(screen shot taken from google images)

Do you often judge a book by its cover? We’ve often been told not to do so, but i guess in some contexts, we do it on a daily basis. While browsing thru a book/magazine store, most of us will be attracted to something that appeals to us. In a split second, we make a decision directly based on which design, graphical element or colour to pick up and browse through.

Now try and imagine if you or your business has a very boring or dull presence on the web (Im assuming your company is, since its the norm in this day and age, if not i guess even being in yellow pages needs something as eye-catching too) more often than not, a prospective client has just chosen your competitor for their business over you because of your company branding/logo. In some ways, it shows how much effort and seriousness one has in his/her company.

Seating at the edge of your seats yet? read on through then

Well then lets get to it, what do you need to stand out from your competitors? What can sway the interest of your potential customers, or swing it directly in your favor?

Lets take it a step at a time, allow me to dissect it bit by bit for you.

Logo design is the illustration of the business. It is considered to be the tool which gives the first impression of a business. Before starting a business much consideration is given to the logo design. The logo should be designed according to the name of the company and the business product. Your logo should be able to:

1. Distinguish yourself from your competitor
Nothing works better than being yourself, and not to copy a trend or a style from the market leaders

2. Be relevant to the business/industry you are in
(Name of company can play an important part as well)
This is not a rule but its something you might wanna think about when naming your company as well. Some companies have distinguished themselves and set them apart from their competitors by having a totally weird name in relation to their industry. It works for some, and it may not work at all. It depends on how and where you want to place yourselves in the market.

3. Works in both color and black and white and be memorable in doing so.
Imagine your logo having lots of gradients and then being totally unrecognisable when converted into black and white. Simplicity works wonders, everyone remembers the Nike Swoosh. It works in any color, and is also memorable even without the Nike name alongside it

4. Be Scalable
Sure your 13 year old nephew is an upcoming designer. Sure he just got his hands on his first copy of photoshop. Sure, he will do it for free. But my concern here is that it may not be scalable. Most if not all professional logos are done with a Vector Software like Illustrator and not in photoshop for that very reason. Being able to resize your logo without compromising on quality and sharpness is great if one day you decide to put your logo on a huge billboard overlooking the city square, or you may need to go really really small, to be printed on lanyards or corporate gifts like pens and pencils. I blogged abt Vector image VS Bitmap image here

The bottom line is that creating a logo requires a lot of planning, time, thought and often times, money. The meaning behind the design should embrace the mission and image of the company, not the other way around. The effectiveness of these marks are such a key part of brands today’s fast paced world. Ultimately, the role of the logo is to point or identify to the consumer in the simplest form possible.