What is your brand trying to say? Well, forget about it. Your logo already said it. So, have you taken a second to figure out what your logo is really saying? Your logo is a first impression, a qualification, and a differentiator. A good logo takes your business from “eh” to “Wow. They’ve got their stuff together”. Whatever your logo is now, there is usually room for improvement. The list below is a great start to improving your logo and maybe even the beginning of a complete rebrand for your business!
1. Versatility
Your logo needs to be ready to go anywhere. Like, literally anywhere. You never know where exactly your logo will end up. T-shirts, hats, magnets, blogs, you name it. Wherever it ends up, you need to be ready to get it there. So, what does that mean? Well, it means that your logo needs to be designed in a very specific way that can be formatted anywhere.
In order to do this, you want to generally ensure that the logo isn’t too long, too tall, or too weirdly shaped to be able to be put in any type of box or design. Ultimately, if you choose a logo that is one of these things, that could potentially be ok, but it might cost you more money in labor in the long run. Save yourself the time and save some designer’s effort and make your logo compatible with anything. Take a look at the example below.
In the first example, the logo is concise and compact. This logo, although still wide, could theoretically work on any surface. The second logo, however, is simply too wide and would be hard for an artist to get on any surface.
2. Color
Does it feel right for us at Blackwood to have a bright pink and blue logo? No, because we are a branding agency that aims to help others build their brands, not project our style onto those brands. So, pink and blue are simply not neutral enough to be our logo colors. Color is such an important aspect of your logo. Color sets the tone for the way your brand is perceived by others.
When choosing colors, it is really important to choose something you not only like, but choose something that is fitting for who you are as a brand. Think about your values and what your company is built on. The colors you choose should invoke those values and good feelings, so be sure to study the psychology of the colors you’re going to choose. While a lot of color psychology can seem like craziness, there is actually a lot to it and ultimately, it matters for your brand.
It is also very important to keep in mind the colors of your industry in addition to the colors of your direct competitors. You don’t want to be putting out a logo that is too similar to a competitor, so be sure you’re being intentional in choosing that. Also, try and use Pantone colors. They’re industry standard colors, so if you’re getting anything made, it is best to have a industry standard color that companies can have access to. Our last and most emphasized advice at Blackwood is to avoid gradients. They’re hard to work with and make it so much harder to produce things like apparel. If you can, avoid them at all costs.
3. Imagery
Imagery is where things can get a little sticky with a logo. Whatever images/image you choose is a direct reflection on your brand, so our advice is of course to choose wisely. Again, you should always be researching competitors, looking into your core values, and make the best decision for your business. For us at Blackwood, our core logo doesn’t actually include any imagery. This makes it easy for us to incorporate our logo into any type of imagery we want to.
That being said, the thing with imagery is to focus on keeping it simple. You might have these amazing, grand ideas of imagery that you are in love with, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that it is a good choice for your business. Imagery needs to be simple and absorbable. Subtract unnecessary images that convolute what you’re trying to portray. A beautiful, color landscape might be pretty on paper, but that doesn’t mean that it’s going to be great on a logo. It will be overwhelming, won’t give the consumer a clear picture, and ultimately won’t contribute to giving a great first impression.
4. Recognizability
Do you recognize our signature Blackwood “B” on this crazy background? We hope so. There are a million and one fonts in the world and therefore a million and one ways to use the letter “B”. By creating our own font and developing a new look for our signature “B”, we are able to use it anywhere and put it on anything and still have it be recognizable.
So, is your logo recognizable? Have you seen other people in the area with similar logos? How about companies around the country? Well, as you probably have already deduced, that’s really bad. Your logo is what sets you apart from everyone else in your area and industry. Sure, you have awesome staff, great services/products, and awesome leadership all set you apart from the competition too, but people don’t know that when they Google “roofers near me” and logos pop up.
Set yourself apart from others and be original. That doesn’t mean you have to sit in from of a notepad for 12 hours trying to reinvent the wheel. Find inspiration in all places. Your day to day work, other companies, an online of course, you name it! Pulling inspiration isn’t a crime, but having a carbon copy of another person’s logo literally is a crime and is awful for your business. So, be original and differentiate yourself from the competition.
Did you second guess your logo at all during this blog? If you did, it might be time for a rebrand. Lucky for you, logo design and rebranding is what we do for a living. Contact us today to start a conversation about what you’re doing right and what you can improve. We are excited to hear from you! Reach out to us today!
