry of losing it’s quality. This also means your logo will also look clean and to a high standard on any screen or print platforms.
