The success of any business is partly dependent on the ability to create a unique and professional logo. A good logo that will stand out must pass all the major logo design principles such as memorability, timelessness, simplicity, originality, and more.
Our goal in this article is to pick some of the most important ones of these design principles and highlight why they are of important when creating a logo that perfectly resonates with a brand’s core values and mission.
Table of Contents
Logo Design Principles
#1. Simplicity
In modern design, the concept of simplicity cannot be overlooked when creating in the process of designing the perfect logo.
The best of the most eye-catching logos have very simple but effective designs.
Simple logos are also versatile, you can use them in a couple of places, most especially your business touchpoints; including digital and offline platforms.
A simple logo can fit in for this purpose, it can easily be repurposed for every marketing material to fit the conveyance of your Brand’s message without missing any of it’s most important elements.
But in a situation where the constituting elements are making it appear too complex or undefined then you put your prospects in a position where they need to crack themselves up to figure out what your business is really about, I’m sure no one would want to do that, they’ll rather pass than try.
#2. Memorability
Another determining factor of a kick-ass logo design is memorability, an effective and simple logo is also memorable.
You’d agree with me that simple things are easier to remember and comprehend and that’s why children can hardly forget teachers who go the extra mile to make things simpler for them to comprehend.
The simple message here is, that your logo should be easy for anyone to recall even after a simple glance.
A logo should be easily recalled after just a glance.
Reports have it that it will take up to 5 to 7 glances before customers can remember your Brend’s logo, you that quadruples when the logo appears complex in nature.
The goal is to make sure that, at first or second glance, most people can immediately describe your logo as registered in their subconscious.
Complex and fussy logos with varying elements, fonts, and color combinations lack the temerity to pass as a unique and recognizable brand identifier.
An example of some of the most memorable logos I’ve ever seen is the Samsung and Tecno logo.
#3. Originality
Another salient factor to have in mind when designing your logo is originality.
An effective logo, that is simple and memorable has to also be original and have a form of uniqueness, it can’t be a replication or a manipulated version of another company or entity’s logo.
A Me Too logo wouldn’t cut it for building a unique brand, it’s important to do extensive research in your industry to see the popular logo design patterns and go for that.
A logo that looks like that of your competitors with little to no difference can land you in a serious legal issue.
So it’s important to work with a designer who knows their onions so that you can get for yourself a logo that is peculiar and unique to your business.
Nobody will take you and your business seriously if all you can do is copy other people’s ideas, even the holy book says emulation is detestable.
#4. Modernity and Timelessness
Next is timelessness and trendiness. So many logos have had to be revised and redesigned time after time, that’s partly because the original design lacks a futuristic stance and consists of elements that soon become stale with time.
Modern means it has to apply to what’s trending and acceptable today, a timeless logo is designed to be relevant for a good amount of years say at least five to 10 years.
Logos that perfectly fits into this description are not too stylized and intentionally streamlined to capture the timelessness factor while still maintaining it’s detail for a good number of years.
A nuanced logo eulogized with “hot” components may soon outlive its relevance and hotness.
You should seek to strike a balance between contemporary and trendy, in fact instead of going for trendy, a modern approach that sparingly uses a combination of specific elements such as type facts and icons will speak volumes about your business to your prospects.
Some effective examples of timeless logos are the Rolex watch logo, UPS logo, Starbucks, and Burger King, although they’ve been revised quite a number of times, they still maintain the salient elements that speak the brands’ relevance.
5. Balancely structured
Two of the most popular brand logos on the principle of balance which posits the use of proportion and symmetry in logo design are the Apple and the Twitter logo. The Twitter logo is achieved using the golden ratio through the use of proportionate circles to make an aesthetically pleasing logo.
The human brain is smart enough to pick up imbalances in images (optical balance) so it’s important your logo is not just crafted based on mathematical constants (like the golden ratio and rule of thirds) but also for visual balance and harmony.
#6. Complementary
Complementary colours need to be properly observed as you set out to design your logo. You can use the color wheel to determine this in most cases.
Colors sitting on adjacent positions of the wheel are said to be complementary, the human brain is also wired to remember great color combinations, the colour has proven to be a powerful tool to engage people’s interest and draw their attention, especially for first-time impressions. We can learn some color lessons from top brands that have very simple but effective color combinations.
Starbucks has green and white as a combination, Ikea has blue and yellow, Coca-Cola has Coke red and white, and back monochrome, Facebook has blue, gray, and black, while Apple has black and grey.
Different colors may have different emotions for people and brands are consistently leveraging this to make sure they style their brand with the right color combinations that perfectly carry their brand and what they stand for. The color emotion guide below simply exemplifies this pattern and trends with top brands across the world.
#7. Versatility
Your logo should be designed for versatility, making it possible to used anywhere for any design purposes. To achieve this you need to be creative and explore different ideas, You can experiment with isn’t different simple fonts and color schemes to see what works best for your project. If you like it complex, you can use more intricate designs and colors to achieve this. In all, it must be very scalable and practical to fit all marketing channels such as digital, print, outdoor, etc. To achieve this you need to also pay attention to digital color types such as Pantone, CYMK, and RGB colors.
#8. Design for audience
One way to do this is to carefully have an audience persona or avatar, and understand what they want, you need to do some market research or speak to some industry experts to get their perspective. You can also see how logos are designed in your industry, you can then match that up with some basic principles of logo designs discussed here to come up with your own concepts.
#9. Use a quality typeface
Google made a switch to its typeface so as to make it more legible in different environments. The font used to represent a brand says a lot about the brand, and it’s one of the contributing elements to how memorable and unique the logo is. To achieve this, first, consider the purpose of the typeface; is it for aesthetic purposes or also for legibility, this will help you to find the appropriate typeface that fits the tone of your business.
# 10. Stay on-brand
In all, everything should revolve around the brand, every element and decision-making around, colors, geometry, and typefaces, and all should be in cohesion and align with the core values of the business.
Elements of a Professional Logo
Colors
Typeface
Geometry (Lines & Shapes)
Negative space
Graphics/icon
Layout
