Getting noticed in today’s market is tough. Having a strong, consistent and memorable brand is the key. A good place to start in developing your brand is with the design of your logo.
Huh? Isn’t a “Brand” & a “Logo” the same thing?
Logo: A logo is a specially design graphic. It’s a mark, a visual and essentially the “face” of a product, service or business. The graphic should be used on all elements that your business distributes. From business cards, to marketing materials, to websites and social media, your logo should be the first graphic seen. “McDonald’s Restaurant” and “Nike” – you instantly thought about the Golden Arches and the “swoosh” didn’t you?
Brand: If your logo is the “face” of your business, then your brand is the “personality”. It is a complex overall summery of your business’ offering and the essence or promise of what will be delivered or experienced.
Simply put, the components of a logo look like this…
Icon: In terms of logo design, an icon is a graphic symbol or visual representation of a product, service or business.
Wordmark: A wordmark, also sometimes word mark or logotype, is a stylized text-only treatment of the name of a product, service, business or institution and is used for purposes of identification and branding.
Tagline: A tagline is a memorable phrase that sums up the tone and premise of a brand (product, service or business) to reinforce the audience’s memory of its mission statement or offering.
Now, lets have some fun…Design a logo!
Below is a selection of pre-made icons for you to have. These are all original BBD designs and completely free for download. Each icon is a vector drawn design and can be used in most image editing programs. All I ask is that credit is given where needed AND that you do not sell these icons for personal financial gain.
Step One: Select Your Icon
Click here to download a pdf containing all of the icons below.
Step Two: Create Your Wordmark
Visit my favorite free fonts site and select a font for your logo. Be sure that the font:
- Expresses your brand personality,
- Complements your chosen icon,
- Is clear and easy to read,
- Is colored using a clear and strong color such as black or chocolate brown.
Step Three: Conceptualize Your Tagline
Remember, your tagline is a short and concise summery of your business’ mission statement or offering. For example, if your business offers photography for families then your tagline might be “Capturing Life’s Precious Moments” OR “I’m gonna shoot ya!” depending on the overall brand message you wish to portray.
Now that you have your tagline created, visit the free fonts site and select your font. Please remember to:
- Select a font that complements the font selected for your wordmark.
- Choose a font that is clear and easy to read not only at a normal view size, but when scaled small as well.
- Choose a color that is complementary to both the wordmark and the icon.
Step Four: Admire Your Design
You’ve worked hard on this design you owe it to yourself to enjoy the results!
Step Five: Application
Seeing your brand come to life as your logo is applied to various business elements is very exciting. From business card through to flyer design, from hang tags through to sticker printing, everything should carry your logo in a consistent and memorable manner.
I hope this article has not only helped to define the logo, its structure and components, but that it has brought you a little fun too.
Please remember that hiring a professional is always recommended (see my article on “How To Choose A Logo Designer”). When you do, you are purchasing their education and their expertise. Logos are not just pretty pictures; they are well-planned, conceptual visuals that will become the face of your business. They deserve to be created by someone who understands all that this entails. And, hey! If you need help, I just happen to know of a designer more than willing {wink, wink}. Contact me any time for a custom logo designed especially for your brand!
