There is a lot that goes into crafting a great logo, and there are many steps to arrive at the right idea for a business. But, for the sake of simplicity, I’ll focus on the big picture. There are three questions that every business needs to ask about their logo.
There is a lot that goes into crafting a great logo, and there are many steps to arrive at the right idea for a business. But, for the sake of simplicity, I’ll focus on the big picture. There are three questions that every business needs to ask about their logo.
There are many ways to develop a logo to ensure it fits the values of the company. One way to test this is to ask a few people to describe the logo and the company separately. If people describe the logo similarly to how they describe the company, then you’re headed in the right direction.
Brand Gap Definition: The misconception between what you do and what your customers/clients think you do.
Note: If you are a new company, establish brand pillars, which are adjectives that describe and differentiate the company.
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Is your logo simple in form and story? The form, shape, color and typography all need to be kept as simple as possible in order for the logo to be successful. The story doesn’t need to be complicated, just enough to distill a simple concept.
Note: Logos absorb information over time. The Apple logo did not hold as much value or meaning when it didn’t belong to one of the most powerful companies in the world.
Tip: A logo should lean on metaphors and abstract concepts.
How does your logo adapt across different contexts? To answer that question, test your logo in a variety of environments. Does your logo look good in the top right corner of your website? Is your logo recognizable on a social media thumbnail? Is it recognizable on a huge wall or a billboard? Can you recognize it without color? Can your logo be converted to white and superimposed over an image? If you could not see part of the logo, would you know what it is? Does the logo need to be read underwater? Is it going to be embroidered, stenciled, made out of candy?
Your logo should be tested in any environment that it might live in. If your new logo is not recognizable in all of its environments, it might not be serving your business as well as it could.
Tip: Ask yourself: Can my logo travel and adapt to specific environments? At Hardy, we typically build four versions: vertical, horizontal, one alternate specific to the business and a tiny image for spaces smaller than an eighth of an inch.
Your logo is not a brand. Learn why.
Here are my favorite logos of all time. Each is successful in a different way, but all are perfect examples of excellence on the three points.
Here is a handful of logos we've created that have been the most successful over the last 10 years:
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1. Does it align with the vibe and public perception of the company?
2. Is it simple?
3. Will the logo be recognizable everywhere it is placed?
Like our work, the Hardy Brands team is an embodiment of the perfect balance of strategy and creative. We’ve cultivated a team of certified brand specialists and strategists, designers, copywriters and marketing professionals who are ferocious about helping you succeed. We’re a Montana marketing agency that will constantly strive to improve your business.
As a branding, marketing and design agency, we partner with all types of businesses, from restaurants and breweries to building and real estate professionals, nonprofits to accountants and many others. Get a better idea of who we are and what we do by visiting our Work page.
