5 Rules of a Successful Logo Design

As a Surrey marketing agency , successful logo design is our bread and butter. The first and most important thing a logo design should do is identify a brand. This is the main function of the logo. A graphic composed of shape and text acts as an establisher; an indicator. A logo means that a customer will recognise the brand at whichever contact point they see it; on the web; a magazine; a billboard.

Having a logo that is ‘you’ is key. It needs to be unique not only to set you apart from the competition but also to be memorable in the mind of a customer.

Successful logos follow 5 rules. They’re relevant, simple, they work in black and white, at scale, and they are responsive. Let’s discover why these rules are important when creating a successful logo design.

1 – Relevant

If the most important thing for a logo to do is to be identifiable, then the second is to be relevant. It needs to feel right. It’s no good if I look at your logo for a Tennis Club and it looks more like it should be a barbershop. It has to reflect your business. Another way of thinking about it is that it needs to be appropriate for the intended audience. Cute and playful will work for a children’s nursery, but not for a logo for an accountancy firm. It also needs to be relevant to your brand’s personality. 

2 – Keep it simple

Don’t overcomplicate your logo. We live in a fast, busy world oversaturated with things vying for our attention. Having an identifier that is too complicated makes a brand hard to recognise. Especially amongst all the visual noise we’re used to processing.

You have a short time to make an impression. If someone glances towards your shopfront while travelling past in a car, or catches the end of your television advert, either they identify your brand or they don’t. That’s why logos need to be simple enough that they’re quickly recognisable.

Focus on strong, readable shapes and lines. Consider that your logo may need to work internationally as your brand grows. 

So, keep it simple. But not simplistic. All the great logos tell a little tale and have something unique and compelling about them. 

3 – Work in black and white

When you’re creating a logo and you’re looking at a bunch of different ideas, one of the best tests is to zoom out and make all the options black and white. The best logo idea is usually the one that pops out amongst the crowd. If it doesn’t work in black and white, it’s probably not going to work in any colour.

It’s also worth considering that there are instances when black and white is the only option for displaying logos. Yours will need to work in these cases too.

4 – Scalable

The logo also must be scalable. This means it needs to work at the largest size and the smallest. Following the rule of keeping it simple helps with this. If the logo becomes illegible at smaller sizes, it’s not going to help people to recognise your brand. If it looks garish at a large size, that’s also going to be difficult to catch people’s eye. Consider this rule the ‘billboard/business card test’. It needs to be legible and look good on both.

5 – Responsive

You can split great logos up and they still work. That’s why when we see the three golden arches, we don’t need to read ‘McDonalds’. It’s why Guinness can get away with showing their harp on its own, the logos are responsive. 

There are lots of places you’ll need to display your logo; profile pictures; business cards; signage. Logos today have the hard task of needing to work at almost infinite amounts of sizes and spaces. Your icon needs to be able to stand alone and be recognisable for a social media icon. If you create an animated logo, think about how the elements lend themselves well to this.

Logo Design Surrey – Surrey Marketing Agency

In need of expert logo design? Our in-house team at Thunderbolt Digital produces high-quality Surrey web design. Whether you are in need of a logo design, or a full website redesign, our talented team creates successful logos following these 5 rules. Get in touch today on 01252 413 757 or howdy@wearethunderbolt.com