What Does Your Logo Say About You?

Ever heard the expression “First impressions count”?

In this image-savvy age that we live, where there’s no longer just one or two competitors in your field but more likely hundreds, your logo and company brand image can either give you the edge or leave you trailing behind the pack and struggling to attract new business.

You may be very proud of the company logo that you knocked up at home or that your neighbour or friend who is “good with computers’ created for you, but does it really represent the professional image that you are trying to portray to your prospective clients and customers?

Just what is it that makes one logo look professional and another look outdated or home made? Here’s an insight into how a professional designer approaches logo design…

What are your ‘Brand Values’?

One of the first things we ask a client to do is to make a list of 5 words that represent the values that your company represents; or the concepts/ethos/attitudes upon or with which you run your business. These may include things like trustworthy, innovative, modern, cutting edge, professional, leading, foremost…

Try doing this for your company and then look at your current logo – does it represent these values? Will the first time a prospective client who either looks at your web page or is handed your business card or receives your brochure in the post, be able to pick up on these values from the current image and logo you present?

Typography style

There are 2 types of font – serif and sans serif.

The font type you choose can say a lot about your brand; Serif fonts are usually used for more conservative, long standing and professional companies whereas sans serif fonts are typically used for more modern, cutting edge, funky companies.

Why does Project Woodward’s logo use a serif font? (even though we’re a young, modern and - I like to think - funky company)…largely because the primary target markets we serve are often more traditional, want to portray a professional image themselves and given our aim is to help ease them gently into the digital age, we don’t want to scare them off at the first fence with an overly funky, web 2.0-style brand.

Another typographic element that screams ‘professional’ rather than home made is whether the font has been tweaked in some way or if it’s an out-of-the-box standard font.

It may be as simple as increasing or decreasing the distance between the letters (known as leading) or it may be reducing/increasing the size of certain letters; or perhaps cutting a section out of the letter forms (eg. reduce the height of the stems on l’s, h’s and d’s)

There are some logos that we are so familiar with, that even if we see just a few letters from the logo, we can instantly recognise the company or brand. Can you recognise these logos from which the letters were taken?

Shape, Size & Complexity - Usage Considerations

In the interests of keeping a consistent logo and brand image, you should think about where your logo will be displayed.

For example, if you have a very intricate logo, reproducing it at a small size (such as in a newspaper/magazine advert) will cause the logo to become illegible. However, if your logo is made up of simple, bold letter forms, your logo can withstand being reduced in size considerably. The same principle applies if you want to have your logo embroidered onto a t-shirt, hat or other merchandise.

If a logo is going to be used in a web banner, a thin, wide logo will be ideal. However, if that same logo is also to be used in an tall, narrow advert, your logo will be featured at a greatly reduced and possibly illegible size. It’s therefore vital that you consider where you plan to use your logo and ensure the shape, size and complexity of the design will work.

The Colours You Choose

From using colour to separate words, to drawing the eye to a specific part or word in your logo, the colours that you choose say a lot about your company and the target market you work with.

For example, pastel pink and powder blue would be ideal colour choices in a logo for a company that sells baby products; whereas black and neon green usually would not. However, the same black and neon green may be suitable for a modern, high-tech electronics company.

From a printing perspective, if you’re trying to keep your costs down, it is worth keeping the number of colours in your logo to a minimum. If your logo has more than 3 colours, then all of your printed materials that feature your logo such as brochures, letterheads and business cards will have to be printed using the 4 colour process, whereas if your logo only contains 2 colours, printing cost will be greatly reduced.

You should also ensure that your logo will still be clear when printed in black and white (especially newsprint). If your logo is made up of many colours or too many shades of a few colours, then when reproduced in black and white, it will look muddy and lose it’s clarity. However, if your logo consists of 2 colours it is easy to maintain the look of your logo by simply using 2 tones of black when printed in black & white.

A glyph or icon?

The use of a glyph in your logo is not only a great way to portray the service you provide, but it can also become a very useful branding device to use throughout your marketing materials and maintain a consistent look. Over time, it can even be used in isolation without the need to show your company name.

How many of the logo’s below do you recognise just by their glyph?

The glyph you use should ideally represent something important - your company values, the service you offer or be a visual reminder of your brand.

For example the Nike tick has a very positive ‘yes’ or ‘correct’ connotation and when used alongside their strap line of ‘Just Do It’, it becomes a very powerful marketing message.

When it comes to glyphs, an important question to ask yourself is – does it add anything to your logo? If it doesn’t, then a typographic only solution may be right for you. Many well known companies such as Sony, rely solely on a typographic solution to their logo.

Your logo says a lot about you; it’s often the first impression a prospective customer will have of your business. Does yours send the *right* message?

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