Ok – before we get into this conversation let’s get this out of the way: Why is a
logo so important? It’s the unifying element or uniform your brand wears every
day. It’s the first impression, the lasting impression…it’s the essence of your
brand’s graphic communication over time. So if you’re starting a company, need
a logo update, or you want to design a logo – here’s what you need to know:
1. Strategy. Don’t even get started without one. As much as you’re chomping
at the bit to start designing, wait and answer these questions: Who are
you talking to. What do you know about them? What is the main point
of difference that they need to know about your product or service?
2. Look at the competition. Don’t do something that exists (Doi! It’s not
flattering, it’s copying.) Learn how people in the sector are communicating.
You don’t want to be inappropriate, arbitrary or irrelevant but you don’t
want to blend in. It helps to have a good name to work with. Make sure
you don’t look exactly like another company.
3. Color. Color has to do as much with the category as the brand personality.
Of course don’t do the same color as your competitor! We tend toward
simple, pleasing, 1-3 color logos. Clients often tell us their favorite color is
green, but that doesn’t mean that’s the right color for their logo. For Race
Lane we mirrored some of the colors of the room, and kept the palette
very ‘Hamptons.’
4. Font. Font is your tone of voice. It conveys whether the company is
elegant, strong, restrained, conservative, bold, energetic, organic, hip,
(cheesy, cutesy). Font tells all of those stories, it’s about communicating
the brand’s personality. For Hampton & Co. we had a whimsical Jack
Russell representing the beach and chose a more conservative font to
anchor it in the tradition of the Hamptons.
5. Be Memorable. Think about the category benefit, or your product
or service’s benefit. Think about the company’s first initial to dial up
distinctiveness. For Endeavor, a sophisticated restaurant holding
company, Jill used the tines of a fork to create an E. Even the tines’
placement – upward, for energy and aspiration, are intentional. For
Aquatica Aviation, Jill created the A by having a seaplane ‘fly through it’ creating motion.
For HelpCare, the H actually ‘hugs itself,’ conveying warmth and support.
6. Does it pass the T-Shirt test? Does your logo make you proud? Will it work
on a T-Shirt, the side of a truck, your website and your business card?
These are some of the award-winning logos blumenfeld + fleming has
created in the past 8 years.
Click here or call 631 668 0007 if you want to learn more about how we can help you build a distinctive and memorable brand. Tell us what your favorite
logo is. And if you know someone starting a business, pass this on!
Great lesson Lynn! I love the colors you & Jill choose.