HOW TO CREATE A LOGO: A GUIDE TO CRAFTING THE PERFECT DESIGN

If you think that a powerful logo can boost your business, you are correct. According to Siegel + Gale , notable logos are 13 percent more likely to attract customers' attention. And they are 7 percent more likely to motivate customers to learn more about a business.

But it takes more than a few words and symbols to get people interested in your business. A good logo incorporates the best features of your brand, sending a positive message to customers. Logos are on all your business materials, so they have to be well thought out and tell a compelling story. If you want to stand out, learn how to make a logo that excites your customers.

1) Choose the tools to make a logo

Face the facts. There are a million ways a logo design can go wrong, and it takes patient trial and error to get it right. Let's say you chose some clipart and a simple font. Easy right? Too bad your clients won't be interested in a logo that doesn't say anything about your business values.

Think Starbucks' unique mermaid or Disney's signature fountain. Let your logo show customers what is unique about your brand.

You have professional and free options to make a logo.

1. Graphic design agencies : Agencies are professionals in studying a brand and choosing the right colors and shapes to represent it. You can trust most agencies to create a good design, but they are the most expensive option.

2. Freelance Designers: Most freelance designers are less expensive than agencies, but their skills vary. Be sure to check out references and portfolios to find one that fits your needs.

3. Design software : Free or paid software is useful for a standalone project. If you want to make a logo in Photoshop or Illustrator, it would be a good idea to learn basic design principles.

4. Logo Maker Software: A logo maker is great for beginners who want to make a simple and custom design. Pre-designed shapes and templates make it easy to try out different arrangements.

2) Plan your logo design

A great logo starts with a clear vision of your brand. This is why you should spend most of your time planning the design, especially if you want to make a logo for free. A strong concept will provide guidance so that you can spot items that don't fit. A calligraphy font is probably not the best option for a plumbing business. And a conservative logo doesn't make sense for a fun, modern furniture company.

To get inspiration flowing, ask yourself these key questions.

1. What are the core values ​​and benefits of your business? Think of the most interesting keywords or images that you associate with your business. Are you customer-centric? Ecological? Crackpot? Traditional? Innovative? Compassionate? Multi-functional? Tied to heritage? Family oriented? / Span>

2. What style conventions are common for your industry? Don't be afraid to get ideas from successful competitors. The goal is not to copy, but to identify the important style options that are used throughout the industry. Keep in mind that it is okay to deviate from the norm if you have an innovative brand or business model.

3. What makes you different from the competitors? Try to highlight the key reasons why customers love your business. Are your products easy to use? Hand made? It's economic? Simple and direct? Luxurious? One of a kind?

4. Where will your logos be used? In printed promotional materials? Product packaging? Business letters? Applications? Vehicles? Billboards? The size and type of media can affect the clarity of your logo. Make sure your logo makes an impact, whether it's a big banner or a small avatar.

3) Tell a story with text and symbols

Logos have to accomplish a lot with little space, but without going overboard. A simple design is easy to reproduce and update, and is less likely to have unwanted meanings . Think of ways to express your brand story through lettering.

The font style in your logo should match the tone of your business. Serif fonts, like Garamond, have decorative lines at the ends of the letters. Sans serifs, like Tahoma, have cleaner lines and no frills. Businesses often choose serif fonts for a luxurious, classic, or conservative look. Sans serifs are a better choice for modern and futuristic logos.

Actually, you have unlimited options. Many companies choose fancy writing or design completely unique fonts. Imagine the unique Coca-Cola lettering. If you plan to create a logo in Illustrator, try creating your own font to differentiate your brand. Whichever font you choose, play with size, capitalization, and line weight for a custom look.

Choose your symbols wisely. It's fine to just have text in your logo, but strong symbols can make your brand look bold and recognizable. Think of images that match your brand or business model. A gracefully leaping jaguar was an obvious choice for the world-famous car company. And who can imagine McDonald's without the legendary golden arches?

Consider using a common animal, shape, or emblem in a new way. Apple transformed a basic object by representing it with a missing bite, or "byte." The logo fits the brand and differentiates the company from the rest of the industry. In short, make sure your symbol has a "wow" factor. A logo will not make the desired impression if it does not distinguish your business from others.

4) Create a color story

People have strong gut reactions to color, so make sure you're getting the right message across. When choosing your logo colors , think about the air of luxury and mysticism of purple. The blues are often calming, while the yellows are fun and upbeat. Reds and oranges create feelings of warmth, passion and excitement. Greens and browns are seen as earthy, and neutrals range from peaceful to elegant.

Color should be the last step in the design process. Logos often appear in black and white, so creating a design that works without color is wise. Have you ever seen the hidden arrow in the FedEx logo? The design packs a punch without the purple and orange color scheme.

The most important thing is to choose colors that match the story you want to tell. Experiment with brightness and saturation levels, and take advantage of negative space . Think about how the NBC logo uses white space to form the body of the peacock. Too many bright colors can sometimes be overwhelming, so the goal is balance. Using a gradient can emphasize key parts of the design, such as the Soundcloud logo.

5) Save your logo files

An impressive logo design is wasted when you use the wrong image files. The design has to remain clear and attractive, even if you make it bigger or smaller. Vector files are versatile digital images. They use complex mathematical formulas to preserve dimensions and clarity at any size. Another common option is raster bitmap files. They are made of tiny pixels on a grid, and images can become distorted when scaled.

Raster files work well when using an image at or near its original size. This includes common file formats, such as. jpg and. gif . Images become more blurry and lose their sharp color the more you resize them. Vectors are more flexible, as they can be printed at any size on clothing, business cards, letterhead, and more. Common file formats include. ai and. eps .

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Do your brand justice

When it comes to logos, your first idea is usually your worst. You will most likely choose words and symbols that have already been widely used. With this in mind, take your time and get feedback from people who value your brand.

Others can help you come up with unique ideas and eliminate bad designs. Once you decide on the basics of your design, keep trying new arrangements. Many brands create smart designs simply by placing the pieces in an unexpected way.