By DesignCrowd
There’s really no secret formula to the perfect startup logo. There’s no secret sauce or “herbs n’ spices” – put simply, there’s just good design. Creating a logo for your new business is one of the most important early steps in getting it off the ground – that’s to say, nailing the logo design is vital.
So, if there’s no formula to get this right, then how do you create that killer logo? Successful logos have a few common denominators. These commonalities can help guide you as a startup founder or business owner on how to create a logo that ultimately works for your business.
To help you on your way, we’ve done some heavy lifting for you. Here are some of the design principles that we think help create a beautiful logo.
- Emotion
Like all images, logos are meant to make you feel something. Logos aim to evoke emotions from viewers, from excitement or relaxation or anything in between. For your logo to be effective, you need to understand the underlying emotions you are trying to elicit. What do you want your customers to feel when they see your logo? Do you want them to take action immediately just as Nike’s swoosh and Target’s bullseye logos compel action? Or do you want to enchant your viewers the same way Disneys’s intricate typeface design and castle icon do to their loyal fans?
Before you decide on what color, layout, font, typeface, style, size, or shape to use, consider the emotions you want to communicate first. Only then can you piece the perfect logo together. Every design element – colour, font and layout are pieces that constitute the emotion you’ll convey in your logo.
- Futureproof
Your logo isn’t forever – it can be changed, modified and tweaked to remain relevant. However, once your customers have an emotional connection to the brand, rebranding might bring more harm than good. Nothing can push customers away more than ill-thought out change. So, create a logo for the long term. Make sure that your logo represents the current and future products and services you want to market.
There’s no simple solution for anticipating the developments in your business. Startups and scale ups are renowned for changing course and pivoting. Designing a logo for this can be tricky – however, instead of considering your company’s tangible products or services, try to ensure your logo evokes your business values and mission. These will remain intact through the sometimes tumultuous journey of your brand.
- Standout
What’s the main purpose of your logo? Evoking emotion? Telling customers what products and services you offer? Neither… The main aim of your logo is recognition. You want people to recognise your brand at a glance. Logos are created so that a business can stand out. It’s much more easily said than done – not all brands successfully stand out through their logos. Mostly because the logos are generic and overused.
If a logo is easily confused with another business then it doesn’t serve its purpose well: to be the center of attention and to be the destination of your target market. Obviously, your logo isn’t the sole driver of consumer behavior – your products and services will pull the strings more than a logo. But, in a saturated market a great logo can be the differentiator.
Wrapping Up
Nailing your startup logo doesn’t have a playbook – but considering these three simple aspects can help you on your way to creating a logo that truly works for your business.
Your logo should evoke the emotions you are seeking from customers, it should convey your company values and mission and stand out from competitors. It’s no secret there are thousands of ways to create a stunning logo and that there’s many factors at play. It’s part of your job as a founder and business owner to consider all these before embarking on the logo design journey.
