Creating the perfect logo for your business is a challenging job. Your logo carries tremendous weight in your branding efforts and establishes the image people will associate most strongly with your company. Don’t take your logo design lightly or you might regret it. All the hard work that goes into promoting your business could be going to waste on a bad logo. Here are some tips to help you design the best logo for your company.

Consider logo types

There are typically three broad types of logo design: a text logo, symbol logo & text + symbol logo. A text logo is a logo that doesn’t have a design associated and is made purely of the typography/text created for your business. A symbol logo doesn’t use any text, but somehow works your business name into a symbol or abstract design. The most common type of logo is the third type – a combination of symbol and text that play off each other effectively.

When on a strict budget, it can be a safer bet to start off with a text logo. By matching the typography with your business branding, you can use a text logo to create a distinguished visual without taking the chance of making mistakes with a lousy design. Once you can invest the time & money in a professional logo design, you can step it up with a great symbol/design to associate with your brand.

Identify which qualities make your business unique

In order to produce an effective design, you need to understand the qualities that your logo should be expressing. This starts with an understanding of what makes your business stand out, what emotions you want to convey and what you want people to associate with your brand.

Work these unique qualities into your logo design as clearly as possible. Also consider the nature of your business and what type of customers you have – conservative professionals or young artists? Musicians or scientists? Use your business goals and your customer profile to drive the decisions that will ultimately shape your business logo design.

Selecting colors for your logo

Colors are an essential part of your logo, but you need to consider how to implement colors effectively.

If your business branding already has a color palette that’s strongly associated with your brand, identify these colors and make them a part of your logo as well. Select colors that represent your brand effectively.

But also keep in mind that your logo will be used in a lot of places – sometimes when color isn’t an option. If someone makes a photocopy of your letterhead – is your logo still recognizable, or does it turn into a black-grey blob? Test your logo under as many conditions as possible.

Having a great logo is nearly as important as having a great product. It’s going to carry your business along for many years, and it’s vital to make sure it is on par with the excellence your business demands.