3 vital elements to a professional logo design

A custom logo design not only helps your business become more recognizable, but it also establishes credibility with potential customers. Learn how the following key areas of logo design come together to provide a visual experience that sets your business apart from the competition. It’s as simple as one, two, three.

1. Choose the right color

Selecting the right color for your logo is one of the most important steps in the logo design process, and may have a bigger impact on your business than you realize. Used correctly, colors position your company in a positive and professional light while reinforcing your core values. When colors are used incorrectly — such as putting dark words on dark backgrounds or simply having too many colors — customers become confused. You want to find colors synonymous with your brand to help customers recall your business. Some tips:

• A great logo will look good in any color: single color, in black and white, or in mixed colors and tones.
• Limit logo colors to three or less. The simpler, the better.
• Use color psychology to find the right colors to increase your business’ memorability.

Examples of logos with strong use of color:

2. Go up with fonts

Along with color, font style is vital for communicating your brand to customers. The typeface should reflect your brand and complement the colors. Fonts allow creativity and give consumers a hint at your brand personality, whether with fun, cursive letters or with more serious, straightforward typefaces. Also consider commissioning the design of a custom font, unique to your business. Custom fonts ensure that you’ll stand out from the competition and boost brand recognition through unique lettering. Keep these three font tips in mind:

• Hard-to-read fonts are a no-no. If people can’t see the words, they can’t recognize your brand.
• One font is ideal for consistency; more than two is a recipe for confusion.
• Make sure the font is legible in different sizes and formats.

Examples of clear, strong fonts unique to their businesses:

3. Get noticed with graphics

Think about all the places your logo could potentially be used. Professionally designed logos work in all applications: websites, email marketing, print marketing, etc. Having relevant graphics helps people understand what your business offers and instills confidence in the consumer. Additionally, eye-catching images increase memorability. These tips will help ensure your logo looks good on any medium:

• A strong logo doesn’t date itself and can stand the test of time.
• It’s scalable for different sizes, products and platforms.
• It isn’t clip art found online.

Examples of timeless graphic logos:

Visual design is an essential part of your logo. Even if you’re not a designer, you’re already one step closer to getting a logo that’s scalable, recognizable and memorable. And once you’ve got that beautifully designed logo, you can put it in front of consumers and let it do the talking for your business.