Whether it is an entirely new brand for your company or just a logo adjustment, research and planning is key. This allows you and the designer to establish the strategy, map out a plan, and create a solution that works. If you want your brand to make sense, it is essential to have facts and knowledge that will support your ideas.
Communication is the most important task when collaborating with someone on a project of any kind. You, as the client, must share enough details so the designer understands your goals. The designer can then dig deeper and build on your thoughts to create solutions that work.
1. Why are you looking for a new logo?
Whether you are starting over or starting new, your logo should have purpose. Is it possible your first logo was rushed and you’re ready for a professional logo that better represents your brand? Sometimes companies change or take a new direction in business and the prior logo doesn’t translate properly anymore. Perhaps the issue is that your logo is outdated and you’d like to freshen it up and get with the trends. At times it may simply need a tweak such as a new font or color scheme while others require a blank canvas.
2. Discuss the company’s background, products, and services
Describe what your business is about. What services do you provide? What do you sell and why? Talk about the company’s history, what turns it has taken, what goals you plan to achieve, or where you see business in ten years. It’s always important to keep the future in mind as well as the present, and as you’re telling this story, the design of your logo should positively reflect it. If you know there may be a shift in business in the near future due to technology, resources, etc., you may want to consider that in the design process. Timeless logos are the best logos.
3. Establish a target audience
Your logo and brand should attract the audience you are trying to target. Age, gender, economic status, income level, and ethnicity are just a few demographics to keep in mind. You should understand who the consumer is and how your business serves them.
4. Study your competition
Standing out against your competitors is the most important thing when designing your logo and brand. You don’t want to go off the charts and design something so different it won’t be recognized in your industry, yet you also don’t want to blend in with the others. Before meeting with your designer, have competitors in mind and establish what you may or may not like about the competitor’s design.
5. What style logo are you looking for?
Logos come in many different styles. Wordmark logos consist of only text. This may display just your company’s name in an appropriate font, such as the Coca Cola logo. Lettermark is the simplest logo style consisting of only initials, such as HBO. These logos work for companies with lengthy names. Brandmark consists of only a symbol, such as Apple or Target. This style is usually evolved and is suggested when your brand is so well known there is no need for the name. Combination Mark involves text and a symbol, such as Sprint or Adidas. This style is commonly used because the logo can be separated and becomes more versatile. This allows for more than one version of the logo. Emblems consist of text embedded in a symbol, which does not allow for separation. An example of this is the Starbucks logo. These logos sometimes resemble the look of a sticker or badge. Understanding these concepts ahead of time is especially helpful so you can decide if you have a preference.
Logo Trends for 2016
1. Black and White
2. Simplicity
3. Geometric Patterns
4. Energy & Movement
5. Sharp Pointed Edges
6. Transparent Overlays
7. Broken Lettering
8. Watercolor
9. Optical Illusions
10. Script Retro Fonts
Post originally written for Navitas Marketing.
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