Creating a Good Logo: The Dos and Don’ts

In many cases, your logo is the first thing a potential customer will see when they approach your business. The right logo can inspire confidence, attract attention and give a sense of the value your business has to offer. In contrast, a shoddy logo can detract from your business and make you seem unprofessional, no matter how good the product or service you offer is. Whether you create your own logo or work with a professional designer, keep these dos and don’ts in mind to make the best piece you can for your business.

Do create a logo that means something. A logo should be more than a random image. It should be something that represents your business in a unique way. The image you choose may or may not directly represent your actual product, but it should relate in some way to your business or the feeling you want consumers to get when they think of your product.

Do think big—and small: A great logo is one that looks well on your business card or on small promotional items – and on the side of your building or facility as well. Choose a logo design that is flexible enough to be scaled up or down and you’ll be able to use it virtually anywhere.

Do hire a pro: If you are not a graphic designer, hiring someone to work with you to create a logo is a worthwhile investment. If your artistic skills are limited to choosing a piece of stock or clip art that you like, then consider hiring a professional to give you some totally unique options for your logo.

Do test in color and grayscale: Check to see how well your logo reproduces in both color and in shades of black and white. A beige-on-white logo looks great in color, but will totally disappear when reproduced in black and white. Simply running a black and white copy of your logo on a regular office copier will let you know how well it translates to a single color model.

Don’t use a photograph: While a photograph can be used as inspiration or on your other marketing materials, there are too many variables involved in reproducing an actual photo to make it a good logo choice. The best logos have a limited number of colors – even a low quality photo required hundreds of colors to reproduce accurately.

Don’t use a font: Part of creating a logo is coming up with a unique look that brands your business. Typing your business name in an existing commercial font doesn’t make it stand out from the crowd; it will look like any other bit of text done in the same font. Avoid clip art for the same reason; your logo should be truly, uniquely yours.

Don’t copy: Your logo deserves to be the best it can be and should be a true representation of your business. Copying someone else’s logo looks cheap at best, and could even leave you open to legal action.

Steven Elias freelance writer from the great state of Texas and currently runs a site on Dallas wedding photography and wedding photography contracts located at www.thedallasweddingphotographers.net.