Ever look at your company’s brand logo and feel unimpressed or bored?
And if that’s how it makes you feel, imagine what potential customers think.
You don’t have to be a branding expert to realize that a tired, dull logo is probably hurting your business and is in desperate need of a refresh.
Your company’s logo is kind of like your child’s first word; it should be an exciting, memorable experience.
Your company is your baby, and your logo is often the first expression of your company that the world will see. A strong logo should leave a lasting, positive impression on potential customers that they can associate with your products or services. If that doesn’t describe your logo, maybe it’s time to go back to the drawing board and get creative with a new logo.
Why does a good logo design matter?
Logos are usually the first thing customers or audiences visualize when a brand has been mentioned. Just think of the McDonald’s iconic golden arches or the classic Disney stylized “D.”
If your logo has too many shapes and fonts it can look messy and unreadable. Staples made an effective logo change recently by getting rid of the bent “L” staple and placing a regular staple shape at the beginning. Small redesigns like this appear more modern and bring attention back to an otherwise old company.
A great logo makes potential customers say to themselves “Wow. I wonder what that company does. I’m going to look into them more.” While an outdated logo makes potential customers think “Man, they must be out of touch. I wonder what’s going on with that company.”
If your logo isn’t unique, doesn’t resonate with your target audience, or say something about your company’s mission, then it can hinder your business strategy, lowering your SEO and costing you sales. Investing in a new, well-crafted logo from a professional logo designer is a straightforward strategy to grow your business.
A well-crafted logo aligns with your business strategy and can help improve SEO and click rates, increasing sales and overall brand recognition.
Best practices for good logo design
Modern design trends and tastes can change from one day to the next, but a good logo design is almost evergreen. Here are some best practices to follow during your logo redesign to ensure the optimum logo for your business:
Know Your Color Voice
“I found I could say things with color and shapes that I couldn’t say any other way – things I had no words for.” – Georgia O’Keeffe
Ever notice how popular amusement parks make use of loud, powerful colors like yellow and red? That’s because those colors naturally evoke feelings of cheerfulness, passion, excitement, and warmth. On the other hand, earthy colors like grey and black tend to evoke feelings of foreboding, gloominess, and neutrality.
At the same time, a grey and black color scheme can convey feelings of power and sophistication. That’s why this color scheme is used widely for high-value, high-tech products like luxury cars and Apple products. As you can see, it’s not as simple as just making your logo a bright yellow color to make people feel excited all the time. The color of your logo speaks volumes, but it’s also important to be aware of nuance.
If you’re considering revamping your company’s logo, consider colors that best exemplify your company’s brand identity. The color green, for example, is commonly associated with health, growth, and peacefulness, making it the perfect logo color for restaurants and other businesses that target a more health-conscious, eco-friendly consumer.
One way or another, people will have a psychological response when they see your logo’s color. During your redesign process, consider what type of feelings you would want your customers to experience when they look at your logo. Entice them with a fresh new color palette that will make their heads turn and eyes widen, but also makes sense for the type of industry your company is in.
Simplicity Before Eccentricity
Taking a cue from the Staples logo redesign we mentioned earlier, sometimes a subtle change like tweaking the font or moving a shape around is all your brand needs to freshen up a tired logo for years to come.
Some may consider simple logos to be boring, but simple, defined logos can also offer a cleaner, bolder presentation. A simple logo should quickly and clearly tell a potential customer exactly what a company is about.
Simple logos are also a little easier to print, making them easier to replicate and emblazon on your company’s merchandise and business cards. Instead of having to print out an intricate reproduction of your company’s name, your logo can be condensed into a symbol that follows your color scheme, making it recognizable regardless of format.
When thinking of simplicity, also think about the typeface and typography. Your design shouldn’t be crowded with fancy or overelaborate design elements that make it difficult to repurpose your logo in different iterations, whether it’s a business card or a banner.
Be Clever
Your new logo design may have a thoughtful color scheme and come across as simple yet elegant, but you can take it to the next level by adding a little unique perspective. Many popular company logos include a clever touch that makes them just a little more memorable. Think Amazon’s A-to-Z smile or FedEx’s hidden arrow. This type of loving touch is designed to not only make consumers smile upon discovery, but also aid with memory recall at the same time.
It can be tricky to make your logo stand out from the crowd; just think of how many company logos you’ve seen in your lifetime. If you’re up for the challenge, try to create a logo with a hidden meaning or shape that represents a secret nod to your company. Anyone who finds the hidden meaning will experience the thrill of discovery.
This type of impression can really boost brand recognition with a larger audience, not to mention the possibility of your logo being recognized by the greater public and going viral on social media platforms.
It’s also worth noting that there are many different types of logos, including mascots, wordmarks, monograms, logotypes, and more. So there really is lots of room to have fun and be clever in your design.
How to refresh a boring logo
Now that you have started to get the gears turning on what your new logo should look like, it’s time to get creative. Here are some tips for getting those ideas out of your head and onto the page, both in-house or through an outside agency.
Create your own logo redesign
Luckily, you don’t need your own art studio to create a logo.
There are plenty of free or inexpensive applications 0ut there that include all the tools you need to become a logo maker. These tools typically include features like logo templates, color palettes, drag-and-drop functionality, and much more.
This option is great for smaller, growing businesses with limited budgets, or any business with a talented designer on staff (just make sure to properly compensate that designer for their additional work).
Don’t just dive into this project headfirst, though, unless you want to waste a lot of time. Follow these logo redesign tips to stay on the right path to an awesome new logo:
- Pay homage to your existing logo. You may have already decided that your old logo was boring, out-of-date, and downright ugly. But it is YOUR logo and you chose it once for a reason. Rather than throwing out the good with the bad, start with your old logo as inspiration. You may find that by simplifying some design elements or adding a pop of color, you can turn your ugly duckling of a logo into a beautiful swan. And, as an added bonus, you won’t lose all of the brand recognition that you worked hard to build.
- Brainstorm first. It may be tempting to just grab some colored pencils and start doodling, but you can save some time (and paper) by finding some direction first. Get your team together and start throwing out ideas (shapes, colors, letters, symbols, etc.) to surface strong ideas for your refreshed logo. One simple way to start this conversation is to ask “What do we love about our current logo and what do we hate about it?”
- Start simple. You may have grand ideas of interwoven symbols with hidden meanings and complex, gradient color schemes for your new logo masterpiece. But it really is best to start as simple as possible and add layers of complexity from there.
Hire a freelance or logo design agency
As a small business owner, you have a lot to worry about–daily operations, sales, scaling, HR, payroll, and overall marketing, just to name a few responsibilities. Redesigning your logo on top of all of this may be more than you care to take on or more than you’re equipped to handle. In this case, hiring a freelance designer or outsourcing your logo redesign to a professional design agency could be the ideal solution.
Freelance graphic designers are great if you are on a budget and have a clear vision for what you want your logo to look like. The designer will easily create some mock-ups for you to green light and then finish the project to your specifications.
Hiring a marketing agency (full stack or logo-specific) will provide even more support. While this route is typically more expensive, an agency can help you through every step of the logo creation process, from marketing strategy to creation and implementation. This is especially useful if you have the budget and are having a hard time figuring out exactly what you want in a logo.
Next step: your beautiful new company logo
By following these logo design tips, you’ll not only be able to freshen up your boring old logo, but you’ll also be breathing new life into your brand’s personality. And if you need help along the way, be sure to check out UpCity’s directory of top-rated logo designers.
This article has been updated. It was originally published in November of 2019.