Design a Logo - The Ultimate Guide

Logo design is arguably one of the most important and valued areas of design. A quality logo design combined with the branding of an organization or company can become one of the most powerful forces in today’s society. If you love logo design as much as I do, then I am sure you will enjoy these logo design tips and resources.

LOGO DESIGN TIPS

Concepts, Concepts, Concepts!

I like to believe there’s a perfect concept out there for every project, but the hard part is finding it - or at least something close to it. The only way to do this is to brainstorm like crazy. Start looking up competitors, do Google image searches, write down keywords, do some mind mapping, and make sure you put everything down on paper! You don’t want to come up with a great idea only to forget it the next morning.

Nothing like Sketching

A lot of designers like to go straight to the computer, but the power of sketching is often underestimated. You can quickly sketch out multiple concepts and create variations to see what works and what doesn’t - in a matter of minutes. The computer will slow you down so be sure to break out the sketch pad, colored pencils, markers or whatever you prefer - and start sketching away.

Did you know? Large design companies will often sketch out dozens of pages of logo concepts before they even touch a computer mouse. Take a tip from the pros and focus on your sketches first.

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Using logos in banner designs

When is it preferable to use a logo in a web banner? While displaying your logo may be essential for print and related media promotions, a logo on a banner deserves serious reconsideration.

People react to ads differently on the web than other types of media. A logo in a banner usually screams "advertisement" to the audience, and web pages are already oversaturated with banner ads. Visitors usually don't want to see ads when they come to a web site. Visitors are expecting to find information or entertainment.

One of the most ineffective banners is one that contains a logo and a company slogan. How does that banner ad benefit your audience? What reason does the viewer have to click on to your site? None! You've just said in your banner "look how good I am" rather than thinking "look what good I can do for you."

There are some instances when a logo in a banner ad can be helpful: one is for "branding" purposes, that is, getting your company name out in public so people are more likely to remember your company, product, or service. Some companies purposely create branding banners when their logo or name is already well known with the public, such as Coke or Microsoft. Other companies using banner ads just to tell the public that their business' services will be available soon.

Companies who use banner advertising for branding are companies which (a) are already well known to the public, and (b) have a large advertising budget to feature their name in many places. And that means for the majority of businesses, using a company name and/or a slogan in a banner ad is an ineffective way of obtaining high CTRs (click-through-ratios).

So if your company is not a big, well-known company, then how do you get people to click on to your site through your banner ad? Design your banner with the appearance that it will provide information or solve a problem if you click on it. If you have to include your logo on the banner, then make sure the logo is not the main focus of the banner. Make your logo small and place most of the emphasis on the call-to-action.

Logos in banner ads can generate better results if they are part of a keyword search. Say for instance, you have purchased keywords from a portal site, such as Yahoo, where anyone who enters keywords in a search query will come to a web page on the portal's site that has your banner displayed. Because you have already narrowed down your target audience, and people who have come to the particular web page are more likely to be looking for what you provide. A logo that says what your company does may let the visitor be more likely to click on your banner and go to your site.

In conclusion, we rarely recommend that companies use logos in banner ads because those banners tend to have the lowest CTRs. The only time we recommend using logos in banner ads is for branding purposes, but expect low CTRs.

Source : http://www.grantasticdesigns.com/

Five Hidden Benefits of Designing Your Own Logo

These days, do-it-yourself (DIY) is everywhere, invading industry after industry. So if you're weighing the pros and cons of designing your branding materials yourself instead of hiring a graphic designer, you're not alone. Obviously, you expect to save money as a design-it-yourselfer -- and you probably will. But that's just the beginning. There are other DIY advantages that are less well-publicized.

Here are five hidden benefits of employing your creative side and designing your logo:

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9 Keys to an Effective Logo

Many small companies do not invest in a professional-looking logo. But, the right logo, with the right characteristics, will boost your visibility, credibility and memorability - which means more business for you!

These characteristics include:

Memorability, so that your logo sticks at the forefront of your potential clients' minds. That way, they'll think of you next time they have a need.

• Uniqueness, which helps you stand out from the crowd. For example, if everyone in your industry uses a particular symbol (i.e., travel agencies often use globes in their logos), try to use something else - that way, your logo doesn't just look like everyone else's.
• Meaningful logos spread the message about the distinguishing characteristics of your business.
• Consistency in use of your logo, tagline, materials. Repetition helps people to remember who you are and what you do.
• Scalability, so that your logo looks equally good on a business card and on a sign for your business (or a billboard!), and at every size in between. A second part of this is legibility of your business's name at different logo sizes, and making sure that your designer chooses a font that is readable.
• Professional, in the quality of the graphics, the printing and the paper your materials are printed on.
• Timelessness in your logo will ensure that you don't have to redesign your logo in just a few years, and that your investment and equity in your design will be lasting.
• Differentiation between the colors in your logo - and not just in terms of hue, but in terms of value as well, so that it translates well to black and white or greyscale, and so that color blind people can read it.
  

Having a professionally designed logo can really give your business a jump start, and help your business to get the attention - and clients - you need to succeed.

About the Author

Erin Ferree is a logo, print and web designer who has been helping small businesses grow by boosting their visibility, credibility and memorability for 7 years. http://www.elf-design.com