10 Things To Avoid When Designing A Logo

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It doesn’t feel good when your business is misrepresented by the way your logo is designed. Your business logo catches the eye when someone lands on your website for the very first time. When poorly designed, it can be a turn-off. This is bad for SEO, and you don’t want that. When going for a logo design, you need to avoid the negatives and arrive at a design that is not only professional, but speaks your business in an emblem. There are many pitfalls to avoid, and professional designers are not exempt from this either.

Here are 10 of things you should avoid in your design for getting that professional look.

Scalability and Simplicity Defects

Aaron Draplin states he only goes for what is scalable, and what can be applied in the near future. His concerns focus on how designs are difficult to access on Twitter, owing to their small size, complexity, and equally complicated information. His thoughts are how this info would appear on much smaller platforms like Instagram, and smartphone apps. He is also concerned at the nonchalant attitude of designers at the situation, because you need effective designs for the smartphone generation to remain relevant. The utmost consideration should be simplicity, legibility, and quick reads. This should be in place regardless of the platform size.

Insufficient or Too Many Words

Su Mathews Hale thinks trying to establish too many thoughts, or using insufficient words to convey a thought, can create problems. It doesn’t make sense if there are not enough words to convey the required information, and you need to make it readable for the audience you are targeting.

Display Choice

According to Chad Michael’s candid advice, when going for a logo design you should set yourself beyond mere display criteria. You are not just putting up a logo to create a face for your display. Designing a logo should be more of a concept to portray your business in a better light. Your clients warrant this.

Designing 3D Logos in Multiple Colors

Andreas Karl sees more of this every year that passes. He says 3D designs are made by computer programs, while the 2D are handmade to make them look like 3D objects. These types of designs are unlikely to stand the test of time, because of the difficulty in reproducing them in black and white. Also, they are much more difficult to remember, which is a very important factor.

If you need a logo design done promptly and quickly, hire logo design experts within your budget.

Using Stock Images for Your Design

Stock images are everywhere, and even available for free. Chad Michael’s says, not only are  designers able to spot the use of stock images from a mile away, even non-trained individuals can do it. It feels like cheating.

Ugly Design

Von Glitschka holds the three situations of the good, the bad, and the ugly crop up in every industry. For logo designs, what is considered bad doesn't deal with aesthetics most of the times. It is more of a conceptual issue, or purely based on a lame idea for the design. When you describe ugly, you’ll agree it’s a poor design that is lacking good aesthetics.

Trend-driven

Trends won’t last for long. They are seasonal. They will disappear into thin air, or become clichés. Ignore the latest tricks, and focus on finding a timeless design. You should think of your logo as a corporate design to represent your business now, and in the future. This is a safer option than getting into troubled waters of trends, and needing to get out when the excitement dies. You should aim at creating a specific identity for your brand.

Using Raster Images

Vector-type graphics software is the standard when designing logos. Examples of these are Corel Draw and Adobe Illustrator. The mathematical precision of these types of software ensures the design maintains visual consistency over multiple sizes. They don’t consist of pixels like raster based software, as Adobe Photoshop does. Raster images can lead to reproduction problems, and are not advisable. While it may appear good in producing a large logo with Photoshop, you are not in control of how large it goes. These are the core reasons why you should look into a vector graphics design instead.  

  • It makes editing the logo in the future much easier

  • You can scale the logo to a size of your choice, without loss of quality

  • It has a better adaptability to other media

Wrong Font Type

The right font for a logo design is what really makes your logo meet professional standards. The reason many logo designs fail is on this aspect of the design. Getting the right font that fits your design should be done by matching up the icon with the font style. The viewer should not be confused on where to focus. The font should not be too closely related to the logo, nor too far apart. You should be aware that every font family carries an image, or has a personality of its own. The balance needs to be just right. The font you choose should reflect the features of the business icon, without missing the message intended for the brand. 

Copying Competitors

Call it the major area where many fail in logo design, and you won’t be far wrong. This is continually on the rise, which is unfortunate. If your business logo is just like that of your competitors, it is the wrong way to go. The very reason for a logo design is thrown away with this practice. Do not get it wrong right from the start. Your business logo should match your business, no one else’s. It should be distinct, unique, and original. 

A logo is a company’s symbol. Some people associate with major brands through the brand’s logo more than they do with its name. The proper design of a logo is as important as the company itself. Your business logo is crucial, and should not to fail in core aspects.

Have you made design mistakes in the past? We’d love to hear it. Share it by leaving a comment in the box below.

Zadán 27 listopadu, 2017

TomCoulter

Designer // Writer // Creative

Tom is a Design Correspondent for Freelancer.com. He is currently based in Melbourne and spends most of his non-work moments trying to find the best coffee.

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