Starting a business can be overwhelming and exciting all at the same time. One of the most important things on your never-ending to-do list is establishing your logo and brand. Choosing the right logo for your company is fundamental. It’s important to get it right the first time; rebranding is time-consuming and costly. Here are six things to consider to ensure you get the best logo for your brand.
- Trademark Rights
This may seem obvious, but make sure your company name isn’t already in use. Check here for existing trademarks. If it’s in your budget, hire a trademark lawyer to be sure. Register your company name if you want to protect your brand. - Business Plan and Ideal Customer
Knowing who your customer is and having a solid business plan in place is paramount to the success of your brand. A designer needs a clear understanding of your business’ purpose and target audience. Sharing this information with your designer/agency ensures everyone is on the same page. - Unique is Key
Choosing a logo that is unique to your business will help you avoid copyright infringement. The more unique your logo, the better. From a designer’s perspective, I believe that starting the logo conversation by sharing inspiration logos only hurts the creative process. If you start by giving examples of logos you like, you are setting yourself up for disappointment. Doing this sets the expectation that the logo will look like something that has imprinted on your mind.
My recommendation is to do your research on the designer/agency first. Make sure their client portfolio meets your standards. Then trust in the creative process.
- Get Personal
This might seem odd, but the more you share about your personal life the better. [They don’t need to know what brand of toilet paper you buy]. But give them some details.
I’ll share this anecdote to help illustrate my point.
I had a client once that was a couple starting a business together. Their company name started with the letter K. They shared with me that their entire family of six all had names starting with the letter K. These people really like the letter K!
Knowing this, I experimented with putting six letter K’s in a shape. The end result was something both aesthetically pleasing and unique—at the same time, it had a personal meaning to them because business is personal.
Had they not shared this information with me, the outcome would have been very different.
- End Use
Knowing how you will use the logo is important information for a designer to have up front. Ask yourself these questions:
Will it ever be used as one color? Like on a t-shirt or printed on a promotional pen.
Will it be used for social media profiles? Can elements of the logo be used as a profile picture?
Will you need multiple shapes or orientations? Horizontal and vertical versions?
Would you need an icon-only version? Or text with an icon? Or a text-only logo?
Would you ever use a tagline with the logo?
Be clear and upfront about your needs.
- Vet Your Logo
Below is a checklist of things to consider when choosing your logo:
Print a small version of the logo. Make sure the text and details are legible on a small scale as an example how it would be on a mobile phone.
Show the logo to two-to-three people whose opinions you value.
Always ask the designer what their recommendation is and why.
Choose colors that are relevant and will stand the test of time.
Consider what would appeal to your audience.
If you have trouble envisioning concepts, ask the designer to show you it in use. Have them mock it up on a t-shirt, webpage, social media profile, etc.
Choose something memorable and unique.
In the end, you want to choose something that really embodies your business and resonates clearly and quickly with your target audience. If this article has you excited to take the logo leap, the aJuxt Troupe is ready and waiting.
Written by Natalie Origanti || Graphic Design Guru