Logo Design: The Characteristics of Great Logos

Business logos are considered the identity of the companies. Excellent and well-designed logos tell the brand’s stories, values, and message. Whether it’s an online business or a physical outlet, the first thing consumers see is the logo. That’s why almost every business consultant and professional emphasizes the importance of developing a brilliant logo.

Before discussing anything else, let’s see what benefits tremendous logos offer to the companies:

• Build a unique identity
• Conveys the brand story, values, and message
• Grabs the audience’s attention
• Creates a great first impression on the consumers
• Keeps the brand in the memory of the consumers

So, how can someone build a great logo that can construct a brand identity and gain all the benefits that the business needs to achieve? This article has the answer.

Let’s look at the different aspects of a logo and how to utilize them to build a unique identity!

1. Simplicity

A brand logo design must be simple and clear. The simple logos are more impactful and let people easily remember the business name and logo. People can also relate to the logo when it is simple. Some experts suggest that the logo design should be so simple that people can also quickly sketch them.

Below are some of the most common benefits of a simpler logo design:

• A simple logo design is easy to recognize
• Simple logo designs can smoothly be modified or printed on products
• Consumers like simple designs
• Simple logos are more impactful
• Build an excellent first impression

After reading the benefits of simplicity, you will be aware of why you need a simple logo design. If you look at the logos of the biggest brands globally, you will realize that most of them are simple. For example, Nike, Apple, Google, Microsoft, Amazon, etc., all of them have simple logos that are imprinted in everyone’s mind.

2. Evergreen

The logo designs must be evergreen and timeless. Some companies try to follow the trends to grab instant attention; however, the effect begins disappearing with time. In that case, they try to change the logo and build an identity from scratch. If you are looking for short-term goals, you can rely on trendy logo designs; otherwise, always go with the evergreen logos that don’t need major modifications after decades.

The Ford logo is one of the best examples of evergreen logos as this hasn't changed much for more than a century. Whenever they believe it is the time to change the logo, they just alter its dimensions, and the font remains the same. As a result, their logo was equally aesthetically pleasing and attractive in 1927 and as it was in 2022. That is why experts always suggest companies go with timeless logos.

Take another example of the Coca Cola logo. Its logo hasn't changed since 1885 as it is timeless and simple. On the other hand, its direct rival Pepsi has changed its logo more than ten times in the same era.

3. Uniqueness

Uniqueness is an obvious aspect of every logo. A graphic design cannot be called a logo when it isn’t unique. The question is, when the logos are always unique, why have I added this aspect in this article? Some ordinary designers, freelancers, and even big graphic designing companies don’t have creativity and aesthetic sense. They just make minor changes in already built designs and provide them to customers. However, this practice could give no benefits to the companies. It just wastes their time and money.

When your logos aren’t unique, it may have two consequences. First, it will be difficult for consumers to differentiate between their logo and others. Secondly, the original company may sue for using the copied logo and hurting the brand’s reputation. So, if you don’t want to face these problems, you must create an original and unique logo using the best online logo maker available on the internet. In addition, there are different tools designed for new designers, and they can use them to build great logos for their companies. 

4. Creativity

While designing your brand logo, you must use your creativity to develop the best design that could become your identity. A creative logo design is more powerful than dozens of blogs and ads because those ads, marketing strategies, and blogs just inform people about the brand and its products, but the logo imprints on their minds and lets them remember it for a long time. Therefore, creativity is considered the central aspect of every logo.

Besides that, it should also relate to your brand or a unique and powerful value so that you can cash later for your business promotion. 

5. Meaningful

Logos with clear and hidden meanings are also the most influential for companies as they can build identity and communicate with consumers. In addition, the hidden messages can make small brands famous and give people a chance to comment on the logo design on different online platforms (social media & blogs).

If you look at the FedEx, Amazon, and HACI (Hope for African Children Initiative) logos, the designers of these logos have incorporated the logos with some hidden or clear messages and made them expressive. As a result, dozens of blogs and videos have been created to discuss these logos, making them popular worldwide. If you are using a logo maker to design your brand logo, make sure to make your logo meaningful and let people talk about it and advertise your brand without getting paid. This practice could ultimately help you in brand identity.

6. Balance

A logo must be balanced in everything, including colors, shapes, designs, and other graphical elements. Balance in these elements beautifies the logos and enhances their aesthetic appeal. Like McDonald’s, Apple, Mercedes, and Audi’s logos have symmetry and harmony, making them simpler yet memorable. On the other hand, the logos that don’t have a perfect balance between different elements aren’t that effective, and people can’t remember them longer.

7. Flexibility

The flexibility in your logo can be very effective in building a unique identity. A logo must be flexible and attractive so that it can be recognized from hundreds of metres. In addition to that, it could be easier to print on paper, cards, and products and create billboards and other marketing gadgets. Furthermore, it must have the capacity to perform well when it is used in different sizes and purposes.

It could be helpful to use only the colors that cannot be mixed when published in black and white ink. Sometimes, the companies use multiple colors to make their logos attractive; however, the logos don’t remain appealing when printed on paper. For example, let’s imagine the Audi, Mercedes, and Toyota logos in black and white all of them will remain attractive. But, on the other hand, the Microsoft logo will lose its charm when printed in black and white. 

8. Memorable

Want to let people remember your brand for a long time? Do you want people to recall your brand logo quite often? If yes, work on this aspect of the logos. Let me ask you a question. What company comes to mind when you see a tick written on a paper? Obviously, it’s Nike. Similarly, four rings recall Audi, and A to Z is related to Amazon. 

When you have a memorable and relatable logo, your audience will automatically remember it, and it could become the best tool for brand awareness and building a unique identity. Therefore, it is always appreciated to go with memorable designs.

Finally, building a unique identity is essential for business, especially for new brands and SMEs (Small & Medium-sized Enterprises). However, many of them don’t know the aspects of a brand logo. This article has briefly discussed each aspect and how it can be helpful in building an identity. It’s up to the designers and business owners which aspects they prefer the most and how they blend them to create a visually pleasing logo design.