Posted by Shivali Anand
August 18, 2021 | 4-minute read (648 words)
When you start a business, you have many tasks to complete, but one of the most important is developing a logo. At its best, a logo is a branding instrument that establishes a strong connection between you and your audience.
A logo should help consumers and investors quickly understand what your company is about. In addition, a well-designed logo can "considerably affect customer behavior and brand performance," states 2019 research from Harvard Business Review.
So how should you go about developing such a logo? To choose one that suits your company, follow our recommendations below.
Take descriptive elements into account
Descriptive logos – those that contain both textual and visual design components – are seen as the most favorable by consumers, according to Harvard Business Review’s research. For example, a descriptive logo for a book store could include a book element. An excellent example of a descriptive logo is that of Burger King, which features both words and a hamburger.
Some 9% of businesses worldwide do not include their company name in their logo, while 41% of company logos use text exclusively. The other half of businesses use text and pictures in their logos. Experiment with using text alone, images alone and a combination of both to create a few prototypes to narrow in on which logo works best for your company.
Considerations in choosing a color scheme
McDonald's comes to mind when you see red and yellow. Coca-Cola is likely evoked when you see red and white. But are your color selections representative of your company? Probably more than you realize.
Big brands seem to think so, as they frequently choose hues for their logos that are similar to those used by competitors. For instance, one study found that more than 75% of credit card company logos use blue and that over 60% of retail brand logos use red, even though red itself is relatively uncommon in garment designs.
Among the 100 most-valuable global companies, one-third use blue in their logos, followed by 29% using red, and 28% using and black or grayscale. Yellow or gold logos account for 13%.
When selecting your colors, keep in mind the audience you are trying to reach. A color that is seen as cheerful in one nation or demographic could be negatively perceived by another. Among women, blue is the most-popular color choice, followed by purple. But almost no males selected purple as their favorite color.
Make shapes clear and noteworthy
People have strong feelings about colors, but you may be surprised to learn that shapes can have the same effect. Squares and rectangles tend to convey strength and reliability, according to the Tubik Studio. Its study also found that spirals express inventiveness, while circles convey a sense of mystery.
Don’t be afraid to stray from any of these predefined forms and come up with your own, though. NBC's logo features peacock feathers, while McDonald’s features a golden-arch shaped “M.”
Aim for a timeless design
Marketers observe that vintage hues from the 1950s and 1960s, along with vibrant purples and pinks, have experienced a resurgence in popularity, especially among female millennials. Deep browns, olives, and other earth tones juxtaposed with coral and bright yellows have also come into fashion.
While these colors are making a comeback, there is also a chance these hues could make your business look dated. Will it still be on point in 2029? When it comes to your brand, you want it to last for a long time, and your logo should do the same thing.
Infrequently updating your logo isn't a crime. But it can be costly and time-consuming, not only in terms of the design, but also in terms of reproducing your collateral and educating your audience about the change.
Try to avoid using trendy colors or fonts when designing your logo, because it needs to represent your business for decades to come.
