What Makes A Good Logo?
A logo is the face of the brand and what it represents. One glance should make any viewer think about your brand in a positive light, from how resourceful you are to the amount of trust they have in you. Now what makes a good logo differs for every person due to personal preferences. However, I will explain what I think are the most important aspects to consider when making a good logo.
Simplicity
If a logo is too complicated, it runs the risk of not being recognized due to the complexity of the shapes that make up the logo. It’s one of the reasons why the Nike ‘swoosh’ logo works so well. That ‘swoosh’ conveys speed, which represents what the company wants to convey about their business model regarding sports.
Versatility
A logo should work in multiple formats so that it isn’t limited to one type of media. Whether that’s through scalability from a business card to a poster. It should also come with different color variations. Mainly a black and white variation for when color is not an option, but also one-tone variations for complicated backgrounds.
Appropriateness
What I mean by appropriateness is that how a logo is constructed, should fit with what the brand is trying to convey to its intended audience. For instance, a happy, fun, adventure game like Mario is represented with a logo that is blocky and colorful. Had the logo been a font similar to Skyrim with a gray serif, it would not convey the same feeling that the series is about.
Timelessness
While keeping up with trends is important and all, a logo should not entirely focus on the current trends happening or even past trends in terms of design. Otherwise, it may end up being forgotten and lose relevance.
Focusing on the core aspects and goals of your brand will help you visualize a more well structured, memorable logo that may be able to stand the test of time.
Don’t just take my word for it. Jacob Cass, another graphic designer from Sydney, Australia, also gives his own thoughts and tips for what makes a good logo.