Have you ever accepted a project thinking it was solely web design – and at the end have the client expect a logo as well? Often people who pay for web design assume a logo comes along with other deliverables, even if it’s never been mentioned in a contract.
Sure, you’re a pro when it comes to web design, but what about a logo design? That’s where we come in.
Our quick and dirty guide will help you put your talents to work and knock out a logo quickly and efficiently:
9 Tips for Newbie Logo Designers
• Understand what a logo is – A great logo has several characteristics that make it effective in the eyes of your customers.
It should:
o Inspire trust
o Be recognizable
o Be describable
o Be memorable
o Be effective
o Be scalable
• Ask questions – Don’t be afraid to ask your client specific questions about what they’re looking for in a logo. Before you dove into the client’s web design, you probably figured out the company’s goals, vision and their target market. Spend some time thinking about other things you need to know. Is there anything else you can ask that will help you create the perfect logo?
• Think outside the box – Some of the best companies in the market today have logos that are highly recognizable while not conveying what the company does. Does this make them less effective? No way. Think of Apple, Toyota, and Nike – each of these companies is wildly successful, yet their logo doesn’t reveal what their product is.
6 Design Tips For How To Design a Logo
Now that you’ve learned the basics, it’s time to dive right in. Even though logos are small in size, they can make a huge impact on business – and even the world’s greatest idea can be ruined without considering some simple factors of logo design. When starting off, keep in mind the following:
• Create unity – Make sure there is unity among all elements in the logo, including the font, colors, and shape. A great logo is clear and concise – it doesn’t look like elements were just mashed together.
• Limit your fonts – Many logo designers recommend using no more than 1-2 fonts to keep it as concise as possible. If the font you used on the website is adaptable to the logo, consider using that one.
• Make it scalable – As social media sites continue to grow, it’s likely a company’s logo will be used all over the web, including sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Flickr. Make sure the logo you design can be easily resized and adapted for use in a variety of mediums.
• Make it work in black and white…and color – When designing the logo, create it in black and white first. After you’re happy with it, add color. This will help you judge the logo based on the graphical elements first – because face it, no matter how creative the color palate, it can’t save a poorly designed logo.
• Consider all backgrounds – Just because the logo looks great on the client’s website doesn’t make it suitable for all places. Make sure the logo can be used on a black or other dark colored background in case they want to use it elsewhere in the future.
• Ask (and be receptive to) feedback – The more specific your client can be in providing feedback, the better. If there’s a certain element of the logo they don’t like, ask them why and how they feel it could improve.
The above tips will help you design an effective logo in no time so you can keep your client happy and deliver the entire package they’re looking for.
Further Logo Design Resources:
26 Logo Design Tips for Newbie Logo Designers
56 Ways Color Psychology Impacts Logo Design
22 Ways to Make a Logo Design that Stands Out
Logo Designer’s Guide to Jumpstarting Creativity
14 More Logo Design Articles
Pat Malloy is the head of logo design for Free Logo Services and works to inform, empower and educate all designers to create powerful logos!
I’m curious, from the opening of the article it sounds like it is alright to just let the client get that free logo since they misunderstood the contract. A Logo is a very important piece of design that is very valuable. It is the entire company, personality, services, goods, philosophy, Everything. I really hope there aren’t any web designers out there being suckered in to doing free logos. It isn’t impossible to explain to a client the value of a logo and that its not a free toss in to go along with the website. How do you build a website for a company without an identity? I’m guess I’m just frustrated that some people allow and encourage clients treating the talent like a doormat.
I agree with Jessica in that the client should be told about the importance of a company logo and its worth and that they might want to consider a company that specializes in logo design for that part of their business branding. If they still would like the web designer come up with the logo design too then I think there should be an added fee for the extra time needed to create a good design.
I forgot to add that your logo design tips are right on. A simple, flexible logo design that will work in one color and displayed tiny is good idea to aim for.
Interesting write-up. Those are some valid points. Just to share, I recently got my logo design made by the designing team at http://www.logodesignplanet.co.uk and it turned out excellent. For the price I paid of only 89 pounds, it was definitely the best deal out there for a logo design. It came out fantastic and I highly recommend that site. Anyway, thanks for posting.
Keeping the logo simpler is most important, moreover the logo must do the talking and should represent the brand and keep up its value. Also, logo’s must be meaningful and should be related to the product or service of a company.
Ayesha
http://www.creativewebdesign.ae/web-design