Your logo is often the first thing that consumers see of your business, so getting it right is very important. But unfortunately, getting it wrong can be all too easy. To help you avoid a logo design faux pas, our designers have put together a list of the top seven design mistakes to make with your company’s logo in 2021.
Overly Complex Design
Much like your company’s overall branding, your logo’s design should be clear and concise, avoiding anything that is overly complex. This way, it doesn’t confuse your potential customers and is easier for you to work with.
Ensuring all elements are balanced can make your logo appear simpler, as well as checking that it scales well. When it comes to logo design, less is definitely more – just look at Apple, Amazon and other big successful businesses.
Poor Colour Choices
Choosing poor colours is one of the most common mistakes that a logo designer makes. Picking colours randomly or on a whim can lead to the wrong colours being chosen for a brand, especially when they are counter-intuitive to a brand’s mission and values.
The psychology behind colours is important and has a big impact on logo design, which makes the thought process behind colour selection very important when designing a logo. We recommend checking your logo in black and white, and greyscale. This is because a great logo looks good in both colour and black and white.
Poor Use of Typography
Good typography can completely transform a logo, taking it from mediocre to memorable. Bad typography makes a logo look unprofessional or even out of place in that business’s industry. When it comes to choosing fonts, it is recommended that you choose one that reflects your business’s values, as well as one that works well with any icons or images used alongside it.
Many logo designers include too many typefaces to make the logo look more attractive but end up designing one that looks amateurish. Ideally, it is best to add one or two typefaces into your logo’s design rather than multiple. You should also choose fonts that work well together and are easily legible.
Forgetting Who Your Design is For
Forgetting who your logo is being designed for – your customers and potential customers – can result in it being unsuitable for its given purpose. This is why you should always keep your customers in mind when creating designs for your brand – whether that be your logo’s colours and fonts or your marketing materials
Copying Another Company’s Logo
It is always tempting to incorporate good parts of another successful company’s logo into your own. After all, it worked for them so it could work for you, right? But that’s not the case. Not only is copying someone else’s logo an infringement on copyright and trademark, but it can also lead to problems regarding brand recognition and awareness, especially if the brand you are copying is a competitor.
Having similar branding to another business could lead to your customers confusing the two brands, having difficulty distinguishing between the two and ultimately, losing you business. You want your logo and branding to stand out from your competitors, not blend in. Be original with your design – each and every business is unique, so your logo should be too.
Using Stock Logos
Using stock logos is a big no-no. No professional logo designer should ever consider using re-sellable templates such as stock and clipart logos. Instead, they should always come up with original designs that will set their client’s business apart from their competitors. Using a stock element or two to enhance an original design is fine, but you should avoid using a complete logo from stock as it is likely someone else will too!
Relying Too Heavily on Trends
Time and again, the design industry is dominated by new and up-in-coming design trends. This often means that logo designers make the mistake of designing a logo based on such trends. Your logo design needs to stand the test of time regardless of trends and relying too heavily on them when designing your logo means that your logo won’t age well.
We are passionate about creating excellent logos that position your business exactly where you want to be for today and for your future. Get in touch with our team today to find out how we can transform your business’s logo and branding. Give us a call on 01452 729 953 or drop us an email at hello@brace.co.uk.
