What does your logo say about you?

We all know that first impressions are important. Often, your business’s first contact with the world is the logo that you choose. More than just a simple image or font, a logo can represent the fundamentals of your organization- who you are, where you’re coming from, and where you are going.

Take a moment to consider the logo

We all know that first impressions are important. Often, your business’s first contact with the world is the logo that you choose. More than just a simple image or font, a logo can represent the fundamentals of your organization- who you are, where you’re coming from, and where you are going.

Why does it matter?

Running a successful business depends upon your ability to get your name out there. For instance, say you run the best Italian restaurant in Bangkok, no one will ever know unless you can effectively reach your potential customers. Practicality prevents you from handing out plates of pasta on the street, so what do you do? Well, a great logo is the first step. A logo can immediately answer several important questions.

• Is my restaurant modern or classic?
• Is the ambiance formal or relaxed?
• What is the price range?
• Am I really Italian?

Part of having a successful business also means differentiating yourself from the competition. Again, a unique and effective logo can really set you apart. A great logo should be distinctive, evoke a certain experience, and ultimately inspire brand loyalty. Presenting a well thought out and professional logo shows that you care about your business, and seriously consider how you are represented in the world.

Four components of a great logo

Working together, these four main elements determine the style of your logo, and in turn its effectiveness. These are important factors when working with a web designer as the logo can often be his/her starting point for the design of your website.

Font

Even if you aren’t a font aficionado- even if you barely notice font, even if your’re hardly aware that there are many different types of font out there, you cannot deny that styles of font influence your understanding of, and assumptions about everything containing text. Font can make a statement. Font can set a mood. Font can be iconic. Need some inspiration? Check out these great fonts from smashing  magazine. Look around, and you’ll find that some great logos are comprised entirely of font.

Color

More than choosing the right colors, you should also consider choosing carefully your logo color combinations. Using specific colors together according to the color theory can help you create an effective and memorable logo design.

As with every component of logo creation, when choosing colors, it is important to consider your audience. A law firm would probably never choose bright pastel colors, just as a nursery school would never select a palette of gray and steely blue. Color can go a long way in conveying the feel of your business. We have associations with color though nature, technology, media, memory, and emotion. A great logo can tap into these deeper associations. For a quick overview of color theory, check out this website by Color Matters. Alternatively, simply look at the world around and you’ll begin to notice specific color palettes everywhere.

Composition and Style

A  logo can perform as a condensed portrait of your business. Whether grungy and raw, or staid and conservative; form should follow function. That’s not saying that a skateboard company cannot present a professional face, or that a hospital cannot be human. To the contrary, a good logo should represent exactly what your business is about. For a more technical breakdown of good composition, take a look at this article from Nubloo, and learn about the rule of thirds, the importance of space, and what factors of good design attract the human eye. It’s also worth considering how your logo will look scaled up and down. Would it work on both a business card and a billboard?

Company Name

Looking around, it may seem that all the good names have been taken. This is probably because you aren’t thinking creatively. Thinking creatively also means that you have to keep your company’s core values and purpose in mind. You don’t want something too generic, like “Main Street Flowers”, unless you can really make that name work for you. A good name can be direct or indirect. Consider Apple computers. Apples that grow on trees seem to have  little to do with Apple computers’ technological powerhouse,  but just look at how far there logo has taken them. If you need some do’s and don’ts of choosing a great name, consider this article from Entrepreneur.

Putting it all together

When looking at a logo, you should be able to surmise a lot about the business at first glance, starting with whether they cared enough in the first place to design a good logo. If you keep the four components of good design in mind, an effective logo is within reach. Working together, these components should evoke an immediate picture of your business’s primary aims and function. Don’t be timid, put yourself out there.

You can do it

If you feel inspired to create your own amazing logo, please check out our logo and graphic design course. By the end of the course you will have designed your very own business card, logo, and flyer! Also, take a look at our Adobe Illustrator class, as well as all the other great design courses here at Web Courses Bangkok.

Need some inspiration? Read this article on great logo design.