How To Get a Good Logo

Over the years, I've created many logos for many organizations for many different reasons. No two companies are the same and no two logos should be, either. But how do you know the logo you are choosing for your company is good? Certainly, at the end, you have to like it, but there are many factors that go into good logo design, and you want to make sure your logo is covering these bases. Let's dive in.

Does It Feel Like Your Company?

No matter how pretty, creative or appealing a logo may be, if it doesn't fit the image of your company, it's not good for your company. Is your company bold and adventurous? You probably don't want something that feels delicate. Modern and forward thinking? You probably don't want something that feels antiquated. Starting to make sense? Make sure when you look at your logo you feel your company.

Does It Stand Out From the Crowd?

You don't need an intricate logo to make it memorable. The most iconic logos in the world are SIMPLE. Standing out from the crowd means it doesn't look anything like your competition, and it's memorable - which often comes from its simplicity.

Does It Work Well Across All Platforms?

How does your logo look on your website versus on the upper left chest of a polo versus on a business card versus on a billboard? Some logos look great when they're large, but once you start reducing the size for smaller needs, suddenly parts of it can become unreadable or the logo may not be usable in certain situations, such as embroidery. And you need to be able to make a reverse version as well, so it looks just as good on a light background as it does on a dark background.

Is It Timeless?

You don't want to invest money in a logo and have it look outdated in a few years. Yes, some companies do update their brands from time to time, but that's a costly initiative that only gets more expensive the longer your company is in business and the more things you will have to update with your new logo. Stay away from fads and get a better return on your logo investment.

Did You Make It Yourself?

It is the very rare occasion that a company owner (or employee, or daughter or nephew) with no solid understand of logo design actually creates a good logo. I have seen a lot of bad logos in my 25+ years as a graphic designer. Can your company survive with a bad logo? Sure. Does it make you look less professional / get taken less seriously / gives a vibe that you aren't willing to spend money where it counts? Oh yeah.

Logo Costs & Considerations

You may be wondering at this point what a logo costs? Well, that totally depends. You can go online and find people willing to make logos for $50. Good luck with that. It's a wide range, and it depends what the person you are paying is doing for you. There's a big cost difference between freshening up a logo a company has been using for 25 years, and creating a full brand identity from the ground up, including generating the company name and the painstaking research that goes into naming a new global company.

The other thing you have to consider is what your logo creator is providing you. I've had many clients work with inexpensive designers who give few options, minimal edits, and not the full range of logo files. The amount of clients that paid for a logo and don't have access to the original vector file - or even worse - the designer did not create a vector logo (read why vector logos are critical here) is mind blowing. It's your logo, you should be given all of it. Different file formats, regular and reverse options, and of course, the vector version. And then they end up having to pay me to recreate the vector version or improve upon the logo because it couldn't be made larger without hurting the quality or didn't work across all platforms.

Finally, don't work with a designer who doesn't spend time understanding you, your company, and the feeling, colors, voice, audience and competition of your brand. You cannot create an effective logo without this knowledge.