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!
Hi there! I’m at work browsing your blog from my new iPhone 5gs! Just wanted to say I loved reading your blog about logo design and look forward to more posts! Carry on the superb work!
C’est le bonheur de parcourir votre poste.
Je suis heureux que vous avez apprécié mon post sur la conception de logo. Merci pour le soutien.
Your style is really unique in comparison to other folks I’ve read stuff from. Thank you for posting graphic design info when you have the opportunity.
Guess I will just bookmark this site.
– Kisha
Thanks Kisha for supporting professional graphic design vs. cheap templates. A logo brand design really can make a difference for company’s wanting to be noticed for their unique products and services.
– Bart
What’s up, I’d like to subscribe to your website and receive the latest updates. How can I follow your Blog? Please assist.
Hey thanks for your interest in following Works of Bart. It’s easy to subscribe to Works of Bart just click on the RSS feed icon “Follow our Blog” at the top right on the Wob Blog page. Or you can find the RSS on every page of the website in the footer.
— Works of Bart Design & Blog
Hi, It was a pleasure reading your post. It’s full of useful information thanks for sharing with us. Blue S
Thanks for the nice words about my Works of Bart graphic design services. I liked your site as well , keep up the good work over there in Ireland!
– Bart
I’ve been surfing online more than 3 hours today, yet I never found an interesting article like yours. Personally, if all webmasters and bloggers posted quality content as you do at Works of Bart Design, the internet will be much more useful place.
Thanks for the positive feedback it makes a big difference knowing that other professionals like you are benefiting from my Works of Bart Blog. I will take a look at your SEO site.
Bart
Great web page. Numerous strategies right here. I’m sending this to several close friends and co-workers. And indeed, many thanks on your hard work!
Thanks for your positive feedback and for sending along my website to your friends. Your site is great for PC gamers, I use Mac as a designer.
Hey there,
I’ve been following your website for some time now and finally got around to giving you a shout out from New Caney Texas! Just wanted to say keep up the good work!
Hey thanks so much for the shout out and follow of my Works of Bart website, I appreciate it. Know of anyone out there in New Caney who could use a new or refreshed logo, website or some digital artwork?
Bart – Works of Bart Design
Hey! Do you use Twitter? I’d like to follow you if that would be ok. I’m definitely enjoying your blog and look forward to new posts.
Hi, I do think this is an excellent site. I stumbled upon it 😉 I am going to revisit once again since I bookmarked it. Money and freedom is the greatest way to change, may you be rich and continue to help other people.
All the best – Ruby Grundmeier
Thanks Ruby I really appreciate your kind words or encouragement.
I love helping people get their businesses noticed for all the right reasons.
So hard to do these day with all the competition for attention out there.
Bart – Works of Bart Design
I do trust many of the ideas you could have presented here. These are truly persuasive and might undoubtedly do the job. On the other hand, the particular posts are too quick for beginners. Could you please expand them a bit by future time period? Thanks for your article.
Thanks for the kind words, I will be expanding on the importance of Logo Brand Design, Small Business Website Design and Digital Art in the near future. Please connect to my RSS feed in the meantime.
Cheers, Bart
An impressive share about logo design! I have just forwarded this onto a colleague who has been doing a little research on this. And he actually bought me dinner due to the fact that I found it for him… lol. So allow me to reword this…. Thanks for the meal!! But yeah, thanks for spending time to discuss the importance of business logo design here on your web site.
Cheers – Cathryn Turbyfill
I came to your page and noticed your cool site and was wondering if you are looking for more visitors. I have found that the key to running a popular website is making sure the visitors you are getting are interested in your niche.
Thanks for the tip we will look into it.
– The Team at Works of Bart
You’re website is so cool! I do not believe I’ve truly read a single thing like your logo design post before. So good to discover someone with some original thoughts on branding. Seriously.. thank you for starting this up.
Regards – Rachel Grabler
Thanks Rachel for the kind words. I will be adding more posts soon! Did you subscribe to my RSS feed so you will know when I add a new post?
– Bart
Hi this is very nice site! Congrats.
Thanks, can I help you with a logo design or new website?
Nice article. It was really cool to see the evolution of the VW, Pepsi, and Apple logos. Great job with Magnolia Family Dentistry, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a dentist with a nice logo like that.
Thanks Sarah, glad you liked my logo brand design post. I especially like how Apple and Nike logos have evolved to the point where the company name has been removed and it’s now just a symbol! The power of good design can be impressive.