Why do I need a logo?

Logos build trust and brand loyalty. Why do I need one?

A logo communicates your identity and services and showcases your professionalism. They help boost brand recognition, attract new customers and retain old ones.

Creating a logo is not just about putting together some shapes and colours. It's a strategic process that a skilled graphic designer undertakes. They aim to craft a simple, memorable logo that communicates your brand's core values. A logo is crucial to your brand's visual identity, reflecting your company's spirit and attributes. It should be distinct from other logos in your market niche, helping you stand out.

One often underestimated aspect of logo design is the profound influence of colour, shape, and words on consumer behaviour. These elements play a significant role in shaping the perception of your brand. 

Different selections evoke different emotions and influence the consumer's decision-making. So, making sure each decision on the colour, shapes, typography and words fits the brand's strategy is essential.

Logos and personal branding

When it comes to personal branding, there's very few reasons to have a personal logo. They serve as a visual representation of your identity, the values you uphold and your expertise. Here's a couple things a logo can do for you:

1. A personal logo helps to differentiate you. It allows you to stand out and be easily recognised, especially in industries where competition is high. 
2. A well-designed logo can create a sense of professionalism and credibility, making potential clients or employers more likely to trust and remember you.
3. They can enhance your branding efforts. It can be used consistently across various platforms, such as websites, social media profiles, business cards, and email signatures. This consistency helps to reinforce the individual's brand identity and create a cohesive and professional image.
4. They can also be valuable for networking and career advancement. It can leave a lasting impression on colleagues, clients, and industry professionals, making it easier for others to remember and refer the individual for opportunities.

You must determine whether those benefits will help grow your brand and career.

The importance of having a logo for your business

They are essential for any business. Here's what we need a corporate logo to do:

1. Create a strong and memorable identity to make it easier for customers to recognise and recall the business. 
2. Convey the brand's values, personality, and professionalism to help build customer trust and credibility.
3. Differentiate your business from competitors in the market to allow you to stand out and make a unique impression on potential customers. 
4. Be flexible enough to be used across various marketing materials, such as websites, social media profiles, business cards, advertisements, and anywhere else you could print it. This provides a consistent and cohesive brand image.
5. Contribute to the overall success of a business by increasing brand recognition and customer loyalty. 

Consumers are more likely to choose a brand they recognise and trust. A professional logo can help create a positive brand perception and encourage repeat business.

5 commandments you need to embrace to make a great logo

To ensure your logo's lifespan is longer than a tailor's tape measure, you must apply 5 fundamental design principles.

Thou logo must be simple in design

Your logo needs to be quickly identifiable. 

According to a 2015 Time Magazine article, our attention span is 8 seconds and probably shorter.

That's a whole second less than a goldfish.

So before you run off, your customers must know it's you immediately. Good logos deliver the unexpected; they are unique without being complex. 

Look at Apple's logo; it is simple, and while it's changed form and colour over the years, it's hung around for 46+ years. It lends itself to every area of the brand's visual identity.

Thou logo must be memorable (for the right reasons)

‍Keep it appropriate to your business. 

If you're a florist whose logo is wilting leaves, it will be memorable because it suggests your flowers are on their last legs. 

Think carefully about the message you send – a good designer will always check that the logo isn't phallic or featuring icons that can be misinterpreted. 

Thou must ensure your logo's timeless

Avoid design trends! This logo needs to stand the test of time. How will your logo look in 10 years? 

It's not unusual for a logo to hit 100 years; look at the London Underground logo. A red circle with a blue horizontal bar going through it that simply reads UNDERGROUND.

The design of the underground Roundel was eventually adopted, with additional colours, to cover the entire London Transport network. Read all about the history at the London Transport Museum.

Thou logo must be a chameleon (your logo needs to be versatile)

Modern logos come in a variety of shapes for use in different sizes. 

With the evolution of smartphones, it became necessary to create smaller logo formats. 

Your logo should be versatile enough to appear on anything from a smartphone or a pen to a billboard or a plane.

Thou logo must be  appropriate

Your logo should fit your audience, and we need to make sure it's not offensive.

No penis or vagina shapes — I've genuinely had to redesign entire identities before because it's gone through testing and more than one person in the ideal target audience has found a phallic symbolism.

Now, there's obviously industries that can ignore that, but they are not brands we work with.

Another example is a logo for a jewellery brand that could be sleek and sexy in execution. Targeting the partners of the women. But, this wouldn't work for a professional service like a lawyer's office or a kid's toy shop. 

Why do I need a logo?

A logo is crucial for any business; it helps to establish a strong brand identity, differentiate it from competitors, and build customer trust and loyalty.

Your logo needs to define who the brand is and what you do.