Top 10 Logo Design Hacks Every Designer Should Know
The logo is possibly the first thing anybody will notice about your brand. It helps to make the very first impression and which is why it is imperative to create a design which can be a powerful asset to your brand. However, creating a compelling visual representation of a brand requires deeper than just scribbling over the graphic design. Like any line of work that includes a set of specific skills, logo design entails loads of practice and experience for it to be successful; knowledge and audience information is definitely power for any graphic designer.
A great logo will facilitate your brand to reach out and be instantly recognised. In this modern digital era of rising competition amongst businesses, your logo is a crucial player in winning the attention you need.
From drafting your logo on paper to having it printed on giant billboards, there are some of the essential aspects which need to be considered along the way.
Here Are the Top Ten Tips to Create Logo for Any Company/Brand
1. Preliminary Work is Absolutely Necessary
There is a lot that can still be done in the good old fashioned way. So, when it comes to placing the design concepts down, you can do it initially on paper. It is one of the most tedious phases of creating a logo but speeding ahead with the plan might jeopardise the final result. As you start with the preparatory sketches, you will see how the drafts can branch out into improved varieties of your original idea.
Whether it is a simple paper and pen drawings or drafts with a vector program, such as Illustrator, expert designers often have 20 to 30 sketches or ideas before they design the final one.
In fact, a competent graphic designer will spend more time working on the preliminary job than any other steps in the design process.
2. Proper Use of Visual Double Entendre
Some of my favourite and most celebrated logos in the world employ a technique that is commonly referred to as visual double entendre. As the term suggests, it is a way to say that it has two pictures wrapped into one through a smart version of a concept or idea. Logo designs that use this technique come off as intelligent and most importantly, memorable. Viewers love the little mind game that keeps them engaging even within those quick seconds as they see the billboard or the advertisement. Using negative space smartly can also help create such exciting logos.
3. You Cannot Ignore the Importance of Colours
One of the essential factors for logo design is the colour palette. While many mistakes thinking this is a superficial decision, tone conveys meanings and communicates ideas better than you can imagine.
Sometimes, you’re clinched to the shades of a brand or company, but other times you’ll have the choice to explore. Whether you want to use rich hues or go by the earthen shades, you can decide on your choice of work.
The colours help to bring life to the illustration and give further connection to the shape of the design. That being said, an expert designer must not forget that a good logo is versatile and can work well in grayscale as well.
Some clients also prefer a true single colour version, which can be created with black and negative space. Even though it sounds tricky, it looks amazingly sophisticated for some industries, such as an automobile.
The thumb rule is to figure out what it is the logo used for and who would be its audience.
4. Creating a Custom Type
While discussing the topic of being unique, there’s almost nothing that gives a logo a unique feel as much as in custom lettering.
Too often we see a logo design along with the font menu and typeface that makes the company name look best according to the designer/clients. But how about putting a little more effort into it?
Custom type ensures that the logo created is unique and will be remembered for the same. And, it takes real skill to create something customised in the hand-drawn font!
5. Keeping it Simple
It is not possible to get a beautiful, customised, innovative script on a whim. Just because someone is a designer doesn’t mean they will also be an awesome illustrator or typographer (although it helps a lot if you have both the talents). But for those who are not, remember, it is still possible to create great designs by keeping it simple! Simple but powerful logos pervade the business world and always confirm to be the best symbols for standing the test of time.
One of the best examples would be that of the Apple logo. The silhouette of an apple is nothing unique or memorable; however, the missing bite is what takes it to the next level. It provides the logo with a character, makes it unique, and drives in the more profound meaning that has made it iconic.
6. Proportion and Balance (Symmetry)
Although some designers might go completely crazy when it comes to following the proportion and symmetry, following a pattern or grid adds to a certain sense of measurement.
For instance, in the twitter logo, the circles used work as a guide to creating a well-balanced design with consistent curves and arcs.
7. Make Use of the Negative Space
It is one of the age-old tricks where utilizing the negative space in a logo can intelligently bring out the meaning of the brand even more effectively than any other tag line. The industry standard example is the FedEx logo and its hidden arrow.
Blending the idea and the product/ services wisely creates an impressive impact on the customers.
8. Understanding Passive vs Active
One interesting facet of logo design that is lately one of the critical things to consider for the designers is the concept of instilling a sense of activity or motion in the design. In some logos, it can give the design a boost both in terms of visual and conceptual attitude.
As an example, the Twitter logo can serve good. The bird went from sitting rested and passive to becoming active and taking flight showing the growing need of the platform.
In the most recent iteration, the logo makers took the concept further by pointing the bird in an upward direction, highlighting that it’s climbing into the air rather than floating, thus changing its trajectory.
9. Know what it Means
Every good logo has something to tell which is more than just the pretty sketch. Compelling logos have meaning, both visible and hidden. It is always appreciable when you, as a designer, can explain to a client how much reasoning and thought went into the logo you created for them. Clients tend to want things that are fresh and cool, where you can also include the company’s core values and mission apart from the obvious.
10. Dare to be Different
To stand out of the box, you must identify yourself as a designer with a discrete style. Being innovative is the only way to stand out from the crowd. Try breaking the rules of composition and taking risks. Go for a variety of styles to find what works best for your client. Try diverse colour combinations till you see the genuinely original one. Keep tweaking the design and have fun in creating!
CONCLUSION
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