5 Steps to select a creative and unique Logo for your business or brand

Whether you are going to design your own logo or hire a professional you should fill out a creative brief. This will guide the design process and help you develop a logo that’s relevant to your industry and accurately represents you and your business to potential clients and partners. Completing a creative brief will help you make stylistic choices that are well-informed and are based on your criteria.

Are you going for some Elegant, Classy, High-end, Simple, Vintage, Luxury, Modern, Clever, Creative or Minimalist type of logo? Once you complete this step you can move on and begin with the design process.

To get started, decide on each of the following points:

Choose a Business Name

• When you choose your business name do so with your target client in mind. Are you a Commercial Reseller, Luxury Real Estate Merchandiser, Café Owner or operate an Investment and Management Company? Each of these sectors requires a different name and overall branding strategy.
• Of course, to keep things simple you could apply the Classic Name formula(Although this is not mandatory):
• Your Name + Enterprise OR Your Name + Partners Name(s)
• If you are looking for something that is a bit more creative you can also use a business name generator to get your brainstorming session going. If a business name generator is not your thing or find the suggestions a bit too random, you could always hire professional help to come up with a catchy business name for your business.

Decide whether you want to include a Slogan/Tagline

• If you are going to include a Slogan in your design, make sure it’s concise. Incorporating a lengthy sentence can be problematic as it can throw things off visually due to an imbalance. Ideally you should limit your slogan to just a few words or alternatively choose small font sizing so the slogan still dovetails with the company name and graphic. One option is to consider the use of a short slogan in your logo and use a longer slogan, similar to an elevator pitch, on all of your other branding assets such as your Websites, Business Cards and Promotional Material.
• Have you decided on a Slogan already? Great. If none of these catch your eye and you are still stuck brainstorming, you can always hire a professional to come up with your company slogan.

Choose a suitable color scheme

• Choosing the colors for your logo shouldn’t be done hastily. Don’t just go with your favourite color but consider your Industry, Competitors and Core Demographic. Each color conveys a different message so make sure it matches your business values and positions your company in the right light.

1. Blue: Calm and Logical (loyalty, stability, peacefulness)
2. Teal: Trustworthy and Reliable (devotion, stability, independence)
3. Purple: Wise and Luxurious (royalty, wealth, success)
4. Green: Youthful and Earth-Friendly (health, growth, freshness)
5. Pink: Feminine and Sweet (femininity, compassion, energy)
6. Red: Powerful and Passionate (confidence, energy, ambition)
7. Yellow: Fun and Friendly (happiness, warmth, optimism)
8. Orange: Playful and Enthusiastic (excitement, joy, creativity)
9. Gray scale: Elegant and Formal (power, elegance, maturity)

Decide a logo graphic

• You will have to make a decision whether your logo will be text-based only or include a graphic. Including a graphic has the advantage that it can be used separate from the text or logo as a whole. The graphic you choose can make or break your logo. It should be easy to remember, timeless, looks great at any scale of color or black and white.
• If you are going the graphic route, you have the option to go with an abstract design or something more specific to your industry and business. A mistake some entrepreneurs and small businesses owners make is going with a graphic that is too busy and/or too literal. You can get creative here as long as your logo still captures the essence of your company.
• Whether you are going with a free Logo Creator, Branding Company or Freelance Designer, make sure you have access to cool Logo Graphics that do not come across as generic graphic or a clip art.

Pick a font for your business name and/or slogan

• Choosing the right font is another important decision that will impact how your logo and business are perceived. Once you have made a firm decision on your company name and slogan you should spend some time to find the right font(s).

• Keep in mind, different fonts tell different stories.

  • For example: A serif font is traditional and timeless whereas sans serif is a better choice if you are going for a modern and neutral look.

  • A script font on the other hand has an elegant and fancy personality. If you are going to include a slogan you also have to be mindful of font pairing. Your company name and slogan font choices have to work together in harmony and cannot clash.

Keeping in mind these simple points, you can earn yourself the ‘Business Look’ you always dreamt of.

Suggested read: Importance of LOGO designing for your Brand