Errors in the design and use of logos

In logo design we can fall into a series of errors that we can avoid if we take into account the following points. I hope my advice will help you so that the result of your logo is the best possible, whether you hire a professional designer or want to do it yourself.

Create a logo online or hire a professional logo designer?

Applications to create logos of the type «do it yourself»

Are you thinking of creating a logo yourself? The applications to make logos are fine if we want to create a logo for a small project, projects that we are starting, or to test ideas, but not for important projects. They are useful if we do not have a budget or as a temporary solution if we do not even know if we are going to continue with the project.

Hire a logo designer

Without a doubt it is always the best option. If your project is important, don't even think about it, the best thing you can do is hire a logo designer. There are inexpensive designers that are a good option if you are short on budget. They are usually beginning or short time designers. That does not mean that the result will be bad. For example, I can tell you that the Nike logo was created by a design student. You can even get lucky and find good designers with interesting prices. Of course, look for designers who have training in design.

On the other hand, there are experienced designers specialized in logo, identity and brand design. These designers require a greater investment of money on your part but you will work with experts and you will obtain quality results, not only for the design itself, but for the methodology, research, technique and advice. They provide a lot of added value, more than you might think.

Make a logo similar to your competition

Having a logo similar to your competition's can make you confuse them and that is not good (or at least almost never). Differentiate yourself from others, your logo is your identity. Some companies use color as a powerful element to differentiate themselves. We can see it in banks or in political parties, some choose blue, others red, orange, ... all of this to be different from the competition and that we associate the color with the brand. Sure, that works when there isn't much competition and everyone can 'own' a color.

Incoherent design, what does your logo convey to the viewer?

An inconsistent design is a design that can create confusion and therefore not work well or even create rejection in some respect. There are many cases of logos that seem incoherent and their brands have been very successful and it is that ultimately there are no rules in creativity, but try to make the design of your logo consistent with its function and what it represents. If your company is a transport company, it does not make much sense that the logo is, for example, a turtle because it can be interpreted that they are slow. It is an example, although there are things that work and others that do not. We see cases like Apple that uses an apple in its logo, something that relates better to brands in the food sector than to the technology sector, and yet it is a successful brand.

A complex logo, highly detailed or saturated with elements

I think that it is best to design a simple logo, without many elements, without going overboard with the details. Do not load it with things that are not necessary, it will work better, it will look better. Complex, loaded logos may have trouble using them on certain media and supports. A simple logo or symbol is something that will be easily remembered, and if its design is good, it will last.

Choosing a bad color combination or using too many colors in your logo

As for colors, my recommendation is that you look at examples of the use of color in well-known brand logos and use those combinations. The choice of colors is important, do not risk it. You can read this article about the meaning of colors in logos .

Using many colors is not always appropriate, it can be loaded, "carnival" or "not serious". The usual thing is to use 1, 2 or at most 3. This is relative of course, there are logos with many colors that are great, but think carefully about how many colors you want to use in your logo and above all that they combine well.

That your logo does not work in one color

In addition to the main logo, you must have a version of your logo in a single color (normally it is presented in black although it is later changed). If you are making an ink stamp, your logo will appear in one color. Another use of the single color version is to save costs. If we print many boxes or bags in one color, we will save costs. The one-color version is also used to make engravings on metal or wood, or to cut out the shape of your logo, for example in plastic. If your logo looks good in the single color version, the engravings for example will look good too.

Choosing an inappropriate font for your logo

Choose a font that works well with your activity, that follows the style of the set, that conveys what you want to convey, that has personality. If it is for an activity related to children, then surely you will be interested in a fun, children's typeface. The typeface has to work well with the rest of your logo design. For example, if your company is a technology company and you have made a modern and current design, it doesn't make much sense to use a Gothic or Roman typeface, right? Read this article about typefaces and their uses .

Use many fonts in your logo design

As a general rule, use 1 or 2 fonts in your logo. You don't need more. One for the main text, another in case you have a slogan and that's it. Unless it is for something very determined and creative. Adding too many fonts in my opinion does not work well.

Saturate a logo with effects such as shadow, gradients, highlights, etc.

Do not load the design of your logo with many effects such as shadows, highlights, etc. if not really necessary and vital to your design. And less if it is not done by a professional. It can cause that it does not look good, that it does not read well. Think that you will also need a version without much effect depending on what uses. If you need a version of your logo in one color, think about how it will look without much effect. A clean design will always work best on different media and media. Companies and brands that use this type of logos, for example car brands, also have other, simpler versions of their logo depending on what uses.

Put a very long name on your logo

If the name of your company is very long, your logo may not work well, you may have problems if you want to use it on certain media, for example on networks or in small spaces on a website or a brochure. One option is to have a shortened version of the name using initials, create a monogram, or use an acronym. Eliminate unnecessary text. If you have a slogan use it only when you need it and you have enough space and have another version of the logo without the slogan for tight spaces. Many brands use symbols (isotypes) so powerful that they do not need to put the name, just by seeing the symbol you can easily recognize them.

Imbalance and bad distribution of the elements of your logo

Is the text of your logo too large compared to the rest of the design? And the symbol where I put it? Does the outfit look weird?

Not that there is a general rule for this, but at this point I do recommend seeing examples of the structure followed by the logos of well-known brands. Find a balance, look at the proportions, see what space each thing occupies. Look at examples and follow them.

That your logo does not work well in small spaces such as on mobile phones, social networks and other platforms

Today social networks, applications and devices such as mobiles require logos that work well in small spaces. On these sites we can use the symbol of our logo, also known as an isotype. An example of an isotype is the Apple apple. There is a tendency to create and use these symbols as an identity without having to put the name of the company, in themselves they are easily recognizable (the M for McDonald's, the symbol for Nike ...) Another option is to create a short version of the logo for these applications.

Logo looks bad, pixelated, or blurry

It is very common to see that people use poor quality images of their logo. In other words, the logo looks bad. Using a small image and enlarging it is not the solution, it will not look good. You have to have images of your logo with sufficient quality and in different sizes to avoid it looking pixelated or blurred when you enlarge it.

Do not lengthen, stretch, shrink, ultimately distort your logo when you use it. It always has to look the same or it will seem unserious.

Use images (photographs) in your logo

Using a photograph or .jpg-type image in your logo is not a good idea. It is not how a logo should be. You can have problems first with the copyright of the image, second because when enlarging the logo it can look pixelated or look bad. A professional design is made in vector format, which is a format that does not lose quality and can be enlarged without distortions or change the color of the elements for the uses we need. From the vector formats we can create logo images (.jpg, .png, etc.) in different sizes and qualities.

Design a logo without research

Before you start designing or hiring a designer, think carefully about what you need or want, look at examples, look at logo designs on the internet, from your competition or from the sector. Think where you are going to use them, what color, what elements should include, and what elements should not. Research and analyze how your logo should be.

That your logo is not versatile

Logos are used in a multitude of media and supports. The logo should work fine on all of them. This is not always the case and that is why companies redesign their logos or create reduced or adapted versions of them. Printing, mobile applications, websites, vehicle wrapping, engravings, serigraphy ... what use are you going to give your logo? Define your needs and priorities first because it may depend on whether your logo works better or worse.

Your logo does not like, is bland or is a little "weird"

At this point I mean that your logo does not have much acceptance among your clients, workers, etc. Having a logo that you like and that is understood is having a lot going for you. Do not make "weird" logo designs that only you understand and that nobody likes. Ask, ask your workers, clients, family and friends for opinions about the designs, to see what they think. And of course you like it.

Try to make your logo interesting, witty, or attention-grabbing.

Your logo needs to be renewed

Don't hang on to your logo if you know you need to update or change it, either because it's out of date or because it doesn't work well. Companies redesign their logos to improve, bring freshness and motivation. The best time for a change in logo design is when the company faces major changes, a new stage. You can update it keeping the essence of the original design or you can also choose to change it entirely. A radical change can create some confusion for your customers because they will not recognize the logo, at least at first. You have to communicate that you have renewed the logo(Best Modern Logo Design Services in Brentford, UK) to your clients. Many times changing or updating the logo is out of necessity, for example now we see that many companies realize that their logos do not look good on mobile phones, or on networks. On the other hand if your logo works well,