Logo Basics

Tips for Creating a Great Logo Design

A good logo is at the core of any companies corporate identity corporate branding, including a company’s name, logo, colors, slogan, etc..
But what makes a great logo?
Essential characteristics of a professional corporate logo include:


  1. Simplicity
    Avoid intricate details. Nearly all companies on the Fortune 500 have a simple logo. Three major marks of superb logo design are that it is memorable, recognizable and scalable. Too much detail defeats all of these objectives. Test this trait by putting it on a business card. Get rid of everything that is not absolutely necessary.
  2. Looks good in black-and-white
    Related to simplicity, a good logo should be effective without color. If it doesn't, you broke the first rule. Besides, do you really want to pay for color printing for ALL of your marketing collateral?
  3. Descriptive
    An excellent logo should portray attributes of your company in some illustrative manor. Many logo designs include both text and graphics. Most branding efforts need both. Well established brands, like this Yellow Pages logo, can get away with the simple graphic form of their logo.
  4. NO "special effects"
    If you think it needs more "pizzazz" (including, but not limited to: gradients, drop shadows, reflections, 3-D bevel embossing and light bursts), you probably should just reconsider the entire concept, as these are amateur techniques.
  5. Correct file type
    Although you will need the logo in several formats, the "actual" logo MUST be vector artwork, not raster (pixel) art. Vector art can be scaled up to any size, with no loss in quality. They are also superior for many other reasons — see "Raster v.s. Vector Art." Amateurs make logos in Photoshop, professionals make them in Illustrator.



For a "bigger list," Tanner Christensen has a great list entitled 45 Rules for Creating a Great Logo Design. It throws in a bit of humor for good measure.

Keeping these guidelines in mind throughout the development process will help your company create a truly professional corporate logo that will last far into the future.



To see some of sample logo designs in my portfolio click here.
For a price quote on a logo or any other design project click here.



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