7 Logo Design Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

grease · #1 (**permalink**) 07-20-2004, 05:15 PM

Seven Logo Design Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Summary
Your logo is the visual personality of your business and as a first impression; your logo essentially is your business! A professional logo is one of the fastest way to build credibility. If you sell quality products, your logo should reflect this. Likewise, a poor quality logo suggests inferior products. If you can successfully avoid these common logo blunders and you are well on your way to a great logo:

1) The Clipart Logo
Most clipart images are widely distributed. Anyone who is familiar with the software providing the clipart will very likely recognize your ‘borrowed’ logo. This is a poor way to build credibility for your business.

2) The Special Effects Logo
Strip away all of the special effects to get at the heart of your design. Special filters such as glows, drop shadows, and bevels are great for creating graphics and manipulating photos, but they can be very distracting when applied to a logo. A great logo should be able to stand its ground in black and white, without any effects. You may like to consider drafting your concepts on paper first. You should think more about what is being presented before you decide how it is presented. When you are pleased with a one-colour concept then go to the computer and recreate it digitally. At this point you may or may not like to add a subtle effect to enhance your logo for web use. Eliminate any effect that does not add value to your design.

4) The Banner Logo
A logo is not a web banner advertisement. You are doing yourself more harm than good by forcing your logo into a banner shape, especially if the content is crammed to fit the entire rectangle. Our eyes are trained to avoid these shapes, not read them.

5) The Integrated Logo
Professional logo designers occasionally integrate graphic elements directly into the text to create one unified logo. This process is difficult and risky. Executed poorly, your logo can easily look ‘tacky’ and illegible. (i.e. using the letter ‘O’ in the company name to create a globe, eye, magnifying glass, etc.) If you are new to graphic design, stick to a top centered or left graphic layout.

6) The Text-Only Logo
A text-only logo severely restricts the ability to express your company’s uniqueness and memorability. Larger, more established businesses can pull off text-only logos with exorbitant marketing budgets. One test of logo's effectiveness (marketing budget's aside) is to alter the letters and see if your logo is still recognizable. If not then you need to seriously consider a visual element. If you just can’t resist a text-only logo, consider a strong, unique typeface – preferably custom made.

7) The Monogram
Monograms (company initials) are very difficult to use effectively. It will take a long time to build credibility with a monogram logo. Similarly, logos consisting of several overlapping letters generally do not work well. They may be fun to construct, but the end result says very little about your company and your products/services.

8) The Complex Logo
Detailed illustrations, photos, and complex layouts make poor logos. Each additional detail is an extra detail that your (potential) customer has to remember. A simple, unique logo with solid shades and minimal lines will have greater impact and memorability.

About The Author
Craig Fraser is a Brand Specialist and Creative Director for Flame Media Design.

gRF · #2 (**permalink**) 07-21-2004, 07:52 PM

Just great! :-)

greenjedi · #3 (**permalink**) 07-21-2004, 09:50 PM

Great info.! Can you point to some examples of well crafted logos?

geoffreygag · #4 (**permalink**) 07-21-2004, 11:11 PM

Craig,

What are some tips between a logo for traditional biz versus an online .com biz?

webventurist · #5 (**permalink**) 07-21-2004, 11:38 PM

I absolutely agree with you - great advice. Also, great website.

glyphbane · #6 (**permalink**) 07-22-2004, 01:48 AM

Great post and advise. Any further advice on how to choose logo colors vs. site colors... and how they should interact?

debtfree95 · #7 (**permalink**) 07-22-2004, 02:43 AM

Thanks truly great post.

Acc for me, The best logo is

... everything fits to it. [/img]

pburton · #8 (**permalink**) 07-22-2004, 03:44 AM

The amount of time and money wasted on logos amazes me. We could have done so much with that effort. When I see an excessively fancy logo I think "inefficient company"

edhan · #9 (**permalink**) 07-22-2004, 09:45 AM

Great advice. Any sample of quality logo?

Edward

Webnauts · #10 (**permalink**) 07-22-2004, 11:23 AM

Grease, great post! Excellent info!

grease · #11 (**permalink**) 07-22-2004, 11:59 AM

greenjedi,edhan,
You can find many of world's top logos at the following site:
http://www.goodlogo.com
Keep in mind these logos are user ranked - I would not say they are ALL great logos. I recommend reading the case studies to get a feel for the logo's purpose.

Take Care,

Grease

eightfifteen · #12 (**permalink**) 07-22-2004, 12:39 PM

Another common mistake is color selection. Many times people will design a logo without thinking about tying to have it printed on business cards, letterhead, etc. The more colors that you use, the more expensive that the print job is going to be.

Unless you can either guarantee that your logo will never be professionally printed, or you simply don't care about printing costs, try to limit your logo to 1 spot color and black, or 2 spot colors.

If you are really tricky, you can use those two colors as a combination and create a third color at no additional cost!

staceman · #13 (**permalink**) 07-22-2004, 01:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eightfifteen

Another common mistake is color selection. Many times people will design a logo without thinking about tying to have it printed on business cards, letterhead, etc. The more colors that you use, the more expensive that the print job is going to be.

Unless you can either guarantee that your logo will never be professionally printed, or you simply don't care about printing costs, try to limit your logo to 1 spot color and black, or 2 spot colors.

If you are really tricky, you can use those two colors as a combination and create a third color at no additional cost!

I always provide several forms of a clients logo, full color (on line use, sometimes animated), and then other 1 or 2 color layouts that can be used for business cards and promotional items as an imprint. This allows multiple uses and can reduce printing costs.

grease · #14 (**permalink**) 07-23-2004, 02:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by geoffreygag

What are some tips between a logo for traditional biz versus an online .com biz?

That is a very good question geoffrygag. I get this one often.

In short, a great logo is medium independant.
The same principles of clarity, simplicity, uniqueness, contrast and memorability are just as important online as in print.

However, the web does open up some doors as well as restrictions in the way in which the logo is presented.

The web does allow for some enhancements that would otherwise be costly in print. (Such as additional colors, gradients, etc.)

A common challenge for a ".com" logo is where or how to display the domain name. I cannot give a shotgun answer for this, but consider the following:

1)Is the domain (.com,.net.,.ca) truly necessary?
2)Does the length of your name look awkward or banner-like?
3)Does the domain take away from the recognition, brand strength, or aesthetic appeal of your logo?
4)Can the domain be displayed in a different manner (smaller,another location, more integrated)?

I hope this helps,

Grease

grease · #15 (**permalink**) 07-23-2004, 03:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pburton

The amount of time and money wasted on logos amazes me. We could have done so much with that effort. When I see an excessively fancy logo I think "inefficient company"

I agree with what you are saying. I think a more appropriate statement would be "the amount of time and money wasted on ineffective logos"

An effective brand image DOES take a lot of effort, time, or money to develop. As the face of your business and representation of your products, this effort should not be taken lightly. The attitude that branding is a waste or 'extravagance' will severely restrict your ability to market your products your realize full potential.

The real issue is where the effort is directed. All too common the logo design process begins with Photo Editors and Clipart Galleries. The end result is a meaningless mess of colors, lens flares, bevels, drop shadows and distorted text. I have no doubt a lot of work goes into many of these logos - but the logo still remains useless - even harmful.

A powerful logo begins with creativity and a true understanding of your business's marketing objectives. I encourage designers to spend 75% of their time developing ideas and paper comprehensives before they even hit the screen.

Take Care,

Grease

mdmspt · #16 (**permalink**) 07-26-2004, 05:55 AM

I have a Physical Therapy practice, and I also teach a continuing education course to other therapists about using T'ai Chi techniques to improve balance and decrease fall risk. My black & white logo is at:
http://oaktreep.ehost.com/sitebuilde...res/ptlogo.jpg

My color logo is on one of my business cards, and can be viewed at: http://www.oaktreept.com

It might take some time to load on the site, but what about print use? I have generally had positive comments about my card.

Jon Ruttenberg M.S., PT
Oak Tree PT
http://www.oaktreept.com

mdmspt · #17 (**permalink**) 07-30-2004, 12:53 AM

I apologize for my previous post. I completely misunderstood how this works. I think I have it straight now.

I hope that this thread did not come to a grinding halt because of my post.

Much embarrassed!

Jon Ruttenberg

jawn_tech · #18 (**permalink**) 09-28-2004, 10:52 PM

A great logo IMO is Amazon's.

http://www.amazon.com

mdmspt · #19 (**permalink**) 09-28-2004, 11:38 PM

jawn_tech,

Your Pink Floyd tag line reminds me of the time I took my car to a quantum mechanic. It wouldn't drive in a straight line for months after that!

darren13 · #20 (**permalink**) 01-20-2006, 07:29 PM

Only just noticed it mate - about to post a logo for the boys n girls to have a butcher's at and noticed that tip Numero Three was gone - is there a conspiracy!!??
Darren

JasDesigns · #21 (**permalink**) 03-26-2006, 10:49 AM

great advice, thanks.

crush123 · #22 (**permalink**) 04-30-2006, 07:31 PM

for the first time i have came across such useful guidelines about designing logos.
thank you. i will keep these points in memory while creating logos in future.

muffa1 · #23 (**permalink**) 05-18-2006, 01:01 AM

I really like all the tips that are given here and am going to use some thanks

hawkwind dave · #24 (**permalink**) 12-16-2006, 08:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by grease

Seven Logo Design Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Summary
Your logo is the visual personality of your business and as a first impression; your logo essentially is your business! A professional logo is one of the fastest way to build credibility. If you sell quality products, your logo should reflect this. Likewise, a poor quality logo suggests inferior products. If you can successfully avoid these common logo blunders and you are well on your way to a great logo:

1) The Clipart Logo
Most clipart images are widely distributed. Anyone who is familiar with the software providing the clipart will very likely recognize your ‘borrowed’ logo. This is a poor way to build credibility for your business.

2) The Special Effects Logo
Strip away all of the special effects to get at the heart of your design. Special filters such as glows, drop shadows, and bevels are great for creating graphics and manipulating photos, but they can be very distracting when applied to a logo. A great logo should be able to stand its ground in black and white, without any effects. You may like to consider drafting your concepts on paper first. You should think more about what is being presented before you decide how it is presented. When you are pleased with a one-colour concept then go to the computer and recreate it digitally. At this point you may or may not like to add a subtle effect to enhance your logo for web use. Eliminate any effect that does not add value to your design.

4) The Banner Logo
A logo is not a web banner advertisement. You are doing yourself more harm than good by forcing your logo into a banner shape, especially if the content is crammed to fit the entire rectangle. Our eyes are trained to avoid these shapes, not read them.

5) The Integrated Logo
Professional logo designers occasionally integrate graphic elements directly into the text to create one unified logo. This process is difficult and risky. Executed poorly, your logo can easily look ‘tacky’ and illegible. (i.e. using the letter ‘O’ in the company name to create a globe, eye, magnifying glass, etc.) If you are new to graphic design, stick to a top centered or left graphic layout.

6) The Text-Only Logo
A text-only logo severely restricts the ability to express your company’s uniqueness and memorability. Larger, more established businesses can pull off text-only logos with exorbitant marketing budgets. One test of logo's effectiveness (marketing budget's aside) is to alter the letters and see if your logo is still recognizable. If not then you need to seriously consider a visual element. If you just can’t resist a text-only logo, consider a strong, unique typeface – preferably custom made.

7) The Monogram
Monograms (company initials) are very difficult to use effectively. It will take a long time to build credibility with a monogram logo. Similarly, logos consisting of several overlapping letters generally do not work well. They may be fun to construct, but the end result says very little about your company and your products/services.

8) The Complex Logo
Detailed illustrations, photos, and complex layouts make poor logos. Each additional detail is an extra detail that your (potential) customer has to remember. A simple, unique logo with solid shades and minimal lines will have greater impact and memorability.

About The Author
Craig Fraser is a Brand Specialist and Creative Director for Flame Media Design.

We could also add to this...

a good logo will work well as a favicon, or at least part of a good logo (eg. Google just using the capitol G). Try reducung your idea(s) to 16x16 pixels and see how it looks.

4silverstrea · #25 (**permalink**) 12-17-2006, 08:52 PM

Grease: those were great tips thank you. I created a logo with the Rocky mountains in a mask, though it was a neat idea, I didn’t want to interfere with the viewer’s perspective. Less is more, for sure.:-)

4silverstrea · #26 (**permalink**) 12-17-2006, 08:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mdmspt

I have a Physical Therapy practice, and I also teach a continuing education course to other therapists about using T'ai Chi techniques to improve balance and decrease fall risk. My black & white logo is at:
http://oaktreep.ehost.com/sitebuilde...res/ptlogo.jpg

My color logo is on one of my business cards, and can be viewed at: http://www.oaktreept.com

It might take some time to load on the site, but what about print use? I have generally had positive comments about my card.

Jon Ruttenberg M.S., PT
Oak Tree PT
http://www.oaktreept.com

Jon: I would move the type out of that arch shape and put it underneath the logo and make it bigger. That should work better. Also, is there a heavier typeface you can use to make it standout?

4silverstrea · #27 (**permalink**) 12-17-2006, 09:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by grease

greenjedi,edhan,
You can find many of world's top logos at the following site:
http://www.goodlogo.com
Keep in mind these logos are user ranked - I would not say they are ALL great logos. I recommend reading the case studies to get a feel for the logo's purpose.

In viewing this site grease, it is very apparent that ALL of these logos are simple..in which case, they stayed away from the tips you mentioned.

4silverstrea · #28 (**permalink**) 12-17-2006, 09:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jawn_tech

A great logo IMO is Amazon's.

http://www.amazon.com

The amazon logo doesn’t do anything for me really, but I am glad it is a word logo.

4silverstrea · #29 (**permalink**) 12-17-2006, 09:04 PM

Two of my favorite logos on that website posted above are the World Wildlife fund and the Volkswagen logo. They are simple, and can be applied successfully in black and white which is a rule I always use.

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