If you run a business, you’re bound to have a logo. If you’re starting a business, you’ll need one. Why? Because your logo is usually the first thing your potential customers will see, and it has to be powerful enough to attract them and at the same time convey lots of information about you, your business and what you stand for. That’s an awfully tall order for one little logo, but it can be done. At Happydesigner one of our services is logo design and, because it’s us and we like to do things a little differently, we like to think the logos we create are pretty different and standout too.
‘But you illustrate children’s books,’ we hear you cry. We do! But in some ways the process is very similar. We get inside the head of our client, to understand their business, their ethos, and who they are appealing to. The logo creation process is a partnership so we come up with something that they and their customers love. You can check out a bit more about our logo design process here.
Of course, you can spend anything from zero to tens of thousands of pounds on a logo design. Ours, we are pleased to say, are at the more affordable end. But we do think it is important to have some professional input into the design, and not go down the DIY route of grabbing an obvious icon from Clipart. And here we explain why…
Six reasons why you need a good logo
- You want to make a really strong first impression, and a weak logo simply won’t do this. The saying ‘first impressions count’ is absolutely true in business. We want to attract the attention of your target audience straightaway, and the logo is the door to your brand and a key to growing your business.
- Every second counts. People’s attention span is limited, especially on screen. We flick through internet searches and websites, only lingering for a few seconds on a page. If you have a really appealing logo, then viewers are more likely to stop, look and want to find out more about you and what you offer.
- Your logo is a window on your brand. It’s important to remember that your brand is much more than your logo, but your logo is a key element, and one of the most visual. So you need a logo which conveys who you are as a business, what you stand for and what customers can expect from you.
- Your logo is a memory jogger and makes you recognisable. If you see that swoosh, you know it’s Nike. Big, golden arches? Has to be McDonald’s. And a little blue bird is Twitter’s famous symbol. If you have a really great, memorable logo, it still might be a while until you build the reputation of Nike, McDonald’s or Twitter, but you’re certainly on the right track.
- A strong logo will make you stand out from the crowd. You won’t just be A.N.Other vendor of widgets – you’ll be THE seller of widgets that everyone wants to go to. Don’t be bland – make a statement with your logo.
- It may be stating the obvious, but your customers will expect you to have a logo. What better way to show them who you are than with a standout logo? The alternative is text and, important as that may be, it just doesn’t do the job in the way a logo can.
So, which are the best logos in the world? We like to think our designs are pretty good, but we admit they aren’t quite as well-known as others (yet!)
According to Ranker, which (as its name suggests) compiles lists of random things, the top ten (at the moment) are:
- Nike
- Coca-Cola
- Mercedes-Benz
- The Walt Disney Company
- Apple
- Batman
- Adidas
- Warner Bros. Entertainment
- DreamWorks Animation
- Lego
We’re rather pleased to see Batman in the list. Batman, of course, began life as a comic book hero, whose adventures enthralled children. It’s now a megabrand, spawning goodness knows how many films (and lots of different actors playing the eponymous hero). But the bat logo is still the bat logo, and we love it.
Children’s stories, children’s characters, logos and, of course, book illustration – it’s the Happydesigner’s happy world.
If you would like to chat to us about quirky, memorable and standout logo design for your business, please do get in touch.
Written by Jo Smyth (www.wordworker.co.uk)
