How to Design a Successful Business Logo

A good logo design goes a long way in adding a positive touch to your business. Because of this, you should make sure that your logo is thoughtfully designed and leaves a positive impression in the minds of people who want to do business with you. Your logo design will be the identity of your company, so you need to be very careful while designing it, making sure that it is attractive, appealing, inspiring, and memorable.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Deciding On the Basics

1
Focus on your message. Decide what you want to communicate to your audiences. In other words, what do you want people to think when they see your logo? This will inform the rest of your design process. Also know about your potential and current target audience to create a design for them.
- Make sure that the logo design is relevant to your products and services in the market. It will help you to connect to your customers and build a positive image.
- Consider adding a tag line to your logo design to convey your message to your target audiences.^{[1]XResearch source}
2
Decide on a logo type. Logos typically falls into three basic categories: font-based, illustrative, or abstract. Font-based logos are those like the Coca-Cola logo that use a special or unique type to differentiate themselves. Illustrative logos show, in a literal way, what the company does, like a country club logo depicting a golfer. Abstract logos, like the Adidas logo, serve only to visually attract the attention of the buyer and are linked to the brand through advertising.
- Abstract logos can be expensive, both to design and to clearly associate them with your business. For a small business, the best choices are font-based logos and particularly illustrative logos.^{[2]XResearch source}
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3
Consider the mood you want your logo to convey. Different design choices within a logo can communicate different feelings and qualities to a consumer. Making these design choices consistently across a logo can reinforce certain qualities of your business in the mind of customers.
- For example, shapes can evoke different feelings for viewers. Circles demonstrate unity and completeness, whereas squares show stability and professionalism.
- In addition, hand-written-style fonts can show creativity or humility, whereas bold typeface fonts can show professionalism and elegance.^{[3]XResearch source}
4
Think about colors to use. Just like shapes or fonts, different colors can reinforce your logo's message. Each color has its own particular set of associated moods. In general, warm colors like red, orange, and yellow represent energy, happiness, and communication. Some of the other color associations are:
- Green: natural, affluence.
- Purple: creativity, imagination.
- Blue: professionalism, success.
- Black: elegance, strength.^{[4]XResearch source}
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Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Drafting Your Logo

1
Research the logos of other businesses in your industry. Performing a research on the logos of your competitors will make you aware about the trending logo designs and styles in the industry. You can learn from the mistakes of your competitors and create a design that will be loved by all. Think about the things that differentiate your brand from that of your competitors and try to include it in the design.
- Allow other logos to inform your design process, but get an exclusive logo design as it will be the visual identity of your company. Your logo design must be capable of making your brand stand out from the competitors.
- Make an effort to avoid trends that you see in your competitors' logos.^{[5]XResearch source}
Your logo needs to differentiate your business from your competitors and be instantly recognizable. Ensure that your logo design is unique, meaningful, inspiring, and attractive. Such a logo design will instantly grab the attention of customers and stick in their minds for a long time.^{[6]XResearch source}
Before deciding on a design, think of all those places where your logo will appear. This may include brochures, flyers, posters, business card, newsletters, advertisements, etc. A good logo should be scalable, easy to reproduce, memorable and distinctive.^{[7]XExpert SourceJanet Peischel
Digital Media ExpertExpert Interview. 30 March 2021.} Ensure that it looks good wherever you use it, and particularly that it is not so complicated that it will be indecipherable when printed very small.^{[8]XResearch sourceA good logo should be scalable, easy to reproduce, memorable and distinctive}
4
Simplify your colors. Many of the most successful logos only make use of one or two colors. Logos with more colors with that can appear visually confusing or overcomplicated. In addition, some mediums only allows for two colors. For these reasons, you should try to limit your logo design to two or at most three colors.^{[9]XResearch source}
- You should also check to see how your logo looks when printed in black and white.^{[10]XExpert SourceJanet Peischel
  Digital Media ExpertExpert Interview. 30 March 2021.}^{[11]XResearch source}
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Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Finalizing Your Logo

1
Understand that you should hire a professional. Even if you are confident in your own abilities to design a logo, hiring a professional designer is the right move. A professional can give your logo a clean and reliable design, suggest improvements, and improve your use of color. In addition, a designer will know how well a design will transfer to print and how much it will cost to print. These are two crucial components that only a professional designer will be aware of.
- Hiring a designer may be expensive, but the cost can be expensed over ten years (the estimated usable life of a logo), which will dramatically reduce the immediate cost to you.^{[12]XResearch source}
2
Hire a professional logo design company. Perform online research to locate and hire an experienced and professional logo design company for your business. Make sure that the company works with a team of professional designers. Look at the companies' online portfolios and choose one that has designed other logos that you find appealing.
- Have a strong idea of the mood and message you want to convey with your logo when you go to meet with the designers.
- Negotiate a contract that specifies how many revisions on the logo will be made, how much interaction you will have with the designer, and how long the design process will take.
- Expect a professionally-designed logo to cost you anywhere from $2,000 to $12,000 or more.^{[13]XResearch source}
3
Hire a freelance designer. You can save your company some money by opting for a freelance designer. These designers charge between $35 and $150 per hour for their services. However, don't choose a designer just to save money. Instead, look for one with a portfolio of impressive designs and a good reputation. You can also focus on hiring a freelancer that has designed logos for businesses in similar industries.^{[14]XResearch source}
- Consider using freelancer websites like Upwork, Freelancer.com, 99designs, or DesignCrowd to locate one of these designers.
4
Trademark your logo. Once you've designed and finalized your logo, you need to make sure no one else can use it. After all, this logo represents your company and your alone. Protect it by applying for a trademark with your government. In the United States, this can be done on the US Patent and Trademark Office's website.^{[15]XResearch source}
- Be prepared to pay the filing fee for a trademark, which can be over $300.^{[16]XTrustworthy SourceUnited States Patent and Trademark OfficeU.S. government agency responsible for registering and protecting patents and trademarksGo to source}
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Question
What is a basic rule of effective logo design?
Janet Peischel
Digital Media Expert
Janet Peischel is a Writer and Digital Media Expert and the Owner of Top of Mind Marketing. With more than 15 years of consulting experience, she develops content strategies and builds online brands for her clients. Prior to consulting, Janet spent over 15 years in the marketing industry, in positions such as the Vice President of Marketing Communications for the Bank of America. Janet holds a BA and MA from the University of Washington.
Janet Peischel
Digital Media Expert
Expert Answer
Consider all of the formats and sizes your logo will be displayed on to make sure it's readable no matter where it is.
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Question
What's important for logo design?
Janet Peischel
Digital Media Expert
Janet Peischel is a Writer and Digital Media Expert and the Owner of Top of Mind Marketing. With more than 15 years of consulting experience, she develops content strategies and builds online brands for her clients. Prior to consulting, Janet spent over 15 years in the marketing industry, in positions such as the Vice President of Marketing Communications for the Bank of America. Janet holds a BA and MA from the University of Washington.
Janet Peischel
Digital Media Expert
Expert Answer
Make sure that your logo is readable and accessible so people don't get confused by what they're looking at.
Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If How.com.vn has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission.Support How.com.vn
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