A logo is one of the most important decisions that a company can make but most entrepreneurs starting out think that it is something to be taken lightly, skimmed over for more important parts of the marketing plan. Most companies with that type of thinking are selling the importance of their logo short. I have had businesses tell me they don’t need a logo or can’t understand why it costs so much just to have a few words linked together, but what they aren’t realizing is that the logo will represent your business for the rest of your company’s life if done correctly. So I ask you to take a look at your logo if you have one and evaluate it, what does it say about your company?
Your logo should tell your clients a number of things such as, what product or service the company offers, the culture of the company, is it fun and lively or serious and structured. The logo should feature part of or all the name and be easily read and understood. You will be putting this logo on everything so having something you are proud to show off is crucial.
Some of the mistakes that I see in many of the logos that people use starting out is that they use clip art, they don’t match the logo image with the name, and they don’t think about the colours of their business and how they will be used later. The other problem is that they don’t consider all the places they will use the logo as the company grows. A logo that is not set up properly will cost you more in the long run of both image and cost of being reworked that you are best to spend the money upfront and have the logo completed properly from the beginning.
So how do you design your logo to avoid these mistakes? First work with a designer that knows about logos and how to design them. Check out previous designs and don’t have your little brother design it. Remember you get what you pay for. Decide on the structure of your company, is it fun and lively, or serious and this may depend a lot on the services or products you offer. A legal firm will have a totally different look than a pizza business. Pick three colours that you like and feel represent your business that can be used for branding on everything. The most important step is to make sure your logo is properly vectorized. This means the logo can be shrunk down to fit on a business card or enlarged to fit on the side of a tractor trailer. I see people skip over this step and then have to spend money to have the logo reworked when they want to have t-shirts made or something later on.
About the Author
Bruce Outridge is an illustrator and designer from Canada. His company Bruce Outridge Productions specializes in logo design, web design, custom illustration and more. For more information visit his website at www.bruceoutridgeproductions.com
Bruce Outridge Productions 