A logo is the face of the respective brand — and the very first step in a successful branding strategy. The logo visually communicates with the audience and tells them what the brand stands for.
This necessitates every brand to have a striking logo that instantly draws the target audience’s attention while conveying a positive brand story. An artistically crafted logo not only draws the audience’s attention but also impacts them to understand the brand’s areas of offerings.
I’m damn sure that you’re aware of the significance of a logo design for any business — small or large. But you might be making some mistakes while creating a logo for your clients—which must be avoided, you being a professional logo creator.
So what are the common mistakes that most designers commit? Let’s have a look.
Before you get started with a logo design project, think — what separates a powerful logo from a casually designed one? Why some logos look simple, yet are iconic? What are the essential aspects that make a logo awe aspiring?
These questions may seem basic ones to you but even veteran graphic designers in the industry challenges while creating effective and professional logos. So to help logo designers like you to create a logo that stands out, we’ve compiled a list of 9 critical mistakes that most designers commit.
9 Critical mistakes to avoid when creating your logo
- Copying someone’s logo
You can get inspirations from as many iconic logos as you can but say big “No” to copy. Please note that copying any of the existing logos may land you in big legal trouble. Also, it would be plagiarism and hence wouldn’t create a good reputation. It would completely dampen your credibility, will give a message of unprofessionalism and authenticity.
So, we recommend you to avoid this mistake. Brainstorm for logo design ideas, pick papers and sketches and let your creative juices flow. You can seek your colleagues’ feedback and ask your peers for suggestions.
- Too many colors or the poor color selection
Each color carries some specific meaning — you should learn to know. The color you will pick for your logo design should be as per the products the company offers. For instance, if the company manufactures luxury products, the picking of classic colors would be a better option. Also, you’re advised not to use more than three colors in single logo design. The thumb rule is to use a main color, an accent color, and the third— a more neutral color.
Make a note of it that the logo that you’re designing may be used for printing purposes. So make sure that it also fits in black and white.
- Too many or the wrong fonts
The right font selection is as vital as the color. Don’t be lazy; try as many fonts as you can to find the best. See which font suits the slogan and which fits the company’s name. You can get inspiration from some big players like Volvo and Dior in which serif font gives a more refined look. You can also go with sans serif to give your logo a more accessible look such as the Facebook or Jeep logo. You’re advised to pick a font other than Times New Roman, Helvetica or Arial because they’re already used by many logos and are very popular which may not give your logo a unique look.
Also, you shouldn’t use more than two fonts because too many fonts may spoil the overall harmony of the logo. So, better choose a font for the company’s name and another more discreet font for the slogan, if there’s any.
- Using in-depth details
The trend is of a simple and more minimalistic log design. You can find several big brands like Starbucks and Mastercard, etc. have already adopted this trend. Several brands have redesigned their logos to remove small details that were unnecessarily embedded causing the design to look blurred. So, keep your logo as simple as possible keeping in mind that the logo may be reproduced on several mediums.
- Getting enough inspiration from the trend
Do you think that your clients will come to every two or three for a logo revamp? I don’t think so. Every entrepreneur wants their logos for a longer period. That’s why I would suggest you not to get too much inspiration from the ongoing logo design trends because trends come and fade away after a couple of years. And if your logos have too many trendy elements, they will become obsolete after a certain period.
So creating logos that respects only the trends is a bad logo design idea. Create a timeless logo that will represent your client’s business over time.
- Having a complex and vague logo
You may have several ideas while creating a logo design and you put them all into a single logo. This will produce a complex and vague logo which is, of course, not the right approach to create an eye-catching and meaningful logo. Remember, the ultimate purpose of creating a logo is drawing viewers’ attention instantly while communicating them with the company’s message. If a logo fails to convey the brand’s message to the target audience, the purpose of creating a logo will not meet.
So here the main point to consider is keeping the logo as simple as possible instead of putting too many elements that create a complicated and vague design.
- Designing own portfolio instead of the client’s needs
It’s not common though many graphic designers commit a blunder by focusing on how the design will look in their portfolio. They deviate from the client’s needs just because they want to showcase varieties of works in their portfolio. This approach is not appreciable when you want to ace and earn a good reputation as a truely professional logo designer.
So put your clients’ needs first instead of forcing it to fit your profile.
Remember what David Craib has said — “Design should never say, Look at me. It should always say, Look at this.”
- Not enough information about the company
You’re going to create the visual identity of a company and hence you need to gather as much information as you can so that you can design a logo that effectively narrates the company’s message. The company must be the source of your inspiration — what the company is all about? What problem can it solve? What makes it stand away from the competition?
A logo for a fitness club must be different from a logo for an IT product—keep it in mind. You create a logo for your client’s business and for the client.
- No idea about the target audience
Last but not the least, not having knowledge about the target customers is one of the critical mistakes that you should avoid while creating logos. Spend some time researching about the target customers such as their likes and dislikes, their inspiration, etc. A college student’s requirements will certainly have different from that of an army officer. So, create a logo that best conveys their brand message to the intended audience.
The final words
Now, there are no more excuses for having a dull logo. With these tips in mind, you’ll be able to create stunning logos. Get started keeping these ‘critical mistakes to avoid’ in mind. Need more tips on the topic? Communicate with us in the comments below.