Logo Standards: Benchmarking Logo Designs Against Certain Parameters

Designing a logo is like creating the representation of a company that will continue to be associated with it for all time to come and for that, it should be designed around certain logo standards that will do justice to the design. A logo has to be spot on in terms of the image that it will portray to the general public about the business as it has the ability to influence the brand recall and loyalty towards that brand.

What is that specific element in a logo design that will not only make it innovative but be impactful and stay relevant to the industry as well? How do you evaluate the effectiveness of your logo design? What makes a certain logo design stand out from the rest?

To answer these questions holistically, below are some of the logo standards to be kept in mind when designing a totally unique logo design to best represent your business:

1. Practice makes perfect

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Having a rough sketch in front of you when designing the final logo can facilitate a clear thinking process and help you put the perfect logo design as the visual representative of your brand as you thought of it in your mind. You could get the different drafts ready in the form of hand-made sketches or a vector program such as Illustrator. Your ideas will automatically start flowing and help you reach the final stage with ease.

2. The role of colors in a logo

Different colors signify different meanings and evoke certain emotions and hence can be used by designers accordingly. Keeping the color combination as an essential logo standard in your tool box is a must as it helps you set the overall tone and feel of the brand. The colors of your logo should not contradict with the message your brand is trying to make, for e.g. do not use extremely vibrant colors in your logo that it tarnishes its sophisticated image. Also, keep in mind that the black and white version of the logo also looks presentable and is easily recognizable.

3. The font delivers a message of its own

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The color of your logo is accompanied by the font size that you wish to display it in because that is what will create the overall final effect of your logo. The choice of font is crucial in getting your message through and if you get down to designing a custom hand-drawn typeface for your brand you are bound to steal the show. Custom lettering makes the logo identifiable from afar and occupies a unique space in the minds of the general public facilitating brand recall. Don’t fall for the cliché, strive to set yourself apart from the rest.

4. Striking a balance

Our mind is designed to view things from the perspective of balance on either side. This could be a uniform spread of the graphics used, colors and the apparent distribution of the weight of the logo from left to right or top to bottom. The whole purpose is to make the logo seem in accordance with the law of gravity. Sound absurd? Ask a designer and he will completely comprehend how a creative person views a logo which is balanced. You don’t know who critiques your logo so why not play safe and follow this principle.

5. Size is crucial when it comes to logos

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Your logo should have a conspicuous presence on all platforms and across all business collaterals: what they call as consistency. For your logo to be discernible when it is scaled down for business cards, letterheads, and small-sized promotional items it should be designed accordingly. They best way to make sure that this element is incorporated in your logo you need to test and try and your logo in different formats and in different sizes and see for yourself if any loopholes exist. Not only should your logo be able to retain its originality in minute size but also be legible when printed on poster-size for instance. Blurred letters or vague typography can destroy the charm of the logo.

6. Simple is beautiful

Go easy on the effects and do not be tempted to use fancy fonts, lines, and typography. You do not have to show off to the world about your highly proficient Photoshop or Illustrator skills from your logo. In fact, it is a creative way of presenting the brand image in the most palatable manner without even mentioning the brand name or the need to caption it. A complicated logo is not only difficult to identify but may also create confusion amongst similar type of logos because of the complexities. Clear-cut, simple logos have a unique ‘persona’ or feel about it that no other logo can imitate. Remember that a logo is an insignia, not a manifesto that it needs to be detailed and fancy.