Operation_logo_LOGOYou know that old saying, “Don’t judge a book by its cover?” Well, when it comes to your logo (basically your company’s book cover) we’re judging.

Someone mentions Nike, we immediately think “swoosh,” Disney, its their fantastical cursive, and McDonald’s, those famous golden arches.

Yahoo’s Chief Marketing Officer, Kathy Savitt, told USA Today, “The logo is your calling card, identity, manifestation.”

So why not make your logo the best it can be?

In simple terms, your logo should be speaking to the public, telling them what your business is about. It’s the face of your brand and sets the standard once the customer decides to open that door and see what sits behind the pretty face.

When picking a logo there are a few things we need to consider: font, color, graphic, and message.

Entrepreneur.com famously declared three logo types, “Font-based logos, logos that literally illustrate what a company does, and abstract symbol logos.”

Because your logo can make or break your business, don’t use clip art, don’t do it yourself, and don’t rely on the trends as they are forever changing. It is ALWAYS best to outsource a professional designer, because they know how to make your logo both unique and affordable. The more colors your logo has, the more ink you will pay for. In fact, 95 percent of companies use no more than two colors.

For a new business, it may not hurt to have a logo that convey’s what your company does. If you’re a make up artist, why not make a logo written in lipstick? If you run a bicycle store maybe you can incorporate bike wheels into your text.

A logo should also be able to be versatile. It should look good, both small and large, and be able to go on all different backgrounds –  particularly, with the advent of social media and ubiquitous presence.

Many large companies like Yahoo!, who’ve undergone a 30-day logo redesign or Thomson Reuters, who authored a specific design guide on how to use their logo, show just how important logos can be to a business.

Your typeface or font can convey your company’s personality. If your business is a motorcycle store, you wouldn’t want your type face to be a delicate, feminine script, just as if you were running a dress shop you wouldn’t want to have a bold heavy font, that is too masculine.

Serif fonts are fonts with accents on the end of the letters. We see Serf fonts used in newspapers like the New York Times, they’re typically perceived as notable and reputable.

Sans Serif fonts are without finishing accents. These are they types that commonly appear on street signs – a favorite as they are neutral and easily read. Moreover, they’re widespread and contemporary.

Slab Serif fonts are solid, with rectangular accents, and oft associate with collegiate environments. They’re stately and strong. Conversely, there are script fonts which are delicate and imitate, appearing as calligraphy and handwriting. They’re graceful and feminine.

Modern fonts are geometric and light and trendy. Beyond the fonts itself, however, color is typically the first thing someone will notice about your logo.

Color Breakdown:

Colors have temperatures …

Warm/Active Colors: Red, Orange, Yellow

Cool/Passive Colors: Blue, Green, Purple

 

All colors also have compliments, these add for a dramatic effect and add for a larger contrast.

Green – Red

Orange – Blue

Yellow – Purple

 

And all colors have associations:

Red – anger, danger, love, passion, aggressive, fire, blood

Orange – autumnal, warm, sunny, fun, playful

Yellow –  cheerful, energy, sunshine joy, positivity, sun

Green – wealth, nature, growth, healing, freshness, envy, serenity

Blue – sea, trustworthy, masculine, tranquility, responsible, depth

Purple – regal, powerful, mysterious, spiritual, sophisticated

At the end of the day, your logo will evoke emotion and give off the first impression of your business. As you know, you only get one first impression … so, make it a great one.