I’m kinda old fashioned when it comes to the question to whether to have a logo or no logo for your company. My answer…yes, get one, but don’t rush into the process and of course, have it professionally designed. The do-it-yourselfer logo, will ultimately cause inefficient use of your time, unfavorable results and added costs for advertising.
A well-designed (professional) logo leaves a lasting, meaningful impression to your potential clients. A well-designed logo leaves a greater and lengthier impact than words can do alone. It is the most simple and most direct way in promoting your business presence; it’s a statement of what your business is about.
Logos give brand name recognition and add visual appeal to any marketing materials or web site. Because your logo is a unique graphic image, your prospects’ eyes will be drawn to it both on the web and on your printed materials. With that said, you have several options in your logo design and the message it will convey. There are three basic categories of logos, type style, type/symbol and symbol only.
Clean and Easy – Type Style Logos
Type fonts come in all shapes, sizes and colors, which convey different impressions to potential clients. A bold font conveys strength and power (industrial). A script font conveys elegance (beauty salons) and an italicized typeface conveys movement and action (sports themes). Your business name can be your own logo, provided your type font displays the intended qualities of your business.
The Extra Value Meal – Type/Symbol Combo Logos
A symbol with a short amount of text compliments the symbol and provides that extra bit of clarity of what the business is about.
There are many choices to consider when deciding the logo that best fits the image of your company. Never limit yourself to one option. It can be very easy to see an image you like personally and think it would look attractive in one format without giving thought to how it will look in other applications (web, letterhead, brochures). In the end, it’s not about what you want your logo to look like, it’s how your potential clients will interpret it. This format tends to be the most popular with small service-orientated companies.
The Barebones – Symbol Only Logos
A symbol uses an image or illustration that conveys an actual or implied representation of your business. Because a symbol alone is less direct than text, it leaves itself open to a wider interpretation of what the business is about. Using a symbol in your logo has several application options, a house painter may use a artfully-designed paint brush in his/her logo. A home restoration company may use a Victorian style home. Some BIG corporate successes with the “symbol” logo include: Nike “swoosh”, McDonald’s “Golden Arches” and even a Duck (AFLAC) can become an untraditional logo symbol. A symbol logo takes money and time to become easily recognizable to the general public and tends not to be something where a small business can achieve top of mind awareness quickly.
With All that Said – Just Keep It Simple
People process images in their minds more readily than words alone. Even though people process images more quickly than words, too many images in a logo makes a logo look cluttered and unappealing (a cabinet maker shouldn’t have a full cabinet and kitchen sink arrangement). Also, the more simple your logo is, the easier it will be for your graphic designer to resize and recolor it for various design purposes. You should have various logo sizes, a web version and a print version of your logo. Don’t forget black-and-white (newsprint) and color versions (signage). A true professional graphic designer will provide you with these formats and explain to you which logo version is to be used with each format required. Always plan for the future with your logo, since the ultimate goal of your business is to expand.