What is a good logo? 5 tips to help you decide.

We’re in the business of designing brands for our clients – usually, we present a few options, and our clients pick the logo they wish to proceed to the next stage.

Occasionally, they find it hard to decide between them. If you discover yourself in this position, here are 5 tips (and one golden rule) to help you choose.

1. Is it distinctive and memorable?

If you saw the logo for only a split second, would you be able to recall it 10 minutes later? This is especially important if you look at a logo and think it looks too simple.

Think about The Nike ‘swoosh’ or the McDonald’s arches: Simple, but distinctive. You want your audience to see your logo once, and be able to recall it later.

Simple_logo_examples — Some examples of simple, memorable logos:
– Swiss International Air Lines, designed by Winkreative in 2011
– Sydney Mardi Gras, designed by Moon Communications Group in 2011
– Bookworld, designed by Interbrand in 2011
– Masterchef (updated), designed by The Plant in 2013
– Channel 7, unknown designer, updated in 2003

2. Does it work in black and white?

There will be occasions when your logo appears in black only (also referred to as ‘mono’, or ‘greyscale’). Examples include a newspaper ad or the back of a event program.

Make sure your designer has thought of this and provides a black and white version.

Atomic Studios business card — Business cards from Atomic Studios. The logo usually appears black & red on a white background. The designer has considered what happens when it doesn’t

3. Do the colours, symbols and fonts suit the business?

This may seem obvious, but if your company provides financial advice, then cartoonish fonts and bright colours are probably inappropriate.

wendygough — The Wendy Gough Cancer Awareness Foundation promotes awareness of Testicular, Breast and Prostate Cancer. They keep their tone-of-voice fun, even though the subject matter is not. This is reflected in their clever logo.

4. What about personality?

If the logo was a person, would it have the same sense of company values?

Imagine that your logo is a person, or even a celebrity. The first time someone meets them, what do you want them to think? Barack Obama or George Bush? Katy Perry or Lady Gaga?

Optus, Telstra and Vodafone. All mobile service providers, with very different logo personalities