Depending on your artistic talents, creating a logo may be something you can do in your sleep, or it may be something that will give you insomnia. If you are one of those who find it difficult to come up with and draw pictures, this article is for you. In this article, a specialist from Logaster will tell you how to create a logo step by step - from choosing an idea to choosing the finished file format. Your logo may not win any awards, but at least you'll have a nice logo to put on your website or business card. So let's begin! Steps 1 to 4 are devoted to brainstorming when creating a logo. Steps 5 to 7 will teach us how to create a logo design, including such aspects as choosing a shape, font, and color. And in Step 8 we will learn how to create the final design as a finished file.
Logo creation statistics
Before we move on to tips on how to create a logo, we would like to provide statistics about the logos of top brands. Here are a few key points you may want to consider as you design.
Step 1. Finding an idea for your logo
Online logo galleries such as Canva.com and LogoFury.com are great places to get design inspiration.
Look at the logos of other companies similar to yours. Ask yourself what you like and don't like about them. What works and what doesn't, but don't copy the design - just find what you like and follow that style into your own design. Your goal should be to come up with a logo design that communicates who you are, what you do, how you do it, and who you do it for.
Another way to find an idea for a logo is to make several sketches of the future logo. Write the name of your logo in different styles and fonts, draw different symbols, icons - in one word, everything related to your company and product/service. Perhaps one of these sketches will become the basis of your logo. 
Step 2: Think about your target audience
A logo is not created because it is necessary or fashionable. The logo must have a specific function and benefit for the company. Therefore, at the initial stage of creating a logo, you should clearly understand who your clients are, what they like, and what qualities of your company they value. Finding out this is necessary to create a logo that will evoke the feelings and emotions that you need and thus create a positive brand for your company. To do this, you can ask yourself 11 questions that need to be answered before creating a logo
Step 3. Adhere to the principles and rules of creating logos
To make a logo truly effective, you need to follow certain rules. You can find out detailed information about the principles of creating a logo in the article; below we have selected the most important principles with a brief description.
The logo must be simple: A simple logo design makes it easy to recognize and allows the logo to be versatile and memorable.
The logo must be memorable: An effective logo design must be memorable and this is achieved by creating an original logo that will stand out from others.
The logo must be durable: The logo must stand the test of time - not lose its effectiveness under the influence of fashion or any other short-term phenomena, be future-proof and effective in a few years. For example, well-known companies do not create a new logo, but only slightly improve it, making it more modern.
The logo must be universal: A high-quality logo always looks great in any environment and in any form.
Step 4: Draw some logo sketches
Sketching is a quick and easy way to get ideas from your head onto paper. So after you've collected all the ideas, take a paper and pencil and draw some logo examples. If you don't know how to draw with a pencil, you can use graphics programs such as Illusrtator, Photoshop. If they are not possible, use online logo designers. With their help, you can find the right icon or font for your logo. 
Step 5: Choose a Logo Shape
The shape of a logo has a psychological effect on people. With the help of certain forms you can evoke the desired feelings and emotions. For example, a square symbolizes stability and constancy, a triangle symbolizes strength and knowledge. How to choose the right logo shape? Look at the image from Logowiks below and choose the one that suits you based on the characteristics of your business. 
Step 6. Decide on the color of the logo
When choosing a color for your logo, think about what color reflects your company's personality. For example, if your company is fun, creative and vibrant, consider using yellow or orange shades in your logo. Using the infographic below, you can choose the logo color based on the theme of your business. Click on the picture to view it in a larger size.
Finally, think about what colors your competitors are using. This is important in order to stand out from their background. Sometimes, choosing a color that is the opposite of your main competitor can help customers differentiate you.
Also be sure to think about the functional impact of color on things like readability, eye strain, and attention-grabbing. To do this, follow the rules below:
1. Stick to 2 primary colors, and do not use more than 4. A small amount allows you to achieve the desired effect.
2. Choose only 1 or 2 primary colors and the rest should be secondary colors that are barely noticeable.
3. Resist the temptation to add more colors - use more shades instead.
4. Provide enough white space to allow the eyes to remain relaxed.
Useful services for color selection
Finding the right color is not easy. Luckily, there are many online services that can help you choose colors for your logo.
Kuler.adobe.com
Adobe's service provides a large library of ready-made color schemes and, using a special color wheel, you can select colors that will match the desired color. Detailed video on how to work with Kuler.adobe.com
Сolorscheme.ru
This is a Russian-language service for selecting colors and generating color schemes. The service works similarly to Kuler.adobe.com, but has slightly fewer features. Detailed video on how to work with Colorscheme
Step 7: Choose a font for your logo
Font selection is an important aspect of logo design. The right font can highlight the strengths of your company, but the wrong one can make the logo unreadable and negate all your efforts in creating a positive image of the company. At the same time, among thousands of the most diverse and attractive fonts, how can you find the one that is ideal for your logo? Click on the picture to view it in a larger size. 
Here are some simple tips to help you in this matter: Avoid popular fonts Yes, your Microsoft Office suite includes a set of fonts. The problem is that everyone else has it too. Therefore, using a font from your OS library would be a bad idea. The same rule applies to popular public fonts. Be Timeless If everyone suddenly seems to be using a certain font style (like the now ubiquitous Sketch Block), keep looking. Look for original fonts that will make your logo stand out. Remember, the font and logo as a whole should stand the test of time. Trends come and go, and what you definitely don't want is to invest a significant amount of your time and money into a design that will become outdated almost overnight.
Choose a readable font. The logo text should look great, and even more so, be readable in a small size. Check how the font will display in different sizes. Give Some Space Jazz trumpeter great Miles Davis once said that the notes you don't play are just as important as the notes you do play. Therefore, when choosing a logo font, it is necessary to take into account the distance between characters (kerning). Too much spacing can make the logo look scattered and incoherent, while too little can make it illegible.
Use the personality of the font. Your logo is the face of your brand. It is number 1 on your company's list of community touchpoints. So when choosing fonts, think about the personality of your brand and what you want to convey with your font. Is it speed, strength, reliability, availability or attention to detail? The style and personality of a font will go a long way in creating a quality logo.
Useful sites for finding fonts
Among the popular services for searching fonts are the following.
MyFonts.com
MyFonts is one of those places where you can find all the free fonts at once. In addition, there are paid unique fonts. 
Fonts-online.ru
Some fonts on the site are distributed free of charge, but you must purchase a license to use them for commercial purposes. 
Webfont.ru
Catalog of free fonts (Cyrillic available). There is a search and filter by font families. 
Also see our selection of 200 free fonts for creating logos.
Step 8: Create the final design
After you have made a few sketches of the logo, you need to move on to creating it. You can do this in 3 ways: - create a logo yourself in a graphics program; — create a logo using an online logo generator; - Use an online logo maker. 
Create a logo yourself
If you choose this method, you will need to decide on a drawing program, such as Adobe Illustrator and/or Adobe Photoshop. 
Adobe Illustrator is a vector drawing program. It is often used to draw illustrations, diagrams and logos. Lessons on creating a logo using Adobe Illustrator:
Adobe Photoshop is the most popular photo and raster image editing program. Its uses range from full-featured editing of large photographs to the creation of complex digital paintings and drawings. Lessons on creating a logo using Adobe Photoshop:
Creating logos using an online logo generator
Online logo generators are a good option if you don’t have the skills and knowledge to create logos yourself and don’t have enough resources (time, money). We have collected several online services that will be useful to you when creating logos. 
Logaster.ru
Russian-language online logo generator, with support for Cyrillic in logos. We described the process of creating a logo using this service below. Let’s just clarify that after creating a logo, you can download files in raster (PNG and JPEG) and vector formats (SVG and PDF). You can also make business cards, envelopes, forms, favicons based on the created logo. 
Zillion Designs
This is a simple logo creation tool. You can create your logo in just 3 steps, similar to Logaster. In Zillion Designs, you choose all the elements of the logo yourself - image, color, font. After successfully creating your logo, you can download the file in EPS, JPEG and PNG formats. 
Hipster Logo Generator
An interesting service for creating a logo. This service is full of different tools and settings, so you can create a logo that looks exactly the way you want. With Hipster Logo Generator you can create simple yet interesting logos. There are also disadvantages - you cannot edit elements, and the interface is in English. 
How to create a logo online
Let's create an example logo using the Logaster service. Go to the main page of the service and click “Create a logo”. 
Enter your logo text and select a theme. Click “Next”. 
The service will offer dozens of logo options. Choose the one you like and click on it. 
If you need to make edits, for example, change text, color, icon, font, etc., then click “Edit logo”. 
Use the color selection infographic to choose the right font for your type of business. Use the same tips for choosing a font. If you are happy with the logo, click “Save”. Download the logo for free (small size) or full size for $9.99. 
In addition to the logo, you can also create other products. For example, a business card or letterhead. 
Keep listening
Once your logo is created, it is important to remain open to feedback. To do this, show the logo to a test group of people who match your client's profile. You can show them several design options or just the one you feel is the strongest option. Ask them if they like the logo, what emotions it appeals to. If you are satisfied with the answers, congratulations! You created a great logo. If not, you may need to rework your logo design. 
Choose the right file format for your logo
Your logo can be saved in two formats. One is known as vector and the other as raster. You need logo files in both one and the other format. Vector format (PDF, CDR, EPS, SVG) is used for editing the logo, as well as for scaling and printing. Raster format (PNG, JPEG) is used for working on the Internet. For example, to place your logo on a website, social networks, or in an email signature. To work with vectors, programs such as Corel, Adobe Illustrator, Inkscape (free program) are used; for rasters, Adobe Photoshop, Pint.Net and others are used. 
That's all! I hope our article was useful. Don’t forget to write what tips you have for creating a logo and share the link to the article on social networks.
A logo is much more than just words, an icon, a color. A good logo tells a story about your company: who you are, what you do, and what you stand for.
Creating a logo is not an easy task: there are many nuances that need to be taken into account when developing it. Luckily, you don't have to do this alone. With the help of this step-by-step instructions, you can do it easily and simply. But enough words, let's get started!
What is a logo and what is it for?
But before we move directly to the recommendations, we would like to recommend you an online service from Logaster
, which can create a logo for you all in a few minutes. Just enter your company name and the site will create some logos for you!
Now let's move on to the article :)
Every day we constantly come across logos.
For example, the average US resident sees 16,000 advertisements, logos and labels per day. If you look around, you will probably also notice several dozen logos around you.
Why are there so many of them and why do many companies spend thousands, hundreds, or even millions of dollars to create this small element?
What do we, first of all, understand by the word “logo”?
A logo is a symbol or emblem that is used
to identify services, products and the company itself.
How to choose a color for a logo?
Color, color and more color! It's the first touchpoint and the most memorable item, says Leslie Harrington, executive director of The Color Association.
Understanding how color affects human perception is important when creating a quality logo, says Martin Christie of Logo Design London.
Color can help you enhance the right feelings and create a strong emotional connection. Use the infographic (large size) to choose the color you want for your logo.
How to choose the right logo color?
To answer this question, you need to ask yourself 3 questions:
What color highlights your brand's personality?
What colors characterize your products/services?
What color is your competitor using?
The colors are not tied to any specific industry, but certain colors are better suited to some services/products than others.
You should aim to choose a color that will highlight your company's personality. The color should make the right impression on customers who see your logo for the first time.
What to do when you've figured out your competitors' colors?
One option is to use a color opposite to the color of the main competitor's logo. This will help you stand out. But it's worth considering the colors of your industry so that the opposite color matches the industry. For example, the pink color for the logo of a bank or law firm looks inappropriate and ridiculous.
Consider the characteristics of color in different cultures. For example, in the Western world, white is considered the color of purity and peace, and in some Asian countries it is the color of death.
One color or several?
To convey the desired feelings and emotions as much as possible, one color is usually used when creating a logo design. However, there are many successful logos with multiple colors - Google, eBay.
Therefore, you can safely use one color or several. The main thing is that they combine! But, of course, you shouldn’t overdo it and use a large number of colors.
I recommend choosing two primary colors. This makes it easier for your brand to communicate with your customers. Many companies, from sports teams to corporations, have used only two colors for many years.
– Pamela Wilson.
How to choose several colors for a logo?
The easiest way to choose the right colors for your logo is to use color schemes.
There are many online services for finding great color schemes. You can find several in this one.
For example, Adobe Kuler or the Russian-language Colorscheme service.
Designers often use the 60-30-10 formula. It consists of choosing 3 different colors and using them in a ratio of 60%, 30% and 10%. This rule provides an easy way to create a professional color scheme for your brand.
– Jared Christofferson, Yellowhammer
Where can you find logo inspiration?
It is often very difficult to take the first step when we are dealing with something unfamiliar. For example, with the creation of logos. You can spend a day, or even a week, thinking about and making logo drawings, which is very exhausting.
Fortunately, there is a good way to get rid of the stupor as quickly as possible and make the first step less painful. For example, gain inspiration from other logos and designers’ works.
For this we have selected 10 best sites, where you can get ideas for your logo.
Logo Pond
Logo Moose
This site's community has collected the best logos from professional logo designers from all over the world.
Logofi was created to inspire designers and other creative people. On this site you can see the work of not only professional designers, but also ordinary visitors who have uploaded their logo.
Logo Gala
LogoGala is one of the most outstanding resources for finding inspiration. On the website you can select a logo filter by color.
Logospire is a logo gallery. But the main difference between this site and others is that you can see the best designer logos. The site has a rating system and every month a list of the best logos is compiled.
Logo Heroes
Here are the best logos on the internet.
Logo Fury
Another gallery of logos, which is regularly updated with fresh works. The site has a convenient search by tags, so finding a logo on the desired topic is very convenient.
Logo Faves
One of the most popular sites. The site contains logos of many famous designers. There is a tag search to find the logo you need.
Errors when creating a logo
To make a really good logo, you need to avoid certain mistakes.
Below we have collected the most popular of them.
Mistake 1: Using a bitmap
The use of raster images in logos is not recommended because it may cause problems when reproducing the logo. If you enlarge a bitmap image too much, it will appear tiled, making it unusable.
Therefore, standard practice when developing a logo is to use programs that work with vector graphics - Adobe Illustrator or Corel Draw. Vector graphics are made up of dots calculated with mathematical precision, ensuring a consistent visual experience no matter the size of the image.
Basic advantages of using vector graphics when developing a logo design:
1. The logo can be scaled to any size without loss of quality.
2. Subsequent editing of the logo is greatly facilitated.
3. A vector image is easier to adapt to other media than a raster image.
Mistake 2: Following trends
Trends come and go. Eventually they turn into clichés. A well-designed logo should be durable. This can be achieved if you do not rely on newfangled tricks and techniques.
To create a unique identity for your company, it is best to completely ignore logo trends.
Logo Online Pros has a huge section where current logo design trends are updated annually. It is important that you are aware of the latest fads and avoid them at all costs. – Smashingmagazine
Mistake 3: Overcomplexity
An image that contains too much detail will not be perceived well in print or when viewed in a smaller version.
Details of a complex design will be lost, and in some cases it will look messy or, worse, not be perceived correctly.
For example, the fingerprint pattern on the fictional Smashing logo can only be seen upon very close inspection. When you zoom out, details are lost.
Look at the corporate logos of Nike, McDonald's and Apple. Each of these companies has a very simple image that can easily be reproduced in any size.
Mistake 4: Dependence on color effects
Without color, your great logo can lose its identity. Right?
No! This is a very common mistake. Designers can't wait to add a few of their favorite colors, many even rely on it entirely.
Choosing a color should be your last decision, so it's best to start designing in black and white.
Mistake 5: Poor font choice
When it comes to creating a logo, choosing the right font is the most important decision you will make. Due to poor font choice, the logo most often fails (our example shows the infamous Comic Sans).
Choosing the perfect font for your logo is all about matching the font to the style of the image. But there may be tricks here. If the match is too close, the image and font will compete with each other for the viewer's attention. If it’s the other way around, then the viewer won’t understand what to focus on. The main thing is to find the right balance.
The entire brand message will fall flat if the chosen font does not reflect the characteristics of the image.
Mistake 6. Designing a logo for yourself, not for clients
Often, when creating a logo, there is a desire to use your favorite font, color, etc. Do not do that!
Ask yourself, is this font and color really suitable for my business?
For example, that gorgeous modern typography font you love might not be suitable for a serious client like a law firm.
Mistake 7: Typographic chaos
Typography can make or break a logo, so knowing the basics of typography is vital. The logo should remain as simple as possible, but at the same time convey the desired message. To achieve this, you need to consider all typographic aspects of the design.
Don't use too many fonts or weights (two is the maximum). Don't use fonts that are predictable, pretentious, or too thin. Pay close attention to kerning, spacing, and size. Most importantly, make sure you choose the right font(s) for the project.
Mistake 8: Creating a monogram
One of the most common mistakes made by non-professional logo designers is trying to create a monogram from the initial letters of a business name (for example, B&H for Bob's Hardware). Although it looks creative at first glance, it is difficult to be convincing or convey the desired message using company initials. You can certainly try, but don't stop there if there are other logo design options.
Also try not to turn the name of the company into an abbreviation if it has not become commonly used and this does not correspond to the goals set.
HP, FedEx, IBM and GM didn't start out with acronyms; they became such many years after gaining a high-class reputation.
Mistake 9: Using Visual Cliches
A light bulb as a symbol of an idea, a bubble with text - discussion, strokes - dynamism, etc. These are the first ideas that come to mind during brainstorming, and for the same reason they are the first to be abandoned.
How can your design be unique when many other logos have the same idea? Avoid visual clichés and come up with an original idea and design.
Mistake 10. Copying, stealing or borrowing a design
It's sad to have to say this, but this practice is common these days. A logo designer sees an idea he likes, tweaks it a little, changes the colors or words, and makes the idea his own. It's unethical, illegal, stupid and you'll get caught sooner or later.
How to Create a Logo - Step-by-Step Guide
We've already covered almost everything you need to know about creating a logo.
Now all that remains is to sort out the information received.
Take another look at:
Step 1: Create multiple drafts
During the early stages of logo design, you may have several ideas that you want to express in the logo. You shouldn’t neglect them, it’s better to write them down; perhaps some of them will be useful to you when creating the final version of the logo.
Step 2: Sketch your logo design
Sketching is a quick and easy way to get ideas onto paper where you can evaluate them more easily.
Do not erase or throw away sketches. Design is not a linear process. All ideas can be valuable, even if you don't think so right away. 
If you don't know how to draw, don't worry. You can try sketching your logo using screenshots. Go to the sites of several online generators, icon galleries, etc. Try to find the right images that you like and save them. You can then use them to create your unique logo.
Step 3: Select Logo Creation Tools
You can create a logo using:
– graphic programs – Adobe Illustrator, Inkscape, Photoshop;
– platforms for ordering logos – 99Designs:
– online services and designers – , Logaster
. Very useful service, I recommend it!
If you're comfortable working with graphics programs, don't hesitate to use them to create your logo.
But you should not neglect online services. They can be used to find inspiration or test ideas.
Step 4: Create a Logo
Step 5. Test the logo
Have you created a logo and decided it's perfect? Perhaps this is not the case. It will be more effective to show the logo to colleagues, friends, and some clients and get feedback. Ask them a few questions: what do they think of the logo, do they like it? If the answers suit you, then you did everything right.
However, be careful with reviews from friends and relatives. If they are not professional designers, their advice may not be entirely useful to you or may even be false.
Step 6: Check your logo's scalability
Check the logo image in different versions - in newspaper ads, on a business card, on your website. The logo should look good whether it is reproduced in a large or small format. 
Some tips:
– If the logo has a lot of detail or lines that are thin, then the logo may look too fussy at small sizes.
– If a logo is created for a business card or website, then it will usually look awkward at large sizes.
– Use graphics programs such as Adobe Illustrator or Inkscape, they allow you to check the scalability of your logo.
Step 7: Create Multiple Logo Formats
You may have created your logo in a graphics program like Adobe Illustrator from the beginning. If this is not the case, you need to transfer the logo sketch from paper to electronic form.
Some tips:
– Save the logo not only in .
The latter will allow you to easily scale your logo without losing quality. If you already have a logo in raster format, you can convert it to vector using vectormagic.com.
– Use the logo in PNG, JPEG format for the Internet and in PDF, EPS, SVG for printing.
– Save the logo version in black and white for printing the logo, for example, on bags, pens, stationery.
Step 8: Continue to Get Feedback
Even after you've created a logo, you still need to remain open to feedback. Use various tools such as social media, customer comments, expert opinions to make sure your logo looks perfect.
Step 9. Redesign
Nothing lasts forever, and a logo is no exception. If your logo has ceased to be relevant over time, it is better to redraw it. It is worth making small edits, leaving room for the key idea in the logo, because radical changes are unlikely to be appropriate.
Is your logo really great? [Check list]
And so, you've probably already created a logo. Congratulations!
But is he really good? Will it look great in different sizes? Well, let's check the effectiveness of your logo with our checklist.
Go through each question and answer “yes” or “no.”
1. The logo looks attractive to at least three people
2. The logo looks good in black and white
3. The logo is recognizable in an upside-down position (view)
4. The logo is recognizable if its size is changed
5. No complicated parts
6. The logo is visually balanced – the icon, font, color look harmonious together
7. Do not use too many fonts, colors, effects
8. The logo is noticeable among other logos
As we have already written, it is very important to stand out from other companies, especially competitors.
Collect your competitors' logos and place yours somewhere between them.
Is it noticeable? Noticeable compared to others? If yes, everything is great!
9. The logo is adaptive
Adaptability means that the logo will look great on any object or surface - a T-shirt, website, road sign, etc.
10. The logo is memorable
Show your logo to your friends or anyone and ask them to draw an image of it in a few hours or days. If he can roughly accurately sketch your logo, then everything is fine and your logo will be memorable.
11. Universal logo
The universality of a logo means that it is perceived in the same way by a wide range of people. All people are different and the main thing is that the logo retains a single meaning for all its viewers.
12. The logo is easy to read
Imagine that your logo is placed on a banner, and you are driving a car at a speed of 70-80 km per hour. Could you read the text of your logo? If yes, everything is fine. If not, it might be worth working on the fonts.
13. Do you have vector logo formats?
It is very important to have logo files in vector (AI, EPS, SVG, PDF). This will allow you to print your logo at any scale without losing quality, as well as edit it. For example, make a logo in a different color.
We hope you find our tips helpful and that you can create a great logo!
How to create a logo - step-by-step instructions from A to Z updated: March 11, 2019 by: admin
LogoEase is a free service that allows you to easily create various logos. To start using it, click the Start your logo button in the site toolbar and open the editor. Then choose a template that you can customize: add your own text, choose a font, change the scale, fill with different colors, and much more. After this, all you have to do is download the logo file in ZIP format and use it on your website or blog.
This service is very similar to the previous one. First you need to select the appropriate category, then decide on one of the many samples, and then edit it as you wish. The site allows you to upload up to six logos for free. In addition, users can purchase high-resolution files created with LogoMaker, which can be used for printing, business cards and posters.
CoolText is a really cool thing that allows you to create spectacular logos using fairly simple means. This service only works with text logos, but the number of possible design options is so large that you will definitely find something to your liking. Here you can get results in a couple of clicks that would require hours of training and special programs to achieve. The logo can be downloaded in a variety of graphic formats, including PNG, JPG and GIF. You can also create buttons for your websites and download a variety of fonts from a huge list.
Another text logo generator. Don't be fooled by the name: it's not limited to flame effects alone. There are over 200 different effects in total, and some of them are quite funny. The operating algorithm is the same: select an effect, enter the desired text, edit the properties, save. By the way, in addition to the already familiar PNG, JPG and GIF, there is also PSD.
Logaster is an online service for creating logos and corporate identity elements. Six million users have already appreciated the advantages of working with this service. Logos developed with its help have appeared in 167 countries around the world on everything from business cards and letterheads to websites and billboards.
This editor impresses with its design and the number of features available. Creating a logo involves selecting the necessary elements from the service’s extensive library, adding inscriptions, and then editing and customizing them. You can save the logo in PNG format. Of course, the paid plan provides a much more extensive library of elements and additional functions.
Have you ever used automatic logo generators?
Today we’ll talk about logos: importance, types and stages of creation. Let's find out why the site needs it and what requirements need to be taken into account when developing it.
The largest players in the world market agree to invest multimillion-dollar budgets in the creation of the main emblem of the company, its trademark. It is difficult for a business without a logo to promote its product, receive high consumer appreciation, and create an image of a successful and prosperous enterprise. According to the results of marketing research, a modern person receives more than 10,000 advertising messages every day. In conditions of such high competition, the effectiveness of advertising depends, first of all, on brand recognition and popularity.
A logo is the name of a company, presented in the form of a text, text-graphic or graphic symbol. The word itself appeared in the 19th century and denoted text cliches used by printing houses. Only in the twentieth century. the term began to be used as a designation of a symbol symbolizing a specific brand, organization or product.
Why does a brand need a logo?
First of all, for recognition. The image function of a good logo is difficult to overestimate. Being more than just a picture, the emblem performs a number of marketing tasks:
- Distinctive– sets the brand apart from the competitive environment.
- Protective– protects the brand product from copying and counterfeiting.
- Warranty– when placed on a product, it confirms the declared quality.
- Aesthetic– becomes one of the elements in the design of product packaging.
- Advertising– recognition works, builds trust, increases loyalty.
What is a company logo? This is the basis of the corporate identity, the embodiment of the philosophy and principles of the brand. And also a symbol that you will have to come up with after reading this article.
An example of an excellent logo is the Formula 1 sign, which immerses you in the world of high speeds and frantic drive.
How to come up with your own symbol
There are only three main types of logos:
Symbolic (graphic or symbolic)
It is an abstract image. The advantage of such logos is that they are easily perceived and quickly remembered, creating stable associative connections in the brain.
Text
Usually it is a stylized combination of letters or numbers, made using corporate fonts. To create a text logo, it is not necessary to use the company name. These can be abbreviations, abbreviations, artificially created words.
Combined
The most common type of logo, which combines text and symbolic components. It is considered universal, allowing elements to be used separately for placement on different media.
Principles and important rules
In order for the company logo to look organically on the website, business cards, packaging, etc., it is necessary to take into account and follow the rules for logo development:
Originality
Everyone knows that plagiarism is punishable. Therefore, we strongly recommend being creative and inventing. Moreover, such a solution will set you apart from competitors, such as, for example, the Mercedes company:
Three rays enclosed in a circle are a symbol of the production of engines for the three elements: earth, water and air.
Simplicity and conciseness
The lightweight design is not only quickly remembered, but also looks great on small media. A great example is the NIKE badge:
The swoosh symbol represents the sound of air being cut as it moves.
Versatility
Think in advance about how the logo will look on an office sign, employee business cards, a website page, an advertising flyer, or a branded T-shirt. Regardless of the area of the advertising plane and the compression percentage, the image quality should not suffer.
At Gazprom, everything is thought through to the smallest detail.
Symbolism
For all its simplicity, the logo must necessarily reflect the specifics of your company’s work and evoke appropriate associations. For example, as a sign of the Russian State Library:
Logo creation stages
Now let's talk about how to come up with and draw an emblem for your company or personal brand from scratch. To do this, you can use special graphics programs (Adobe Photoshop, CorelDRAW, Adobe Illustrator) or one of the online designers (ool Text, Logo Snap, Logo Yes, Simwebsol, etc.).
In order for a hand-made sign to fully reflect the company’s philosophy and the author’s idea, you will have to try. As inspiration, you can use association services (association.org), brainstorming and the work of foreign colleagues.
Stage 1. Analytical
Before you start drawing, you need to think through the concept of the future logo. To do this, you will have to study the logos of competitors, formulate the competitive advantages of your brand, and highlight your target audience. Such detailed work is not only useful for business, but also a great help in the next step.
Stage 2. Sketch
Display on paper the symbols that you think reflect the specifics of your brand. Be inspired by the work of others, but never plagiarize. Remember that each trademark must be unique, and copyright infringement is punishable by law.
At this stage, detailed drawing is not needed. Play with accents and color schemes. If necessary, involve colleagues or friends in the work, brainstorm or discuss.
Important: it is impossible to patent a logo if there are identical or similar versions. This means that commercial use of such an emblem is not possible.
Stage 3. Trial
Are there a few options left? Show them to clients, employees, and representatives of the target audience. Listen to reviews. Pay attention to the associative series and such characteristics as memorability, symbolism, etc. Make changes to the option you like and present it to the world as a new emblem of your business.
Stage 4. Presentation
After all modifications and error corrections, your logo is ready for legal registration.
Your brand color
In this article, we have not yet touched upon another important aspect of creating a logo – the choice of color scheme. While it is color (according to American studies) that becomes the formative factor stimulating purchase in 60% of cases. Psychologists confirm that certain shades evoke similar associations in people, causing similar reactions and stereotypes.
Red
Symbolizes activity, energy, activity. Actively used in auto industries, fast foods, and the film industry:
Blue
Calm and reliable, speaks of trust, protection and responsibility. Popular in energy, medicine, insurance, banking:
Green
A symbol of wealth, prestige, environmental friendliness and naturalness. Rich is associated with abundance, and light is associated with serenity, which is used by representatives of eco-food, construction and repair:
Yellow
The brighter the shade, the more positive it carries. Liveliness, brightness, joy and fun - all these associations are used by youth brands, fast foods and companies involved in the sale of gadgets and equipment:
Black
Respectable and “elite”, emphasizes prestige and exclusivity. Therefore, it works great in the “expensive” areas of branded clothing and accessories, perfume:
Don't turn your logo into a rainbow. Two to four colors will be enough to create an effective, memorable symbol. Otherwise, if significantly reduced (on a business card, as a favicon on a website), it can turn into an incomprehensible blur.
As you can see, creating a logo for a website or company is quite simple. If you have the desire, time, perseverance and basic PC skills, you can do this yourself. Try your hand, develop creativity, don’t be afraid to embody the most daring ideas - and your logo will actively work to develop and popularize your business.
If we consider the meaning of a logo for a company, then it is not a simple brand name or symbol. It can review the history of the creation of the brand, the company’s activities and its advantages.
The logo has an important task - to qualitatively represent the company, so maximum attention must be paid to the development of the logo.
In order to come up with a high-quality logo, you need to do a lot of work.
Preparatory stage of creating a logo
Without a thorough analysis and study of market participants, it will not be possible to create a logo that will favorably represent the company on the market.
Let's consider the main stages of the preparatory process:
- It is necessary to formulate the main mission of the logo. Its shape, color and content must reflect a certain meaning. A logo with a expressed idea is well perceived by clients and is better remembered. It should also evoke an association with the product or activity of the company. An outwardly attractive and high-quality logo can create a feeling of trust and admiration for the company among customers.
- How to make a logo for clients? It is necessary to study the interests and needs of the company's target audience. Taking into account the results of the analysis, it is necessary to advantageously reflect the company’s features in the logo using fonts, colors and icons.
- Decide whether the company name is included in the logo. If the brand has an original name that is consistent with the company’s activities, it should be included in the logo. But if the name is difficult to pronounce, long and imprecise in meaning, it is better not to include it in the logo.
It is necessary to think about where the logo will be used; its size and readability depend on this.
- The company logo must correspond to its corporate style and color scheme. If the brand is presented in a certain color scheme, then the logo must match it. Consumers will form a connection between your brand and this color palette and subconsciously develop associations.
- If the company has not yet decided on color orientation, it is better to select colors based on psychology. Each shade can evoke certain emotions in the client, which he will subsequently project onto the company.
- You can study a small number of well-presented logos from competing brands or successful companies, but don't copy them. Your logo should be memorable and original.
- Sketch and combine until you find a visualization of your ideas.
How to make a logo that will attract new clients?
If you decide to create a high-quality logo, it is necessary not only to reflect the ideology of the brand, but also to take care of the quality of its execution.
The company logo must have the following characteristics:
- Integrity. All details of the logo must be combined into one whole and have a common idea.
- Simplicity. Don't overcomplicate your logo, keep it as simple as possible. The buyer will not remember a logo constructed from complex elements.
In the struggle for originality and content, you can oversaturate your logo with unnecessary details and subsequently undermine the development of your company.
A large palette of colors, a variety of fonts, and multi-layered images can confuse clients.
From a practicality point of view, a simple logo is much easier to transfer to different media while maintaining image quality.
- Practicality. During the process of creating a logo, consider the possibility of scaling it for further placement in any format on various media (on signs, websites, catalogs, forms).
A logo overloaded with small details may look unclear and ineffective from a distance.
- Readability. Choose the right font, experiment and mix. But it’s better to stick to one or two fonts that will be readable even in a reduced size.
- Uniqueness. It is not necessary to invent something new, but the logo should make the company stand out in a competitive environment.
- Correspondence. As a result, the resulting logo must meet the expectations of the company's management and clients.