YOUR LOGO: Do’s and Don’ts

in Branding / Logo/identity

A good logo is distinctive, appropriate, practical, graphic, and simple in form, and it conveys the owner’s intended message.

A logo should follow the five principles below to ensure that your design meets all of these criteria:

  1. Simple – Good logos feature something unexpected or unique without being “overdrawn.”
  2. Memorable – An effective logo design should be memorable, which is achieved by keeping it simple yet appropriate.
  3. Timeless – Will your logo still be effective in 10, 20, or 50 years?
  4. Versatile – An effective logo works across a variety of media and applications.
  5. Appropriate – The logo should be appropriate for its intended audience.

LOGO DO’s:

  1. Test your logo in color and grayscale. Your logo should look good in black & white as well as in color.
  2. If the logo contains an icon or symbol and text, place each so that they complement one another.
  3. Do some research within your competitive field. Know what is out there.
  4. Your logo must look consistent across multiple platforms. (Printed materials as well as online)
  5. Keep the design simple. Highly detailed designs don’t scale well when printed or viewed in smaller sizes.
  6. Your logo should always be created in a vector format to ensure that it can be scaled to any size. (i.e., Adobe Illustrator)
  7. Use easily readable fonts.
  8. Your logo should create or evoke a positive image of your company.
  9. Think big — and small. A great logo looks well on your business card and a billboard.
  10. Hire a pro. If you are not a graphic designer, hiring someone to work with you to create a logo is a worthwhile investment.

LOGO DON’Ts

  1. Don’t use too much detail. Get rid of everything that is not absolutely necessary.
  2. Do NOT use clipart under any circumstances.
  3. Don’t copy. Never use any copyrighted stock photos or clipart in your logo. Always take care of copyright issues.
  4. Don’t use a photograph. A photo does not make a logo.
  5. Don’t use too many fonts.
  6. Don’t use too many colors.
  7. Don’t use colors that clash.
  8. Don’t get too trendy. When you design a logo — it’s for the long haul. So avoid trendy fonts and colors. Think long-term.
  9. Avoid bland and cliché designs. Be original.
  10. Don’t design an ad logo that is too tall or too long.

Is all of this talk of logos making you wish you had a new logo? If so, please call Epstein Creative at 301-294-1389 or email us at hello@epsteincreative.com. We would love to work with you to achieve your new look.