If you take a look at some of the most popular logos today that have become household names, you will find that colors played as crucial of a role in their success as did the overall layout and design. Color scheme is extremely important for a successful logo or website. Get that wrong and the entire marketing campaign can come tumbling down.

Through this post I will demonstrate the importance of a rock solid color combination and how it impacts a logo as well as a company’s success.

Good Color Schemes Raise the Standard

A carefully outlined color scheme can single handedly make an ordinary logo into an extraordinary one. Some of the most successful logo designs today use a win-win color combination. It can set a company apart from the rest and give it an everlasting edge simply because people will remember the company through its logo. Can you image the Mc Donald’s logo in purple and orange or maybe the Pepsi logo in green and yellow? Not the same impact, is it?

Great for Attracting New Business

People respond to appealing and attractive things, logos included. The more memorable your logo, the more people will be talking about it and the more likely they are to remember it. They will remember your company in an instant when they see your logo on FaceBook, Twitter or any other social platform where you have an established presence. This ultimately leads to new customers and clients who are eager to do business with you.

For this reason, graphic designers and companies elbow out all details related to the design that might help decide on what types of colors to use such as the client’s industry, target audience and current competition. An attractive color scheme is the gateway to establishing communication between customer and client, paving the way for new ventures and a healthy customer-client relationship.

Building Your Brand One Color Shade at a Time

It is amazing to see how one thing is tied to the other when it comes to colors and logo design. A good design leads to a good audience. A good audience leads to a great clientele. A great clientele translates into a strong brand. With each successful business venture, a company is essentially building its brand via its logo one satisfied client a time.

Choose Your Colors Carefully

Ok so now that we have talked about just how important and beneficial a good color combination is, let’s talk about how to choose the right shades for a design. Too many bright colors are a big no-no. Even if your client is related to the entertainment industry, using too many bright colors can most of the times sink a logo. Stick to using no more than 2 to 3 colors max for best results. Also make sure that the logo you create would look good in black and white.

Contrasting colors are great for making a statement while sober shades, on the other hand, work well for serious businesses, which albeit bearable can get extremely boring to look at if the imagery does not complement it well and helps it stand out. The right color scheme should be a nice mix of both dark and light colors. Having a better understanding of the target audience will also help in determining which colors to go for. If your target audience is young, a good idea would be to use bold color. Older audiences like mature and professional color designs.

So there you have it! There are certain elements that are necessary and getting them wrong can be disastrous when it comes to creating a strong brand. Get the above mentioned features right and you will be able to make a powerful impact with your logo design.

The “Keep it simple, stupid!” (KISS) approach can be applied to virtually any field or industry. This design principle was articulated by the American engineer, Kelly Johnson. Graphic design is a specific industry that has adapted this approach, especially with logo design and the hundreds of new logos coming to life every day.

With so much competition, designers strive to come up with unique and innovative designs that would become recognizable. While there is certainly no substitute for hard work, sometimes the KISS approach works really well here.

The main idea is to stick to the basics by keeping the design simple, which could lead to a great logo. Many designers think this leads to a design that is too generic; we’re here to explain that’s not always the case.

Generic Logos Explained

A generic logo is a design that is too common and you tend to see variations of the same design being used repeatedly. This often leads to trademark issues – whether it is trying to file for a trademark or trademark infringement issues if the design similarities are too obvious, while the basic idea remains the same. Companies that invest lots of money in their brand image don’t want to run into such problems.

Generic logos are mostly based on unoriginal and overused images. A common example would be the roof image used for a real estate company or using a tooth for a dentist’s office. With this, there is a chance of these becoming derivative designs. That being said, it’s better to steer clear of overused, generic logos. Which is why it is important that business owner understands the significance of a unique logo design.

It’s always smart, on the designer’s behalf, to ask the client what they’re looking for. Be sure to explain that while there’s no harm in using a roof image for their real estate company, an original logo will stand out and not get lost in a sea of overused images (in this case, other businesses with roof designs).  Ultimately, the choice lies with the business owner.

Logos Simplified

Simple logos are not generic logos; their overall design layout is unique. What’s simplistic are the design attributes. Maybe the logo uses a standard black and white color scheme or there is no background layout. Take the Wal-Mart logo for instance, the asterisk (or sun, depending how you view it) has become the recognizable symbol of that brand. Another example would be the M in McDonald’s, the golden arches of the M can stand alone and be recognized internationally.

After looking at famous brands, you will notice that almost all have a more simplistic logo. These logos are memorable and unique without over doing it. Using the example of a dental logo again, you don’t necessarily need to use a generic tooth design. What you could use is a toothbrush or sparkle.

Designers must research to make sure the logos they create are not identical to any other. While business owners opting for a simple logo should stress that they want unique symbols used. Just because you want your logo to stand out doesn’t, mean it has to be complex.

Clients should have a faith in their designers, especially when it comes to understanding the difference between generic and simple logo designs. It is often the simplistic logos that make the biggest impact. As a designer, you just need a little creativity and originality.

Logo Images courtesy: LogoPond.com

Logo designs are all about capturing the audience and impacting it in a positive way. This way you are remembered and chosen first over your competition. Obviously one nifty company logo alone will not have that impact. Your designs all have to be equally good to leave an everlasting impression on your customers.

Today’s post will focus solely on the impression your logo designs have. What do clients say about your logo? Is it creating a good first impression? They say that the first impression is the last impression; I believe this hold true regarding logos. It is imperative for companies to create an everlasting impression in order to establish themselves in the market. They have to get it right the first time around.

What Do YOU think about your Logo Design?

A great way of determining how your logo will be perceived by your customers is to become a critic yourself. During the initial design phase, carefully evaluate the sketches and record your feelings the moment you look at the logo. Some of these feelings will either be a gut reaction or just your subconscious kicking in. And even thought it may lack reasoning, it is still a very worthwhile feeling to consider in your calculations. The chances are that the way you feel about your design is the same way the viewers will. If you are not satisfied with the draft, make changes then and there.

Factors That Make a Logo Design Stand Out

A good logo design generally follows two conventional attributes:

1. Simplicity
2. Uniqueness

Some of the most iconic logos today are very simple in their design. Take the GAP logo for example. They had a simple and straightforward design initially. They tried re-branding it with an altered version, only to see disastrous results which compelled them to go back to the original logo.

Noteworthy Examples of Logo Re-branding

To illustrate our point, below we will highlight some noteworthy examples of logos that underwent considerable change to capture their target audience.

The NFL Logo is a classic example of how keeping things simple can positively impact a logo. They kept the red, white and blue color theme the same in the new logo (on the right) to match the American flag. However, by reducing the number of stars to eight, they actually brought more meaning to the logo because now each star represents the 8 AFC and NFC divisions.

Toys R Us logo is yet another example of simplicity and creativity blending together. The company decided to drop the double quotes from the letter ‘R’ and placed a star in it to make the logo stand out more. The new logo was well received by the audience and it helped improve the company brand immensely.

A great example of adding a tag line to your logo, Red Lobster redesigned a really elegant logo for their business back in 2010. The move also came about as a result of the restaurants newly designed interiors and refreshed new menu; their customers loved the new logo for its simplicity.

Ask For Critiques

In any event, viewers are the ultimate judge of your logo and they will give you feedback. When unsure about a logo, one of the best things you can do is go for a beta testing. It’s something I like to do when creating logos. Show your final logo to a few potential users or people who buy the kind of stuff you offer and ask for their initial reaction. Do they trust the logo? Does it represent the right feel for the company? This usually helps.

Creating a good first impression with your logo designs is not always an easy task.  However, by sticking to the basics and coming with a truly unique concept, your designs will come out on top.