logo Archives - identityXperts

3 Logo Design Tips You Should Not Ignore

Your business logo is tantamount to the effectiveness of your business branding, and ultimately to the overall success of your business. It is responsible for the lasting impression your business leaves on the consumer market, and for the sake of your business, you’d best make sure your logo leaves the impression you intend. Fortunately, there are some undeniable do’s and don’t when it comes to logo design, and if you stick to those rules, you should be well on your way to choosing a design that works. Here are 3 logo design tips you should not ignore:

Less is more

While it may be tempting to cram every important element you can think of into your logo, keep in mind that this could work against you in a major way. When it comes to logo design, less is definitely more, and there are several decades worth of evidence to prove it. (Consider Nike’s unmistakable swoosh, McDonald’s golden arches, and Apple’s apple. What do they all have in common? Simplicity.) If you need further convincing, take a complex logo, shrink it down to business card size, and watch it turn into a muddled mess.

Keep it timeless

When coming up with your logo design, be sure to avoid current trends. Why? Because trends tend to go out of style just as quickly as they came into style. Your logo should stand the test of time, as it is the image you want to indelibly etch into peoples’ minds. It won’t be nearly effective if you are constantly changing it . . . and if it is only relevant now because it is in line with current trends, you will inevitably have to change it.

Take into account the reverse-out

Even when it comes to color, you should keep in mind the less is more rule. However, you also need to take into consideration what your logo will look like reversed-out in black and white. There will be occasions when you will need to use your logo in this way (newspaper ads, for example), so be sure that your logo design translates well when it goes from color to grayscale.

These 3 Logo Design Tips Require Action

A lot goes into building your brand, and your business logo is one of your most powerful branding tools. Don’t skimp when it comes to creating, growing, and strengthening your brand.

When it comes to building your brand, your website is one of your most powerful tools. Contact Dr. John Elcik at identityXperts to handle all of your web design needs. We can be reached by phone, at (239) 400-0622, or email: jelcik@identityXperts.com.

Posted on by Dr. John Elcik

7 Essential Rules to Follow When Designing a Logo

Your logo is much more than just a pretty picture on your letterhead. It is a symbol for your business, and the one thing people will most associate with your business name. Creating an effective logo is a serious endeavor. Here are seven essential rules to follow when designing a logo:

Hire a professional

Unless you are a graphic artist with experience in marketing and logo design, you need to leave the task of creating a logo in the hands of professionals. Keep in mind that an unprofessional logo will look amateurish to potential customers – not exactly the message you want to relay about your business, right?

Stay away from trends

Your logo should withstand the test of time, with only minimal changes. If you want your logo to stay relevant, then you need to avoid current design trends and focus on representing a unique aspect of your business.

Keep it simple

Your logo needs to be easy to remember and must translate in a variety of mediums and sizes. Studies show that the most successful logos are also the simplest. Choose shapes that are not too complex, use a basic font (like Arial or Helvetica), and try to use no more than three or four colors.

Do your research

The purpose of your logo is to help your business stand out. Therefore, it needs to be unique. Before you commit to a logo design, make sure you do enough research to ensure that your logo does not resemble anyone else’s logo.

Keep it original

Don’t make the mistake of using clipart anywhere in your logo. Anyone who has access to a computer or the Internet has access to the same clipart you do; therefore, a clipart logo equates to an unoriginal logo.

Reverse it out

There will be some occasions when your logo must be used in black and white. Therefore, you need to take this into consideration when designing a logo. If your logo is not effective when it is reversed out, then it’s back to the drawing board for you.

Make sure it translates

Consider the wide array of mediums your logo will be used in – from business cards to web pages – and design a logo that translates well in every type of media. This means your logo must look just as good on a giant billboard as it does on a tiny mobile device screen.

Don’t skimp when it comes to building your brand.

Posted on by Dr. John Elcik

Top 5 Common Logo Design Mistakes

Your logo is one of the most important components of your business branding. Studies show that people are more responsive to images than they are to text, so it is safe to say that your logo is more powerful when it comes to marketing than anything you may be able to write about your business. Unfortunately, many businesses overlook the importance of the logo and take shortcuts that end up costing them in the long run. If you want to create an effective logo, then be sure to avoid these top five common logo design mistakes:

Using clipart

Clipart graphics are those that come installed with your word processing program, or that you can find in bulk online. What’s wrong with clipart? Anyone who has a computer and/or Internet access can find and use clipart . . . which means that business logos made of clipart are generic, unimaginative, and unoriginal.

Not hiring a professional

Amateur logos are easy to spot, and as your logo is just as important to your branding as your website and advertising, you should hire a professional to create your logo, just as you would hire a professional to handle those other important tasks. Remember that your logo speaks for you. What is it saying? If it is not professional-grade, then it will probably be saying something like, “I’m cheap,” or, “I’m amateur.”

Not being original

The purpose of your logo is to stand out from the crowd and give people an impression that will last. Do plenty of research before you finalize (or approve) your logo design, to make sure that your logo does not look even slightly similar to someone else’s. If you need help with ideas, concentrate on what makes your business unique, and how you can relay that unique quality in graphic form.

Not accounting for scaling

Your logo will have to expand to fit large advertisements, and as well, it will have to shrink to fit on things like business cards and letterheads. If your logo is too complex, it could become just a jumbled mess when you scale it down. If your logo image doesn’t shrink well, you will need a new image.

Being too trendy

Avoid following design and color trends when creating your logo. Remember that your logo should stand the test of time and that you should make changes to it only when absolutely necessary, and as little often as possible.

Don’t skimp when it comes to building your brand.

Posted on by Dr. John Elcik

Why You Should Not Try to Create Your Own Logo

It is understandable that, as a business owner, you want to save on overhead costs wherever you can. However, in some cases, saving money now could end up costing a lot of money in the future. One such area in which you should not cut any corners is logo design. However, there are many “free logo design” websites and templates out there, giving you the illusion that making an effective logo is simple and easy. While it may be tempting to take on the task yourself and skip on hiring a professional, taking on your logo creation could be a grave mistake for your business. Why? Here are some reasons why you should not try to create your logo:

Unoriginality

An effective logo must be original, unique, and highly recognizable. It is virtually impossible to create a distinct logo when you utilize a one-size-fits-all web template or service. When you put your logo design into the hands of professionals, they do the necessary research to determine that your logo is unlike anyone else’s. Unless you have the resources and know-how to do that, you should leave your logo creation in the hands of someone who does.

Amateur work looks amateurish

Remember that your logo speaks for your business. If it is not professionally-made, then it could come off looking like an amateur art project. Unless you don’t mind that your logo says to people, “I’m an amateur,” you should leave its design to professionals.

You are not a marketing expert.

What is your business all about? If it is not about marketing, branding, and advertising, then you don’t have the expertise to create a logo that will be effective with your target audience. There is much more to logo design than creating a pleasing image.

Your logo must affect the people who are most likely to need your product or service.

Design professionals are knowledgeable in market analysis and can create a logo that is effective in attracting the type of audience your business needs. Unless you understand how, correctly, to pull that off, you should not try to create your logo.

Lack of resources

When it comes to creating an original and compelling logo, you simply do not have the resources that professionals have. Hiring a logo design company means having experience, artistry, and advanced design software on your side.

Don’t skimp when it comes to building your brand.

When it comes to building your brand, your website is one of your most powerful tools. Contact Dr. John Elcik at identityXperts to handle all of your web design needs. We can be reached by phone at (561) 543-2892 or email: jelcik@identityXperts.com.