8 Things You Probably Didn't Know When Designing a Brand

A logo design, with the right colors and the right look, can elevate your business’s presence in the marketplace and help it stand out among its competitors. When you think of big companies like Nike or Coca-Cola, you probably think of their logos first, since these marks are so iconic that they’ve become an identifying feature of the brand itself. But designing a brand doesn’t just happen overnight; it requires a lot of time and effort from multiple stakeholders in order to be successful.

Here are 8 things to consider when designing your company’s logo and branding campaign:

1) Don’t be afraid to use negative space

Negative space, or white space, is just as important as any other aspect of your design. Some designers even recommend increasing negative space for sites that have a lot of copy or large amounts of images because it helps organize your page and draw attention to specific elements. But in general, you should make sure you give your work enough breathing room so that it doesn’t feel cluttered.

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2) Aspire to use fresh, clean typefaces

Typography is one of the most important aspects of brand design. Fonts are like our voices, they speak volumes about how we want to be perceived and what message we’re trying to send. Out-of-date fonts can make your brand seem dull and uninteresting; new fonts, on the other hand, can give it a shot of energy, vibrancy and youthfulness.

Here’s a great site in which you can discover fresh, clean typefaces - https://www.fontshare.com

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3) Use iconography (if appropriate)

Brands are created for many reasons, and iconography is one of them. A logo does not have to include words. An emblem or icon can be used to represent and remind people of your brand. Think about Nike’s swoosh or Apple’s apple with its bite out of it.

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4) Think about where you want people to look first

Although you don’t want to overwhelm your audience with too much information, you do want to draw them in and make them stop in their tracks. The two main areas of visual hierarchy are color and typography.

5) Colour combinations are important

Colour combinations are a fundamental part of any brand design, no matter if it’s for print or web. This is why there are certain colour combinations that always look good together, like blue and orange. Also, some colour palettes go particularly well with certain brands, for example green for financial institutions. Because of these and other factors it’s important to choose your colours carefully when designing your brand and logo.

6) Think about your logo in different mediums

Print. Online. Mobile. Television. Signage. A logo that looks good in one medium can look downright unprofessional in another, and it's important to test any logo design across these different platforms so you can get an idea of how your brand might appear to your customers at first glance.

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7) Re-brand when the time comes around. Don’t be scared!

Re-branding can sometimes seem like an unnecessary expense and time-suck. After all, if things are going well, why change it? If your brand is more than 3 years old, re-visit it anyway. Your target audience may have changed and you might be missing out on valuable new markets and clientele by not re-designing. Re-brand when needed!

For instance, take look at the re-brand we did for Industri.

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8) Look at other brands and see how they do it

This can be as simple as searching brand designs on Pinterest or going through some of your favorite brand websites. These days, companies are sharing more information about how they design their brands on their sites than ever before, which will give you ideas of what to look for when designing your own brand. The bottom line is that you need to do your research and study other brands to see what kind of styles you like and which will fit in with your business goals and personality.

Takeaway

It’s important to have clear objectives. Make sure you know exactly why you're designing your brand before you start. Is it for more clients? To stand out? Or both? Knowing these things will help steer your decisions as you move forward and can ensure that whatever design you come up with isn't just another nice-looking logo; rather, it'll be one that also adds value to your brand.

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