Today's topic is born from one of the concerns of my workshops and it is focused on the mistakes that I consider to be the most frequent when designing a logo. It is important to bear in mind that what you will see below is an unbiased stance towards logo design and it will be the first of many analyses.
To talk about designing a logo, I think it is vital and necessary to talk about a method, however I have faced so many design situations that I can tell you that each project requires an understanding and an answer that in many cases is different. There ARE methodologies for the design of a logo, the best known globally by the design world (applicable in fact to multiple cases not only logos) is Bruno Munari's green rice methodology, which is basically a series of operations (step by step) whose only purpose is to obtain the best result with the minimum effort by achieving a systematization that allows the solution of a problem, and although it is very useful I have been able to understand that it is not imperative to follow the “logical order” for a logo result that fulfills its mission.
In a next post I will explain in depth the minutes of my methodology and the way in which I highlight the importance of knowing the rules to break them, but what I want to get to at this precise moment is that there is not only one way to comply with a logo design project, you will have to read different methods and adjust to what is most convenient for each particular case.
Whether you are a creative professional or an entrepreneur looking to develop your visual identity, for now you just need to know that a GOOD LOGO has 3 main characteristics: it must be SIMPLE, RECORDABLE and FUNCTIONAL, that way you will avoid the COMMON MISTAKES WHEN DESIGNING YOUR LOGO whether you are a creative or a client.
When I develop a visual identity project or a branding construction for my clients I take into account multiple other parameters stipulated in my brand audit model and they are aligned to the magnitude and scope of the project, but those three mentioned above are the basis of everything.
With what I have just told you in mind, I am going to tell you in general about my way of working.
I design a logo in 4 phases: research phase, sketching and conceptualization phase, proposal optimization phase and the last phase I call: style guide, where I take care of the brandbook and everything that has to do with exportation. Notice that I refer to four general phases but not necessarily a step by step.
COMMON MISTAKES WHEN DESIGNING YOUR LOGO PART 1 - FOR CREATIVES AND CLIENTS
1. Lack of research and understanding of the customer:
Creative, If you haven't understood what your customer needs, what are you doing opening the software?
IF YOU STILL DON'T KNOW WHAT THE TARGET AUDIENCE IS, what are you doing on pinterest?
In-depth customer research is essential to understand your identity, values, target audience and competition. Without this understanding, it is difficult to capture the essence of the brand and create a worthwhile logo. Lack of research can lead to a design that does not adequately reflect the brand's values and personality, resulting in a logo with no foundation, which affects its recallability.
Client, clearly your responsibility in this mistake is to think that your designer has a crystal ball. Keep in mind that the more information provided, the greater the creative possibilities of your professionals in charge will be.
2 . Excessive use of elements:
Client, by wanting to include too many graphic elements, extravagant typographies, the glitter, the smudge, the glosh, the eyelashes, the building, the gold, the sparkles, you run the risk of overwhelming the viewer and making it difficult to understand the brand's message. Simplicity in design is key to ensure that the logo is easily recognizable. A clean, minimalist design allows the brand message to be communicated clearly and effectively, without unnecessary distractions. And this is the key word... No unnecessary distractions.
Creatives, the question you have to ask yourself throughout your design phase is NOT what is missing from the logo I made, but WHAT CAN I REMOVE FROM MY DESIGN without losing communicative intent. Here your mission is that of a sculptor and you must be a guide for your client.
3. Lack of simplicity:
Creatives, I have seen cases in which a logo has multiple elements and even so, its finish is impeccable and functional. When designing a logo, be sure to facilitate its reproduction in different media. A complex logo can lose detail and legibility when it is reduced in size, which negatively affects its effectiveness and recognition, and if that happens, it is NO GOOD! because you are affecting its functionality.
Client, you must understand something vital and that is that when building a high value logo, it is not imperative to denotatively show your business or product. Believe me when I tell you that your client will relate the quality of your product or service with your image and if your image looks unprofessional and the same as the rest of your competitors, why would he choose you?
4. Lack of versatility:
Creatives, a logo must be designed taking into account its application in a variety of contexts, from print to digital, to manual reproduction. It has happened to me a lot that my clients ask me for the logo to be reproduced in Gold... And that is when the different variations of the logo come into play. Failure to consider versatility can result in a logo that does not work properly in all platforms and situations.
Client, a versatile design ensures that the logo maintains its visual impact which increases its effectiveness as a brand identity tool. It is not about using the logo over and over again in the same way as a sticker, paradoxically the more variations your logo has, the more you will be recognized, so stop asking what is the logo, the answer is that all those variations are your logo.
5.Poor attention to readability:
Creatives, the choice of a clear typography is extremely VITAL for the construction of a precise visual identity. So are the colors that will allow contrast and so on, but that's more common sense. I don't mind if you use a stylized typography for a logo (as long as you consider some variation for smaller applications)... What bothers me is that you assure your client that it is the best option or that you think that because the typography has details the logo is ready.
Client, do you know what the above references have in common? None of these logos are useful, and I will summarize it simply, an illegible logo will make it difficult to communicate the brand's message and will negatively affect its recognition. Do you want to use special typographies? Let your designer use them in some application, but stop using them for the main version of a logo. Lack of legibility also affects this pillar of functionality.
6.Lack of originality:
Creatives, a PRO logo should separate your client from the competition and help them compete in the saturated market. Keep copying and following trends and you will end your career. There is a very cool phrase that everyone who studied design knows and although the author Yves Saint Laurent said it thinking about clothes, it is perfectly applicable to this example and it says: “A good design can withstand 10 years of fashion”.
Clients, don't let yourselves drown in a sea of references and allow your designer to create something that can actually be useful to you over time. Your ideas, your examples and the trends are excellent guides but not what has to be done or what applies to your case necessarily.
Creatives, I have the firm conviction that there are many more but we will leave them for a future occasion, if you have any contribution it will be valuable to read them in the comments and clients, if you need advice you are just a click away.
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