Have you ever walked into a business place and be greeted so warmly by the receptionist? How does that make you feel? In today’s highly competitive business landscape, building a strong brand is essential for the success of Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs).
That’s the power of a good logo. Like the receptionist, a logo serves as the visual representation of your brand and plays a pivotal role in creating a lasting impression on your target audience. A well-designed logo can effectively communicate your company’s values, differentiate you from competitors, and leave a memorable mark in the minds of consumers.
Since June, the Entrepreneur Weekly has been focusing on developing quality products for your business. In July, the Entrepreneur Weekly will touch on branding and packaging that product that you have created, taking you ‘From Concept to Market’.
What are some of the characteristics of a good logo? How does it contribute to developing your brand?
Represents the Brand Story:
Roxanne Richardson, Graphic Designer at the Jamaica Business Development Corporation’s (JBDC) Incubator & Resource Centre (IRC), who is instrumental in designing logos for the agency’s clients, says the first thing one must consider when designing a logo is the brand story, “You want to know what inspired the business initially. What drives the person behind the business. Then we use that information to try and create an icon that represents that brand story.”
All brand stories are unique and this makes your logo distinguishable from competitors in your industry.
Simple, not simplistic:
A good logo is simple. A simple logo is visually appealing and easy to recognise, even at a glance. Remember, simplicity doesn’t imply a lack of creativity; rather, it means distilling your brand essence into a clean and uncomplicated design -something that represents your brand accurately.
When you see Nike’s tick or Apple’s bitten apple, they are instantly recognisable because of their simplicity. Avoid using generic symbols or clichéd design elements that may dilute your brand’s simplicity.
Simple logos are easy to remember and a good logo should be memorable. A memorable logo often possesses unique and distinctive elements, such as specific colour choices, typography, or visual symbols that resonate with your brand’s personality and values.
Colour and Font:
Choosing the right colour and font is important in communicating brand mission to clients. Colours communicate specific emotions and convey different concepts.
According to HubSpot:
- Pink is for femininity, youthfulness, and imagination; childishness and rebellion.
- Blue signals security, strength, wisdom, trust, coldness, unfriendliness; purple represents wisdom, wealth, and sophistication; decadence, moodiness, and excessiveness.
- Orange symbolises confidence, creativity, courage, and warmth; frustration, deprivation, and sluggishness.
- Red connotes excitement, energy, power, fearlessness, and passion; anger, warnings, danger, defiance, aggression, and pain.
- Black gives off a sense of sophistication, power, and elegance; oppression and coldness.
- White shows purity, innocence, simplicity, and modernity.
Roxanne suggests using flat colours, that is, solid colours without shadows.
Fonts, like colours, evoke certain emotional and psychological reactions. HubSpot says a short font gives a sense of security and sturdiness, while a tall font shouts elegance and luxury. Simple fonts represent simplicity and straightforwardness as opposed to complexed fonts adds to the uniqueness of the brand.
Typography, the arrangement of letters and texts into a design, Roxanne says, is a recent trend in logo design, “Some of the older logos would tend to have an oval or a circular logo like Grace Kennedy…something with a shape or one that is more detailed, but typography is a trend.”
Versatility:
A good logo should be versatile and adaptable to various mediums and sizes. It should look equally impressive on a website, business card, signage, or promotional merchandise. Consider the scalability of your logo, ensuring that it remains recognisable and legible regardless of its size. A versatile logo allows for consistent brand representation across different platforms and touchpoints, reinforcing brand recognition. Versatile logos are usually on the simpler side.
Timelessness:
Your logo should be timeless. Creating a logo that withstands the test of time is crucial for small businesses and entrepreneurs. While trends may come and go, a timeless logo remains relevant and doesn’t require frequent redesigns. Avoid falling into the trap of following fleeting design fads. Instead, focus on creating a logo that is classic and enduring. One that grows with your business. This will establish a sense of trust and stability in the minds of your audience.
Developing a brand requires careful consideration and attention to detail, and your logo plays a vital role in this process. By incorporating these characteristics into your logo design, you can create a powerful visual representation of your brand. The JBDC’s IRC can assist you with the logo that matches with your business. The Visual Communications Unit assists entrepreneurs to express their brand identity through brand imagery, like logo design.
Colin Porter, Technical Services Manager at the IRC says, “We assist persons with developing their logos trough consultations where we get to understand the brand and help them to express that in the most appropriate way. During the consultation session, the designer asks questions that would pull out information needed to develop a design brief. So, the design brief now records all the specifications, suggestions and key information which are important to the client’s brand. We use our expertise to guide clients who do not know what they want.”
The IRC’s Visual Communications Unit is equipped with the resources you need to take your brand ‘From Concept to Market’. Let the experts help you. Book your consultation today at www.jbdc.net.
Sources:
https://blog.hubspot.com/the-hustle/logo-psychology
https://www.uschamber.com/co/grow/marketing/business-logo-elements
