5 Principles of Sweet Logo Design

The two main goals of any logo are to attract and to retain the attention of a viewer as long as it possible. A logo is an indicator of the uniqueness of a project or company. There are a lot of beautiful logos developed by the world’s best designers: Adidas, Coca-Cola, Nike, etc. – all these visual signs immediately connect the audience with a brand. No additional words needed! The logo design of these brands is easy to remember, recognizable and looks great in monochrome versions, which is important when printing. The worldwide success of the mentioned companies speaks for itself: even a child knows how the sweet Coca-Cola’s logo looks!

Keeping it simple

KISS (“keep it simple, stupid”, or “keep it short and simple”) principle declares the simplicity of the design as its main goal and value. It means the following:
  • It makes no sense implementing additional features that are not used at all, or their use doesn’t contribute to the ultimate goal of the logo. In the 99% of cases, sophistication harms the perception.
  • It makes no sense trying to send too complex messages in a too veiled form. The perception has to be fast and easy. From the commercial point of view, simple logos are much more profitable. The viewer has to instantly understand/guess the key ideas and features of the brand.
Your logo should immediately tell viewers who you are, what you do and what you are offering. In general, the simpler the logo is, the more impact it has. Complicated logos with too many elements can distract and confuse your audience. Consumers should always understand what is depicted on the image. You have to make a logo that is easily caught by a cursory and sliding glance. However, it’s even more important to convey the identity and key ideas of the brand within those seconds. And that’s the harder task for the designer. You do know that logos can be used in different ways, on various platforms, in various formats and sizes. So small details will be inevitably lost. An effective logo should have a few elements that contribute to the entire picture. Good logos are unique and not overloaded with excessive elements. The logo should not contain too thin lines that will not be seen, for example, on business cards. Scalability is a must for any logo (see #5 rule).

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Making it memorable

Your aim should be to create a logo that will be easily recalled even after one glance. After all, it’s all your logo is going to get. When a potential client looks at it, he or she should be able to describe its details immediately. Complex, overly stylized logos will be forgotten by the viewer right away. You can visit various logo design websites like awwwards.com to find some inspiration there.

Making it fresh and timeless

Make a timeless logo, not trendy. Trendy logos look nice only today but in a few years they will look inappropriate. Timeless logos on the other hand look relevant all the time. Avoid using specific elements, colors and typefaces that will give your logo an outdated look. T Besides, never, and I insist, never copy the work of others. Search for logos in your industry and avoid imitating them. Some logos have changed little over time, only tweaked to make them more modern but keeping essential elements intact. Timeless logos last for decades.

Making it proportional

  Your logo should incorporate the principles of proportion. What does this mean? You can see below that Apple logo uses circles to create a balanced quality. Use resources like WikiHow to get some useful technical tips that will help you in logo creation. The laws of symmetry, order and visual balance are the basis of modern design. Before starting the design process, make sure you know about the existence of these laws and rules of design:  

Making it versatile

A logo that you create will be used in different contexts for:
  • t-shirts, baseball caps
  • pens, keychains and water bottles
  • banners
  • both black and white backgrounds
  So it has to look good no matter what. A designer should understand this and make his logo work in any situation. Think about textures and patterns that may be a part of your brand and make sure your logo complements them. The logo must look equally good in both black-and-white and color versions.  Don’t forget that the customers and potential partners distinguish your company from the competition and make the connection between the suggested goods/services and the brand.

So, how can you be sure that your logo “rocks”?

There’s a trick that can tell you whether the logo follows the abovementioned principles: 1. Print your logo on a small sheet of paper. 2. Give it to people who haven’t seen the logo. 3. Ask them to look at it for just 3 seconds! 4. Now ask them to describe it. If the meaning of your logo was immediately clear-cut to them, you’ve achieved your goal!

Logo Design – The bottom-line

Encapsulating your business in one picture isn’t a simple task. But your logo should truly represent the values of your business and connect your audience with them. Build a symbols that stands for something! You can also practice your skills with the help of crowdsourcing platforms like DesignContest.com. If you know any other principles, don’t be shy, share them in the comment section!  
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