What Makes A Good Business Logo

So you have your own business. You do a great job, and you start to stack up satisfied customers one after the other. To you, this is the most important part of your business. But another equally important part is how you are represented. You want to make sure your public image effectively represents all the great things about your business. There is no singular device which represents your company’s image more than your logo. It is the face of your company, and should portray all the values and dreams which you embody.

But what makes a good logo?
Before I answer that, I’m going to address all the popular beliefs about what deems a logo ‘good’. My only hope is that after reading this, you can be better equipped in making a decision when it comes to your logo.

There are millions of articles on this very topic. What makes a good logo? If you do a little research, you will come across the Five major components of a good logo.
 
It is recommended that a logo be:
· Simple
· Memorable
· Timeless
· Versatile
· Appropriate

These Five components are based on similarities that the most recognized brands all have in common. It doesn’t mean that if your logo doesn’t meet this criteria, it’s deemed ‘bad’. Take the popular Starbucks logo for example.


Rules are meant to be broken
There’s nothing really simple about it, lots of lines, stars, circles and even a depiction of a human face. I wouldn’t characterize this as versatile either, it’s not one color and if printed too small, the details can be lost. In terms of appropriateness, what does a Sprite have to do with coffee? But, despite not meeting all five components that make a good logo, this logo is one of the most recognized in the world. This logo is proof that the five major components that make up a good logo don’t really exist.

I used Starbucks as an example, because it’s an internationally recognized brand. There are many local (Trinidad) companies that have also successfully “broken the rules of logo design” with successful logos.

Very regularly your designer will suggest to you that your logo should be less than three colors, including the background, which makes it versatile and simple. While this is widely suggested in the industry, it isn’t necessarily true.

For example: Guardian Group 

The Guardian Group Logo colorful masterpiece doesn’t stick to the rules that logos must be less than 2-3 colors, or simple. It’s near impossible to convert this to black and white and keep the integrity of the logo.

While this logo in it’s colorful glory is beautiful. There are downsides to having such a colorful logo. Mainly, the cost of printing. Which is why, your designer would suggest 2-3 colors at most, especially for startups and small businesses.


Following the rules do not necessarily guarantee success
Less color doesn’t necessarily mean it’s going to work. Here is an example of the CCC logo or, Civilian Conservation Corps Logo.

I personally have no idea what this company does, the name doesn’t ring a bell and the colors don’t say much either. As simple as this logo is, something about it makes it difficult to comprehend. The awkward way the colors meet to create that obscure ‘c’ shape, the harsh points at the end, and the overly mundane font choice. While there are many bad things to say about this logo, there are also positives, it can be converted to a single color, keeping the integrity of the logo and it’s cost effective to print. 

This logo follows the Five rules much more that the previously mentioned logo’s and doesn’t nearly have as much of an impact that the previously mentioned logos.

…but sometimes it does…with the help of good marketing
How about we examine a logo that follows ALL Five rules?



The Blue Waters logo: Simple, Memorable, Timeless, Versatile and Appropriate. It doesn’t get much simpler than this; one distinct color, for affordable printing and the appropriateness of the blue color used as it’s the name of the brand. This Logo is definitely Memorable, while it’s simplicity may be a big factor in it’s memorability, there is also another important aspect that we haven’t discussed yet, which plays a huge part in the Memorability and Timelessness of logos. That is Marketing. Because it is a logo that you see daily, it is easily recognized. The fact that this logo is barely more than bold letters makes it even easier to remember. The fact is, as unimaginative as this logo is, it works. It works because of it’s simplicity, and because it’s a product that is seen every single day. When you think “Trinidad Bottled Water” there is only one name that comes to mind, and that is not because of the logo.

So what really makes good logo???
There are many beliefs on what makes a good logo. There is only one which I think is a necessary in the creation of a logo, and this is that it should Properly Represents Your Company. Your logo should represent all the wonderful things about your company. It should capture your struggles, your dreams and aspirations, your values and invoke intense thoughts about your product. Everything else is secondary. It is also important to keep in mind, when you are searching for logo design information, to take it all as a guide. The vision for your company should dictate what your logo should be.

I hope this helps when it comes time to design your business logo, and remember to use your instinct and that gut feeling to know what is best for you. Your designer should be able to help you make the best decisions, and if he/she isn’t, don’t worry, I’m here to help.

Cheers,

Priya
( ilikebeanstalks )