Yep – your logo should be delish! And we mean delicious to the eyes. How do you cook a delicious, home-made meal? Aside from fresh ingredients, such meal should be prepared with love and attention by no less than a seasoned cook.
Almost every meal is prepared using basic cooking principles. A restaurant kitchen cannot prepare what a diner has not ordered, and the diner expects the kitchen to serve what has been ordered. The process is the same with logo design – the better the process, the better experience it creates between the logo designer and the client. Do keep in mind that we humans do not know how to read minds – a conversation must happen between the client and the logo designer. What the client has in mind, the logo designer needs to know, so a logo can be designed based on the client’s preferences.
Small business owners usually do not have the resources to turn to a big design agency for their logo design needs. Here at BRANDco., we help small business owners succeed – without the high price tag.
How We Prep the Meal… er, the Logo
BRANDco. designer Samantha Holton kicks off logo design projects for small businesses with a client consultation. “When I do a consultation with a client, I like to focus on who they are as a person and what kind of personality they have. Logos tend to have a tone based off fonts and colors and we want to make sure the brand matches the tone of the client and their business goals,” she says.
During the consultation, Samantha does an activity with her clients – they must describe themselves and their business in a few words. “This has them think about how they want to come off to the clients and viewers. Sometimes they laugh and don’t know what to say, but they realize that they haven’t thought about that yet and that’s very powerful,” she adds.
Along with the conversation, Samantha pulls random examples for feedback “to make sure I am understanding the tone they are looking for.” She says this helps her get a visual guide of what the clients find attractive.
“Especially when clients say they want a ‘modern’ logo or a ‘luxury’ logo – those words could mean anything and it’s different depending on where they are located as well,” she adds.
Keeping Logo Design Simple, And More
Jacob Cass of Just Creative Design wrote about five principles for logo design in Smashing Magazine way back in 2009:
Simple
A simple logo design makes for quick recognition and easily sticks to memory. Simple logo designs are highly recommended for small businesses for immediate recognition.
Memorable
Quick recognition comes from a design stuck in memory of those who have seen the logo, especially for small businesses.
Timeless
Clients may be tempted to follow current fads in logo design, but timelessness should be considered. A logo should still be useful in a decade or so.
Versatile
A logo design should still be recognizable in whatever medium it is used – from a website favicon to a highway billboard.
Appropriate
A logo design represents a company – the logo should resonate with their target market. For small businesses, an appropriate logo design is very important, as they cater to specific markets in their communities.
Achieve Balance, but Dominate
Over at graphic design platform Canva, five design principles are mentioned, too:
Balance
The triumvirate of alignment, spacing, and symmetry should rule over your logo design.
Repetition
Repeating elements, which also affect symmetry, allow viewers of your logo design to easily remember your logo.
Contrast
Aside from colors, a logo designer can also use logo elements to achieve contrast.
Dominance
Though there must be balance, viewers of your logo design must also focus on one key element – this also helps in remembering the logo design.
Hierarchy
With domination comes hierarchy. A logo design should clearly show what refers to the company name, and what refers to the tagline.
Keep Your Logo Fresh and Delish
As a small business, do you think your current logo needs a refresh? Or do you think it’s time you got yourself a logo? Whatever it is, we at BRANDco. will help you get that delish logo. Contact us now to kickstart the cooking.