Where to start?

A logo – a simple symbol and inscription – sounds trivial. However, this limited form makes working on a logotype very demanding and full of traps. Do we know what it should be like and what we should take care of when commissioning its creation? How to make sure that the logo is not only pretty, but also works as an effective tool for our business?

Some key takeaways

First of all, limit your emotional attitude when creating a logotype! Remember that a logotype is a tool for your brand. It can be difficult when creating your company’s logo, but clarifying your needs and having a factual approach to logo creation is key.

Secondly, we do not create logos for ourselves. The logo must appeal to the brand recipients, not the owners.

Thirdly, a logo is a tool – it has to work! It has a lot of responsibilities and it has to fulfil them. A logo is the implementer of a company’s image goals, so before graphic work, choose the challenges you want to pose to the new logo.

Fourth – pretty/not pretty. Do not reduce the decision about your logo to a decision based only on aesthetics “I like it or I don’t”. If only aesthetics is the guideline you will never satisfy everyone; approach the logotype discussions with specific criteria and talk about the merits.

Conceptual stages

Before you start graphic work, take care of:

• Company strategy,
• define the audience to which you are targeting the service/product,
  personae,
• analysis of the market situation,
• the values with which our company is to be unambiguously associated,
• mission – why the company was established and what it intends to change in its market.

Without delving into the company’s strategy, audience, personae, values, market and its mission, your new logo may become just another uninteresting stamp.

Preliminary work

Get to know the market. Together with the agency, develop a list of your competitors in the industry. Based on the list of competitors, the agency will create a list of prohibited things. The branding agency in the first stage observes what kind of graphic code is present in the industry. It creates a list of distinctive and forbidden things. The list of forbidden things is extremely important, it lists all graphic elements of concretions that saturate the market, e.g. logotype in a circle, the colour pink etc. This is a very important stage in design, unfortunately very often overlooked. Take care of it.

Design work

In an era of attention to detail and a love of the beautiful and original, you need to ensure that the first impression your brand makes is as positive as possible and that it is memorable thanks to its uniqueness. It is the details that determine whether a customer decides to use your services or choose the competition. When you have a lot of similar offers to choose from, it is the look and the first impression that can influence the customer’s final decision, and you create this decision also with the help of a good logo.

When you receive a concept from an agency

Once the agency has presented concepts to select ideas, ask yourself a few questions:

Is the logo simple? Remember that a logo is a mental shortcut, it must be simple.

Is it versatile? Make sure it can be printed, embroidered, cut out, in a word, used anywhere?

Is it timeless? Don’t suggest fads, gradients, circles, focus on the style and character of the brand.

Is it not too banal? The first associations are not always the right ones, sometimes it is better to search longer.

Is a symbol necessary? In many cases typography alone is enough, don’t look for a symbol by force.

Does it work in all sizes? The logo should look good on a large banner as well as in an email footer.

Does it set you apart from your competitors?

The logo is the first step, but it has a huge impact on the further identification of the company. It is important that the designer with whom you work thinks about the further use of the logo in the identification already at the stage of designing the logotype.

What can a well-thought-out and tailored-to-your brand logo give you?

Greater visibility and positive emotions.

The logo itself can evoke certain associations and emotions. It is the smallest element with which a brand is associated and the first symbol of which we think when we hear the brand name.

Generate customer interest and trust

A positive first impression has certain effects – customers want to interact with that brand and will choose it in the future. A professional image is also a nod to the customers themselves – it shows respect and care for every aspect of your business.

Competitive advantage

“Stand out or die” – a slogan that fits perfectly with the idea of a good logo. It is extremely important to make your brand look as good as possible in comparison to your competitors. In addition to the visual aspects, a good logo also means a well thought-out strategy for its use. Too many colours, complicated tonal transitions, a large number of small elements – these are also elements that you need to pay attention to so that, depending on the use – be it for labelling gadgets or employee clothes – you can keep costs down and the logo still looks attractive. The logo itself, however, will not have such a strong impact if, on its basis and with respect for the rules, a comprehensive visual identity is not created, that is a graphic style of communication for a given company. It is thanks to the combination of a logo and characteristic elements of the identity that your company will be remembered permanently and its elements will evoke immediate recognition.

Summary

A logo alone will not have such a strong impact if the overall visual identity, i.e. the graphic style of communication of a given company, is not created on its basis and with respect for the rules. It is thanks to the combination of the logo and the characteristic elements of the identity that your company will be permanently engraved in the customer’s memory and its elements will evoke immediate recognition.