What are the attributes of a good logo?
A successful logo brand design must accurately represent a company as it exists today and well into the future. A well designed logo has longevity, is modern in look, unique, simple and memorable. Refreshing an existing logo can sometimes be the best solution for a company. Iconic logos can be found everywhere today, as noted below with the evolution of the Volkswagen, Starbucks, Pepsi, Yahoo! and Apple brand.
Professional logo design is underrated by business owners.
This is even truer today with the ease of access to technology via computers and the internet. Well known and easily identifiable icons like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Linkedin speak volumes. As with the Volkswagen logo icon a single glance tells us what this company offers. This is key for small businesses who are up against stiff competition to get noticed. Unique and descriptive logos help us find our way when we search for information online, shop at the mall or drive down auto row in search of a new car.
Small companies and startups face many challenges which can prove costly in terms of time and resources. Larger companies are more entrenched and typically
don’t require a new logo, just a refresh like Starbucks did recently. Companies rely on their logo to represent their business to customers in a positive fashion.
For smaller businesses, It’s absolutely critical to get off on the right foot. That’s where a professional designer comes in. Working directly with you, the designer discovers the true essence of your business by defining your unique voice and determining where you best fit within your market environment. This upfront discovery is the key to a successful result.
Unless you’re Google. Attempting to design your own logo, or ask a friend for help, is risky. If the results are not good, revising a poorly designed logo later is both expensive for you and confusing to your customers. For established brands, the lo
go design is usually a refresh of the current logo. Google has managed to get away with a simple almost child like logo for years. Also note how simple and iconic the most recent Pepsi logo is compared to the original done over 100 years ago. Pepsi’s brand icon has become so recognizable across the globe that the name has been dropped, following the lead of Nike which is now just a “swoosh”.
Trying to create a logo on your own may seem like the best way to avoid the high costs of going to a professional design firm, which will charge thousands for a logo alone. However, be aware that there are a lot of independent designers, like Works of Bart logo design, who charge much less. According to Stan Evenson, founder of Evenson Design Group, “Entrepreneurs on a tight budget should shop around for a designer. There are a lot of freelance designers who charge rates ranging from $35 to $150 per hour, based on their experience. But don’t hire someone because of their bargain price. Find a designer who’s familiar with your field . . . and your competition. If the cost still seems exorbitant, remember that a good logo should last at least ten years. If you look at the amortization of that cost over a ten-year period, it doesn’t seem so bad.
Watch out for cheap logo design contests and too good to be true deals using clip art. Yikes!
Your new logo brand design gives your customers confidence in your product or service. A professional logo discovers what is unique about your company and illustrates that in a simple yet iconic logo identity. We do not recommend using online contest companies where a group of designers take a shot at your logo, hoping to get paid. And off shore companies hire “designers” located in overseas countries, making the price points impossible to match here in the U.S. Yes, the fees are attractive but your logo will not be. This kind of design rarely creates a unique logo that fits your companies needs. Generic looking design and overused clip art is the order of the day. These “designs” do not take into account your unique company needs as they use templates to create fast unremarkable design.
For a professional direction, take a look at Works of Bart logo design and notice the simplicity yet clarity of the company logo samples. Less is more will always be the case with great logo design. It takes longer to do, costs a little more, but your business will thank you for it time and time again with better results that build your brand.
Be unique and memorable and not bland like Yahoo!
Recently, Yahoo! refreshed their logo and in a 2 to 1 margin customers preferred the old logo! Ouch! Take a look but I think they picked the wrong logo. Day 10 looks like an better refresh to me, but this is a subjective choice all companies make. Your logo is an important part of your company’s 
commercial brand. Its design, shapes, colors, fonts, and images should be uniquely different from the competition. If creating a company logo was easy and cheap to do, everyone would do it. Your logo should be unique, and relevant to what YOU do, not something that could be applied to just anyone.
Not everyone can brand like Apple.
Newton under the apple tree, it wasn’t a good fit and was refreshed that next year too reflect the times. Today, the simple yet recognizable Apple logo with a bite taken out to balance the design has survived 38 years and 3 redesigns. It is now one of the most recognizable logos ever created.
Keep it simple and flexible.
All successful business logos have two things in common. They are simple icon designs that are immediately recognizable for the business they represent. Does yours? They also inspire trust, admiration and loyalty with their customers like DC Comics has done with their logo recent refresh. The page turning logo has turned heads as well. Your customers know what is cool and what is lame. Don’t be lame with your logo design. Your attempt to save money won’t go unnoticed and may cost your business the respect it deserves.Your logo should be flexible so it can be scaled to any size and hold up in quality. Vector art is best. It should be able to be used in both horizontal and vertical formats. It should definitely be created with software created for logo designers not drawn by hand. You should also think of how it would appear on a billboard verses a business card, or in color verses black and white. All forms, no matter the context, should be clear and recognizable.
Can we talk about your logo design needs?
We recommend hiring a professional to design your new logo or to refresh your current one. All successful businesses take investment in time and money. Allocating money up front on logo design can make a huge difference in how your company is perceived by your customers. If the cost of a professionally designed logo seems high, remember that a good logo should last at least ten years. If you look at the amortization of that cost over a ten-year period, it doesn’t seem so bad. Below is an example of a professional logo design done by Works of Bart. More samples here.
Good post. I absolutely agree with your take on logo branding. I may be giving you a call soon to discuss a new logo. Stick with blogging!