Logo and Graphic Design

Milton Glaser — the renowned graphic designer behind the I love NY logo — famously said, “There are three responses to a piece of design – yes, no, and WOW! Wow is the one to aim for.” But achieving WOW on the first go is no easy feat. A startup needs a lot of varied effort, while staying within the lines of a lean budget to make things work. One such task which can prove to be daunting is to design a logo. A logo acts as the company’s identity for the target audience. It helps build a brand identity for the business.

Logo design is crucial as it sets the tone for business. It becomes a symbol for the brand and helps people recognize the brand amongst the crowd. As a startup, it can hold a lot of meaning. Not only does it lay the foundation for all your branding strategies, it also helps to convey about your business.

At this stage, not many people are aware of the business, since you have just started out, giving you an opportunity to play it smart and create a design which leaves an impression for all who come in contact. Many companies earlier failed to recognize and unlock the potential of a good logo, but now things are changing. You would find all start-ups working towards designing a company logo design from the get-go.

Here Are Top 15 Tips To Design A Logo For Startups

01. Figure Out And Clearly Define Your Business Personality And Brand Identity Goals

While logos are essential, they should not be in your priority list right at the beginning. At least, not until you have figured out certain things. For instance, precisely what would be your company’s most fundamental purpose? How do you envision the company five years down the line? The mission, vision, and aim of the company act as the guiding force through time.

For instance, you have just launched an interior design business, but as part of your 7-year plan, you aim to enter the retail space as a luxury furniture dealer. But at the start, if you focus only on the interior design purpose, you may have to shell out later for a massive makeover campaign. So why not create a logo with both goals in mind, we would recommend even keeping a name that would be relevant for such scenarios in the future.

Therefore, the most urgent and critical step should be to figure out these things before you venture out to create a log design for your startup.

Another aspect that needs to be featured in is your brand personality. As you launch your business, clearly define if you wish to choose the minimalist, elegant, quirky personality and tone. This will not only play a significant role in the logo designing process but also set a tone for your future branding strategies.

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02. Do Not Make The Logo Design Your Only Priority

When you are running a startup, its performance and success depend majorly on how much time and energy you devote to all the tasks that need to be finished. Life of a startup owner never slows down. You have to eat, sleep, and breathe everything about your new business while at the nascent stage. This makes it even more crucial that the tasks are scheduled depending upon the urgency.

Even though it may seem like the task at hand for designing a logo is supremely essential, it may not be so. When compared to certain tasks that you may have, creating a business proposal, choosing a great name, purchasing a domain, securing investment, defining the MVP, etc hold more importance than a logo design.

All such tasks must precede any attempts at the logo and graphic designing. As you shift gears from one job to another, make sure you prioritize them carefully and never lose sight of something more critical.

03. Look For Inspiration Around You

While working on your business pitch or your business model, you may need to study the work of many companies across the globe, giving you an opportunity to look at the logo designs of various players. Or you may be surfing the internet for something in particular when a design catches your eye.

Do not disregard a design even if it may be irrelevant to your business but a great design overall. You may never know how design can become a starting point for your own design.

Keep your eyes open; inspiration can strike anywhere anytime. It could be a color scheme, typography or even a symbol which can inspire your own logo design idea.

04. Consider What The Competition Is Doing

When looking for inspiration, what better way than to check out the competition? You will find great ideas of what is working, what has proven to work and what is engaging the customers more than the other. There is no better avenue to study than your competition.

But keep in mind to examine the concepts behind these ideas as well. When you consider your competition, figure out why something is working or why not? This will not only help you navigate the logo design process but tackle other tasks as well while providing you with a unique opportunity to learn from their mistakes.

When you study your competition, do not copy the exact concepts. First, it portrays your business as unprofessional but more importantly defeats the whole purpose of the logo. The key is to make yourself distinct. The target audience must be able to tell you apart from your competition. Your logo design must be unique for it to stand out from the crowd.

05. Hire A Professional Graphic Designer For Your Business Logo Design

Startups have to manage all the necessary actions with a restrictive budget. You may need to cut corners wherever possible to make room for all critical tasks. Your business logo design should not be one of the avenues where you cut. After all, your logo would become the face of the company.

Always keep in mind that there are no shortcuts to great logo design and all businesses have to aim at a great logo design for it to work. Do not look for someone with the knowledge of tools or try it on your own after watching a few web tutorials. You can hire a freelance graphic designer with the necessary experience using UpWork or LinkedIn. Make sure to check their portfolio to judge their design style.

If you wish to keep it an affordable option, consider using any of the web-based graphic design services. AI-based online graphics tools such as Designhill have been created keeping in mind business owners with little or no designing skills. These tools do the work for you based on your style and design preferences.

06. Brainstorm With The Logo Designer At Length

A logo design is very crucial for any business and therefore demands great thought. Sit with a professional graphic designer or logo designer and discuss ideas at length. Record all the ideas you come up with, good or bad. Create a mood board, either a physical one or with Pinterest. Add all the designs you can draw inspiration from or convey new ideas to the designer.

This process will help the designer gain a better and in-depth insight into your needs, requirements, thought process and goals. Once designers understand all these factors, they can come up with some spectacular graphic design ideas which can result in excellent logo design and further help your branding and marketing strategies.

07. Choose A Logo Style According To Your Target Audience

Design preferences are subjective; it is not necessary that all will like the same design. When you choose your logo style and design, make sure you keep in mind the preferences of your target audience. If you are targeting professionals, your logo design must be clean and elegant. If you are targeting children and teenagers, it should be playful and colorful. For millennials, it can be a quirky and cheerful design and so on.

This way the audience can connect with the logo easily and ensures that there is brand memorability.

08. Avoid Generic Logos And Cliches

Going with what has worked may seem like a safe and easier option, but that is the exact reason why it should be avoided. Since it has proven successful and can be considered safe, it would have been used by the majority of businesses. Hence, it defeats the entire purpose of a good logo which is to stand out.

Cliches such as a dentist using a tooth with a smile, a pet shop using a dog vector will result in you blending in with the crowd rather than stand apart. Come up with ways where if you do need the cliches to convey the purpose, their implementation is distinctive.

09. Make Sure Your Company Logo Design Is Adaptable And Scalable

A business logo would be displayed on smallest of surfaces to the largest. You would use it on your business card, promotional stickers, and even billboards. Therefore, the logo design is such that it looks great on all kinds of surfaces in all sizes.

It must look good on your website as well as a standee. Another critical factor to keep in mind is flexibility. With time you may need to tweak your logo a little bit. Ensuring that there is room for modification right from the start is a smart way to go.

10. Create A Logo Which Is Recognizable As Well As Memorable

Logo design is a demanding process. It takes time, and you may even feel stuck by so many things to be kept in mind. The key is to ensure that your logo is effective and recognizable. Your target audience must be able to identify your business and pick out you from the rest. This is critical if you are in retail.

Another vital need is that your logo must be memorable. If the logo is not memorable if it is not able to leave an impression in the minds of the people, they won’t be able to identify it. If your logo is memorable, it acts as a foundation for reliability. People start associating a sense of well-known brand with your company.

11. The Business Logo Design Must Be Simple Yet Distinctive

Never disregard the importance of minimalism and clever imagery. Simple designs go a long way. They are easy for the audience of all ages and spheres to understand and remember.

You may have done a lot of research on what works visually and no matter how tempted you and the logo designer get to pack all in the logo design. Show restraint and focus on one or maximum two elements to ensure that the logo is a clear and uncluttered presentation of your company’s brand identity.

12. Choose The Logo Font And Letter Size Carefully

Most people believe that a logo is all about image and graphics, but contrary to this popular belief, this is not at all true. A good logo can also be devoid of any image or icon entirely. The best examples for such logos are Google, Yahoo, and Nestle. These logos are legendary and were created using only text.

Therefore make it a point to check out as many fonts styles as possible to find the right one for you. Fonts are available in a plethora of styles. While some portray cheerfulness and informal setup, certain fonts paint a professional image. Once you have finalized the font, you wish to use, consider the letter size. Again, it may seem like inconsequential while it’s not. The right variation in size can make a lot of impact in a logo design.

13. Consider The Science Behind The Colors

Colors are very crucial in driving a point home when it comes to graphics. Colors and hues breathe life in an image. Some colors capture the viewers’ attention more quickly than others. This is known as the science of colors.

A carefully chosen color can get half of your marketing job done. The right colors can help you set the tone for your business. A common mistake startups make is adding a lot of colors to make it attractive. This ends up making the logo look too cluttered. Try and stick to 3 primary colors when you design a logo.

You can also revisit your choice, many major brands have done so successfully in the past, but that would incur additional costs which you can avoid by getting the color combination and shaded right the first time.

Click for a New brand logo

A logo is the most visible symbol of any business. It is printed on each product or service of a company. So, business owners want their logos to stand out from competitors. Often new logo design trends are a key to create unique logos that catch people’s attention and give brands a fresh image.

Even when your business is in its starting phase, its growth will depend on what you do to leave a memorable impression on your audience. After all, how would you speak good about your new business when many customers have not yet used your products or services.

Till the time they are familiar with your company and high quality of your products, you will rely on the visuals such as your logo that you use in your marketing campaigns.

Logos are amongst the identities that businesses display everywhere and make them as their face of their companies. But the importance of a logo is in conveying a brand message.

A logo helps its company to stand out from many competitors. When a logo makes a distinctive impression on potential customers that they want to know more about what your company does and how it is useful to them.

Therefore, a casually drawn logo will not serve the purpose. The design style, use of colors, typeface, shape, etc. matter in conveying the desired impact on viewers. So, while each designer follows own creative ideas in designing a logo, many of them follow new design trends to draw the attention.

Now, if you are thinking of following some new design trends, we have listed some of them for your benefit.

Here Are Top Logo Design Trends That Will Rule The Design World In 2019

01. Flexible Logos

So far logos had one design that remained the same for decades. But that is not the case anymore. We already witness the logos that the business owners can change a little bit for different occasions. The designers keep new requirements of businesses in mind while creating a company logo design so that it can be used in multiple variations for a different set of audience. The one-size-fits-all approach does not work now when businesses are not satisfied only by their logos working well across all platform. They want the designs that can personalize their unique relationship with customers.

02. Visual Tricks

The designers are also toying with ideas of creating some illusion of a logo design is a three-dimensional object. They are looking for ways to develop a sense of depth. The purpose here is to trick the eye.

Take for example of Edge Board logo. The company manufactures chopping edge guard for packaging needs. Its logo merges the letters E and B together but in such a way that it tricks the eye to believe that it is on the other side of the wall as well as at 90 degree. The logo thus shows us the edge. With such logos, the aim is to create a distinctive identity of a brand.

03. Strong Focus On Color

The new emphasis is on telling a brand story through colors. We know that colors evoke passion, desire, and other emotions. In 2019, a specific purpose behind the use of colors is paramount to create a logo. So, colors will be placed intentionally and firmly than ever, and they will be a dependable vehicle to brand messaging. They also are the reason in a logo for building between a brand and its target customers.

04. Abstract Logos

Minimalism continues to be in the trend it helps the designers create a message without cluttering a small space. With minimum use of elements, viewers get a brand message quickly and in a cleaner way. However, while the emphasis is on minimalism, the designers are looking for ways to further eliminating as many elements as possible. In this quest, they are now turning to abstract concepts. This is because abstract concepts make designs more effective.

05. Responsive Logos

More and more logo designers are turning toward creating responsive logos. It is because almost everything is digital today. Businesses now want to develop solutions for mobile platforms. It is no more just about desktop devices. People are searching and shopping products or services using their smartphones while on the move. Therefore, a logo design that fails to respond to the tiny space of mobile phones is not of much use in modern times.

Responsive logo design is, therefore, need of the hour and it is establishing itself as a trend. So, when a responsive logo appears on a small mobile screen, it appears as less embellished. This way, the logo can retain readability and simplicity on the tiny screen. When the same logo is displayed on the big desktop logo or its size is increased, more of its details appear.

But a responsive logo is not restricted to adjusting of size. Apart from the size compatibility, the designers are also experimenting with the ways to make logos behave differently by responding to the new data. So, such a logo looks visually different as per the requirement of data.

For example, when users sign in to their Google mail inbox, an icon appears on the top right corner. But this icon looks different on the personal account than when they sign in to their business account. Now, logos are no more one static designs. Instead, they are responding to the data attached to a platform.

06. Simplicity Still Rules

The trend of creating simple design solutions refuses to fade away. For years, the designers have been emphasizing on the KISS [ Keep It Simple Stupid ] rule, and every budding designer is repeatedly reminded of it. They are advised to deliberately avoid ornamentation and replace it with a simple visual aesthetic.

Simplicity as a trend of most graphic design ideas has also continued for conveying a brand message in a clean and clear way. Take for example the Uber logo, which has gone through some design changes in three years. Its previous logos had some directional elements, but the new logo is just simple text and has no other element. The letters are placed against a black background. This total redesign gives a refreshing look of simplicity for the modern users of the cab services.

In fact, the list of companies that further simplified their logos is endless. It includes big brands such as MailChimp, the US Open, Best Buy, Mills & Boon, Santander, Ogilvy, Fat Face, and City Gateway. In 2019, simplicity will continue to rule as a significant design trend further due to the increasing use of digital platforms.

07. Be Yourself

While simplicity is still a preferred way to create logos, many businesses want to look natural and original. So, they are even willing to incorporate the elements that otherwise do not go well with the concept of simplicity and minimalist design principles. It is due to an overwhelming digital presence that brands emphasize keeping things simple.

But many brands do not want to compromise and wish to convey their original aesthetics. Therefore, a brand may have an excellent digital presence, and still, it would like to communicate its rustic feel so that customers can know what it stands for.

This means that a logo design for many such businesses is about creating their authenticity as part of their brand identity. This is the reason that almost every brand wants to have a custom font that gives the feel of the brand.

Brands are now finding out their own ways to stand out from their competitors. They are experimenting with colors, typefaces and other branding elements. There are no more just one of two things to create authenticity in designing a logo. The designers are following all the unique ways of their own to reflect a brand in its true self.

08. Logos That Stand The Test Of Time

Another trend that we may witness in 2019 is designers designing logos that last for many years. But such long-lasting logos also should be simple, and they should speak about the authenticity of brands. This is because logos usually are with the businesses for a much longer time as compared to their other identities such as website design, business cards, brochures, etc.

Chances of the classic design of a logo standing the test of time are much higher than a logo that followed a trendy design style of the day. For example, healthcare app ZocDoc logo will not require redesigning for many years. This logo changes its face as per the theme, and it can match the content.

One of the disadvantages of following the trends of the day is that they are short-term. They usually do not last for a couple of years and fade away. For identities such as logos, a short-lived trend is not advisable to follow.

It can be excellent in advertising which is meant for a few months only but not for logos that are supposed to last for many years. Just think of Coca-Cola logo, which is based on classic lettering design. It is still relevant after many decades. Now contrast that with Pepsi logo, which the company has to redesign frequently to look contemporary as it is not a classy design.

09. Playful Logos

While there may be an added emphasis on creating logos that last for decades, that does not mean that there should not be a room for some innovation, fun, and playfulness in the designs. When it comes to designing logos for the fashion industry, this element of fun and play especially will be a trend most designers will follow. In fact, some fashion brands have already twisted their logos which otherwise were not touched.

Brands are collaborating to have some fun with a business logo design. This trend was noticed recently when fashion brand Moschino mashed up its logo with other brands such as MTV and H & M. This way; these two brands were able to dilute their identities. Experts see these temporary and funny merging of logos as a part of the strategies to connect brands with the new generation of customers.

10. Use Of Gradients

One of the ways for a graphic designer to achieve simplicity of design is to use gradients of colors. The designers have been taking an interest in creating different shades of color in designs including logos. This trend will continue in 2019 as well. We already have seen the use of gradients in Sky and Apple branding. Recent examples include Mozilla Firefox logo that uses different shades and slopes of orange color.

Another example is the new Waitrose logo which has a subtle use of gradients. The logo has various brands of green. To give the feeling of transparency, the designer kept a lot of space between the two bands in the logo. Trivago and Disney Plus are other notable logos that made good use of gradients.

These are some of the important logo design trends that will continue their journey in 2019. As a designer, you should first know your client’s brand personality. Then, if necessary, follow the trends that best express the brand.

As a business owner, you can get your company’s logo designed from a marketplace that lets you have dozens of new design ideas. Designhill is one such leading marketplace that is home to hundreds of talented designers.

Many of them will work on the logo contest that you launch at this site. You have access to many exciting new design solutions for your company at low prices.

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