How to make attractive logos
Rajendra Zadpe
Whether you’re a beginner or just in need of a refresh, follow our logo design tips and tricks to help you make really good logos.
Appealing Logos are really important. They can be daunting to design but are a must for any business and are the cornerstone of any good business brand, or even a personal brand. You want your logo to explain who you are and what you do, why you do it, and how you do it. You’ll include it on social posts, presentation decks, marketing materials, business cards and more. That’s a lot of heavy lifting for one little graphic to do, right?
Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered with a whole load of logo design tips, tricks and walkthroughs from an actual Graphic Designer (i.e. me). Whether you’re a beginner or just in need of a refresh, follow these tips and tricks to help you get started and make a really good logo today.
A good logo should:
- Be eye catching
- Be timeless
- Be memorable
- Work well large or small
- Encompass your brand vibe
Top 5 Logo Design Tips & Tricks:
1. A picture paints a thousand words
A logo is a visual representation of your brand, so why tell people what you do if you could just show them? Use simple icons to communicate who you are. Visual puns are a designers best friend too – here Frost Bites have created a quirky ‘bite’ to show that they are a food company. This is really easily achieved by overlapping two circles that are the same color as the background.
2. Use empty space to keep your logo design clean
Coco Chanel once said, “Before you leave the house, look in the mirror and take one thing off”. The same thing applies with design.
You want to make sure people can read your logo from a distance, or when it’s really small – keeping it “clean” (designer speak for “lots of blank space”) will achieve this. Here we can see how Savant Yoga have utilized blank space to invoke a feeling of calmness.
Using blank space in your logo design is also helpful when it comes to brochure design, poster design, t-shirt printing, and plenty of other marketing collateral. Your logo is easier to integrate seamlessly into different designs and formats.
3. Use shapes to think inside the box
Shapes are a really great way to make your logo stand out. For this logo for a law firm, we put the firm’s name inside boxes to achieve a professional look.
This also helps with cross platform branding, as a “boxed in” logo works well digitally, as well on letterhead, presentations, and merchandise such as pens or lanyards.
Shapes with interesting gradients or textures can be used to push your design to the next level. Here, FX Technology Co. have used a blue to yellow gradient to achieve a really sleek look. They’ve used a laptop icon inside the circle, but this could easily be changed to a bunch of flowers, a wine glass, or a stack of weights depending on your business.
4. Imagine your logo in situ
When designing your logo try make sure you think about its intended uses – are you looking to use it on a uniform, or will it just be for your website design? You can use a Mock Up Generator to see how your logo will look in situ.
It’s also good to think about how you’re going to promote yourself when creating a logo. If you’re going to be doing a lot of networking, create a logo that looks good on business cards. This coral logo from Bird View Photography is arranged in a horizontal manner, and would look great on a card.
5. Color is key for good logo design
Monochromatic doesn’t always mean black and white! Sometimes black and white can seem harsh on our eyes, especially if we’re trying to create a feeling of zen. You can use various shades of the same color to create subtle contrasts within your logo.
By using various shades of pink, Serenity have created a logo that is very calming – much like their spa must be. If you’ve been searching for the answer to, “what is good design?” well now you know.
To recap our top logo design tips:
If you’ve ever worked with a designer professionally, you’ll know that they never just present one option. Try a couple of different logos and ask your friends, family, coworkers, and communities for their opinions as to which one feels right for your brand.