The Significance of a Strong Logo: Beyond Aesthetics and into Brand Identity
Your logo serves as the cornerstone of your branding efforts, reflecting the unique personality of your company. But, does this mean you need to break the bank and hire a designer? Not necessarily. With the availability of free logo maker, you can design a professional, visually appealing, and meaningful logo on your own.
To create a memorable logo, it's crucial to follow a few basic, yet essential guidelines. We sat down with Ofra Lior, Social Design Team Lead at Wix, to get some expert advice on logo design. She shared valuable tips and insights that will make a significant impact on your logo design.
From the do's and don'ts of using hand-written fonts to the significance of balance and mindful design, here are our tips for crafting a standout logo
How to make a good logo
Your logo is more than just a pretty picture; it's the foundation of your brand identity. But, does that mean you need to invest in a professional designer? Not necessarily. With the rise of free logo makers, you have the power to create a logo that's both professional and meaningful.
When it comes to designing a strong logo, it's important to follow a few key rules. We spoke with Ofra Lior, Social Design Team Lead at Wix, to gain some insider knowledge on logo design. She shared practical tips and insightful advice that will help you elevate your logo design.
From the importance of balance to the dos and don'ts of using hand-written fonts, here are our tips for making a logo that truly represents your brand.
The Power of a Distinctive Logo: Taking Example from Nike
The Nike "swoosh" logo is a prime example of how an iconic symbol can evoke a particular emotion or feeling. In this case, the swift lines of the "swoosh" convey a sense of motion and speed, perfectly fitting for a sports brand. When designing your own logo, think of it as a symbol, rather than just a picture. The goal is to create a visual that is both highly memorable and easily recognizable. The use of a more graphic-based symbol can often have a greater visual impact. Your logo should be simple enough that customers can recall it with just a quick glance.
Need inspiration for your logo design? Check out this comprehensive guide for creating a memorable and impactful logo.
Completing Your Brand Identity with a Tagline: Maximizing the Space in Your Logo
For many businesses, a simple icon is not sufficient to fully convey their brand identity. With the use of a logo maker, you have the opportunity to add both your business name and tagline to your logo. A tagline is a concise, impactful phrase that summarizes the essence of your brand.
Not every company has a tagline, but that doesn't mean you should leave this valuable space unused. If your business name permits, you can divide it into two lines while maintaining the same font and size for both. This allows you to make the most out of the space in your logo while further emphasizing your brand identity.
When it comes to good logo design, sometimes it’s the small details that make all the difference. Something as simple as playing around with letter case could bring your trademark to a whole new level.
Traditionally, uppercase logos give off a strong sense of authority, while the use of lowercase exudes a more approachable, casual vibe. That’s not to say you can’t utilize uppercase text while softening the appearance with your choice of colors. It’s all a matter of balance.
Handwritten fonts are a popular trend in logo design, offering a unique and personal touch to your brand. These fonts work particularly well as tagline text and can add a charming quality to your logo. However, it's important to note that using all capital letters may detract from the authenticity of the handwriting style. Consider hiring a professional designer from the Wix Marketplace or creating your own font to bring your vision to life. Before making a decision, it may be helpful to review the cost of logo design to ensure it aligns with your budget.
5. | Balance your tagline
When it comes to your tagline, a key principle to keep in mind is that it should be shorter than your company name. To ensure your logo is visually balanced, aim for a tagline length of 25 to 30 characters. Additionally, if you choose a bold font for your company name, consider using a lighter or more streamlined font for your tagline to maintain visual harmony.
Visual balance is a key aspect of design. To ensure that your logo has a cohesive appearance, it's important to align your tagline with your company name, even if one of the elements is smaller in size. This creates a sense of harmony for your viewers and potential clients. If either your name or tagline is significantly longer, adjusting the font or size can help to achieve this visual balance.
Some logos, much like the Mona Lisa, benefit from being framed. If you choose to add a frame to your logo, make sure to provide adequate space around it. This gives your logo breathing room and prevents a cluttered appearance. If you find that the frame and logo are too close together, try increasing the size of the frame or decreasing the font size to achieve a balanced look.
8. | Ensure readability
Your logo is a crucial element of your brand identity, appearing on all your marketing materials, from your website header to business cards. To ensure maximum visibility and readability, pay close attention to the text size and font used in your logo. Test the final result on various platforms and devices, including social media and desktop and mobile devices.
The purpose of a logo is to effectively represent your brand, so it's important to make sure it is easily readable in any situation for all your potential customers. If your logo is difficult to read, it may not serve its intended purpose and impact your brand's recognition and visibility.
For a logo to be effective, it must be scalable. Whether it appears large or small, your logo should always be sharp, recognizable, and retain its integrity. This applies to both the text and any other elements of your logo.
Intricate or overly detailed logos may struggle to maintain their clarity and readability when scaled down to smaller sizes. To ensure that your logo looks great in any setting, make sure it's a high-resolution vector that can be easily adjusted to various sizes and file formats. To learn more, read about the appropriate sizes for logos in different contexts, and explore real-life logo examples created by Wix experts for businesses.
To ensure that your logo is always highly visible, it's essential to choose a background color that provides adequate contrast with your text. If your text is white, opt for a darker background color like black. This small, yet impactful, step can make all the difference in ensuring your logo stands out.
11. | Align all your elements
The importance of visual balance in logo design can't be emphasized enough. Aligning, symmetrically arranging, and considering negative space are crucial aspects of logo psychology. To achieve a harmonious look, align all your elements in the same direction - left, center, or right. Keeping everything aligned in the same direction creates a cohesive look for your logo, making it appear like a tight-knit, harmonious unit.
12. | Size up your icon
The dimensions of your icon impact the positioning of some elements in your logo. Ensure that the height of your icon is never less than that of the text. To resolve this issue, you can adjust the size of your icon to match the height of your text or make it slightly larger.
13. | Know your competition
It's important to examine logos of rival brands to determine what effectively resonates with your target audience and what falls short. Assessing the logos of your competitors can provide you with valuable insights and help you differentiate your brand.
For instance, if all of your competitors utilize monochromatic wordmark logos, consider creating a logo with color or innovative typography to distinguish your brand from the competition.
Timelessness is a hallmark of a classic. While design trends may be fleeting, it can be tempting to chase after the newest craze. However, relying on ephemeral design trends can be a mistake that you want to steer clear of.
Your logo serves as the cornerstone of your brand identity and will be featured on all your branding materials, making it worth investing the time and effort from the outset. This ensures that your logo will remain stylish for years to come, looking just as good 5 or even 10 years from now.
15. | Be memorable
One of the most valuable pieces of advice for logo design is to make it unforgettable. You want customers to not only recognize your logo, but also remember it long after their initial encounter with it. Consider logos that you find particularly memorable. Why do they stick in your mind? It is likely due to a positive association with the product or service they represent.
Therefore, it is important to cultivate positive and meaningful connections with your brand through your logo. Some of the most recognizable and memorable logos, such as those of McDonald's, Coca-Cola, and Apple, are simple, straightforward, and effectively embody the essence of the brand. By staying true to your brand values and designing a logo that accurately communicates who you are, it will be easier for people to recall your logo and associate it with your brand.