How To Design A Business Logo Like A Pro

A logo should represent your brand’s identity. And in order to make a remarkable one, you need to carefully consider how to best create a visual representation of this image in one distinctive design. The colors and graphics that you choose must reflect the overall image of the company.

There are two main ways to create the logo of any company or business. The first option is to consult a professional graphic designer to create a logo design for your company. The second option is to personally create a logo from scratch using premium or free logo design software programs.

If you wish to take the second route and try your hand at designing your own company logo, we have outlined the different steps into designing a business logo like a pro below. Read on...

Steps to Design a Business Logo like a Pro

Step 1: Plan out your logo design

Planning out and deciding beforehand how you would like your business logo to look like is often the best way to start any graphic design project. The planning stage allows you to have an ideal logo design and test out different design ideas before finalizing anything.

It is also in the planning stage where you get to decide on what specific qualities of your business or company that you wish to highlight your logo. Without proper planning, your business logo may end up becoming a hodgepodge of cool design ideas but does not have a uniting trait in it. This, in turn, will not be suitable for the overall brand impression you are trying to make.

Step 2: Choose a simple style

The logo design you choose must be simple so that your customers can easily recognize the brand in a fraction of a second when it is displayed along with a bunch of other logos. A simple logo design also makes it easier to remember. You will know that you have a simple yet effective logo design when it leaves a lasting impression on the mind of your general target market.

For example, the logo of Nike has a very simple and fresh design. And even just looking at it without the company's name being displayed, everyone knows that it is the shoe brand’s logo design. A complicated logo design (like something with many contrasting design elements) will only confuse people and will not help establish a connection with your audience.

Step 3: Don't go for a rigid logo design

A rigid logo is a logo design that does not allow room for any future customization or design improvements. If you are designing your own business logo, make sure that you do not fall into this common design mistake since it can limit your design’s appeal to your audience.

If you have created a tough and inflexible logo design, you can never incorporate any changes in terms of color or spacing to create an impact on a large number of people.

Example: Reliance is a well known Indian company that has launched its products across various sectors with different logos for Reliance Jewels, Reliance Digital, Reliance Jio, etc to make the use of the brand very clear and easily connect with its consumers. This has made it very popular as it is a non-rigid logo design that can blend well with various products.

Step 4: Choose an adaptable logo design

In connection with the previous step, you should also choose an adaptable logo design. An adaptable design will allow you to incorporate different graphic design ideas into the logo template. By doing this, you are making sure that your logo design will look great on business sheets, cards, advertising posters and even on pens, stationery or coffee mugs. Make your logo adaptable so that it can be easily mixed up with different colors and can connect with all age groups, occasions, and regions.

Example: McDonald’s is a very famous food chain that uses a green logo in Europe to make an image as an eco-friendly and healthy food chain. This increased their salad sales by 150%.

Step 5: Always go for a unique logo design

Looking for a good logo design while being in a competitive market or industry is very important for your business’ success. Therefore, you should never try to copy, imitate or modify a previously existing logo of another famous brand.

Instead, focus on finding unique logo designs that will set your brand apart from its competitors. Because if you do not do so, you will surely lose out against more creative and unique brands. Also, your business may be seen as a rip-off if people see you trying to copy other’s logo designs.

Example: Aircel is a telecom company in India whose name sounds similar to another more famous telecommunications firm called Airtel. The company Aircel never gained much traction as a new telecom company since Airtel is already very popular amongst the users and they faced no market loss when Aircel competed with them. On the flipside, Aircel had to be labeled as a copycat which greatly affected the company’s image.

Step 6: Select a good color scheme

One of the hallmarks of a good logo design is the color scheme it follows. This is evident in the popular Coke logo design that uses a red and white color scheme.

If you are designing a business logo, you should choose a complementary color scheme and limit the number of colors used to two or three. By doing this, your logo design will be more focused visually. Anyone looking at your logo design will also readily see the company name or image that you are trying to show from your logo.

Use a color wheel to check whether or not your logo design uses complementary colors. And if your business wants to maintain a sense of mystery and elegance, you may also follow a monochromatic color scheme.

Step 7: Utilize negative space

When designing a business logo, you should also consider the areas of your design template that is not occupied by any graphic or text elements. This space between different design elements is called negative space. A good logo design makes sure that any negative space is used well or they are incorporated into the logo to help emphasize the overall logo design.

A good example is the FedEx logo. Negative space is utilized well when the designers incorporate an arrow design in between two of the letters in the logo. This is done so instinctively that many people do not notice the arrow’s presence in the logo design.

Step 8: Choose a logo design that tells a story

A well-designed business logo leaves a positive impression on anyone looking at it. This impression is created when the different design and/or text elements used in a logo tells a story about the kind of company or business it has been created for. This combination of a good design and a background story makes it easier for customers to connect with and relate to your brand.

To avoid having a boring or generic logo design, entrepreneurs can use many free logo design software programs to allow them to get a good idea of how a logo design will look like for their respective businesses.

Also, remember that a great logo can mainly be interpreted in two ways. The first and most literal interpretation is that a logo is a flat illustrated representation of a company’s image or business name. The second interpretation is that the logo stands for the story behind the development of a company or business. That is why when you design a logo, you should ensure that the latter interpretation is easier to deduce just by looking at the logo design. Look for a logo design that will easily tell what the company is about without being too overt about it.

Example: Baskin Robbins is a famous multinational ice cream shop that offers 31 ice cream flavors to its customers. When you closely look at their logo design, you will see that the numeral 31 is used in the form of a purple colored stick of B and R in the logo design. This may be a subtle design change that most customers will not see right away. But it adds color and character to the brand as a whole.

Conclusion

Logos can be easily created by using different free logo design software programs that are available online today. So when you design your own business logo, do it like a pro and make sure to follow the different steps we have outlined here today. Finding the best logo design that will best fit your business’ branding identity can be likened to looking for a needle in a haystack. But once you know what you are specifically looking for, it will be easier to narrow down your options and to finally choosing the best one for your brand.