Why Creating Logos is Best Left to Professionals

By Amanda Simpson | September 28, 2010

I don’t know how many times I’ve started a project for a new client when I hear those soul-crushing words, “The client will be sending the logo later today, it was designed by [the vice-president's wife/the boss' daughter for a high school art project/So-and-so's neighbor's son Johnny - don't worry, he's into computers...].” Yeah, you get the picture.

Why does this frustrate me so? It’s simple. Your logo is one of the most important parts of your brand, and it can make or break your company. An easily recognizable brand allows your company to stand out from the competition, and builds trust and loyalty in your customers. A well-designed logo will help build a strong brand, and it’s not something to skimp on.

This takes me back to why Johnny, the neighbors boy, should not be designing your logo. Johnny might have some artistic ability, and that’s great. But he’s not going to approach your logo the same way a trained professional will.

You can’t set yourself apart if you don’t know what you are up against. The first step in building a strong brand is to research the competition. After you know what the competition is doing, you need to consider the following: What graphics should you be using? What colors should you choose? Which fonts represent your image best? How will you use your logo?

All of these questions (and their answers) factor into creating professional logos.

Creating Logos

Graphics
Keep in mind not every logo has to have a graphic element. Some of the best logos ever created use only text. For example: FedEx. Have you ever noticed the arrow hidden in the text? Or Coca-Cola, no graphics, just that ever-recognizable script font.

However, if you insist on having a graphic in your logo, there are some things to consider. The uniqueness of the graphic is important – it sets your brand apart from the competition, who you certainly don’t want to look like.

Your logo should have a balanced image. Simplicity makes a stronger design; extra clutter will only confuse your audience, making the logo harder to digest quickly. You want a design that is easy to see and recognize at a glance.

Colors
I have discovered that many people will approve or disapprove of a logo color based on their own personal likes or dislikes. This is the worst approach you can take when creating your logo. The colors you chose should be based on your target audience and the feelings you want them to experience when using your product.

Likewise many people think designers choose colors based on personal preference. This is not the case. In fact, a good designer understands the psychological impact color can have, and how to use this to their advantage. For example, red has been shown to raise blood pressure. Probably not the best choice if you are a trying to sell spa services. Color can also vary depending on cultural differences. White can mean one thing in the United States, yet mean something completely different in Eastern Cultures.

Fonts
Your choice of font (or typeface) is just as important as the graphics and colors. There are thousands of fonts (no one really knows how many world wide) and each font has it’s own set of characteristics, which, like color, have an impact on the viewer. There are curvy feminine fonts, bold masculine fonts, playful fonts, the list goes on and on. Again, your target audience must be considered: you wouldn’t want to use a thick, bold font if you were selling a high end make-up line. Nor would you use a straight, cold font to brand your toy company.

Media
What you use the logo for can impact the success of its design. For example, it might need to be readable on business cards and other print material, websites, t-shirts, electronic billboards, television, or a physical product. The size of the logo for each of these media is a big factor, as some logos are simply a mess at small sizes or look really odd blown up to a larger size. Another factor is the material the logo is printed on – some materials can make a logo look very poor.

Professional Logos

This is why – if you need a professional logo – you shouldn’t bother Johnny the neighbor kid. He’s going to put something together based on his own preferences, without any thought for how these various factors affect your brand. And just like any part of your business, ignoring the factors that affect how your customers feel about you is brand suicide.

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