What Makes A Successful Logo?
A successful logo is worth a great deal more than its weight in gold. Logos being often small and usually simple, they are easy to overlook. But get your logo right, and that effort will pay huge dividends.
A good brand “ident” is so critical precisely because it’s so simple: it’s your company in shorthand, a visual code that existing and potential customers alike link almost subliminally with your services. It has a huge impact on your brand’s visibility – and therefore on its success.
But what makes a successful logo? What characteristics does it have? What rules of thumb can you follow to ensure you arrive at a logo that will have heads turning – and lodge itself in the working memory of your audience? There are four key concepts.
- Recognition.
The most iconic logos are the ones that are easily recognisable, such as the golden arches of McDonalds and Nike’s “swoosh” tick. These are simple glyphs that contain a whole company: everyone should be able to recognise what it means and what the brand is about. Poor logos tend to be too busy or too confusing. Keep it clear.
- “Memorability”.
This is that quality that makes a logo stick in the mind. Particularly if you’re not a start-up, honouring this is key: when a company rebrands itself, it should be subtle enough that customers will still be able to recall what that brand is. Remember when Royal Mail rebranded to Consignia? This didn’t last because in the process the brand lost all its most important markers. Don’t do the same.
- Suitable Typefaces.
You can get excited about symbols, but typograpy is essential when it comes to logos. In fact, many companies choose to use only typography in their logo – think Visa or the V&A. These logos are words alone. In any case, any typeface you choose should match your company’s goals and products: classic or quirky, contemporary or traditional. Consistency is key here – the right match can help your logo pull everything together.
- Relevant Symbols.
Typography aside, symbols are great for identities because they can be so unique. Whether it’s a type of graphic or an icon, they can be used for almost anything and often come to stand alone: think of social sharing icons, which often use only a logo’s glyph (the Twitter bird, for instance, or the YouTube play button). Symbols can fit into places where text may not be able to – especially useful online. They key is to ensure that the symbol should be able to tell people something about your business.
All this suggests that you’ll need a great graphic designer to get your logo right – and you’d be correct in thinking so. Give us a call to discuss further – ultimately, great design is what makes a successful logo.
Contact Image Plus for Logo Design
If you need to design a logo for your business or brand, then please speak to our friendly experts. Our logo designers are based in Coventry, Warwickshire and are always ready to help.
Please feel free to contact us on 024 7683 4780 or send us an email at info@image-plus.co.uk.
