- Reading time: 4 mins
- Topics:
- Graphic Design
You’re 4 years old and riding in the backseat of your parents’ car. Much to your delight, they plan to stop and grab a quick bite to eat before they bring you to play with a friend. You glance up through the window as the car slows down and see golden arches. You know what those mean!
“McDonald’s!” you say. Whether it has been 20, 30, or 40 years since you were a small child, you probably still know exactly what those golden arches mean when you see them. Even when you were young, you were probably able to associate the symbol with a happy meal.
Logos are powerful. They can fill you with nostalgia, recognition, and even happiness. More importantly, they tell someone who you are and what you do through thoughtful design and carefully selected imagery. Your logo is only one aspect of your brand, but some would argue it’s the most important part. Creating brand recognition and helping form positive associations with your logo requires consistency, great marketing, and a great logo to start. Here are a few reasons why forgoing a DIY logo and working with a designer to create your brand is an important choice for your business:
- A professional graphic designer will use color theory. Did you know that in the United States we consider red a color of warning, whereas in China it’s used as a color of celebration and in South Africa it’s a color of mourning? A designer will keep your target audience in mind as they’re putting your logo together and use colors that will work well for your business.
- You’ll receive a variety of logo formats when you have your logo done professionally. Do you know the difference between an .EPS, .JPG, and .AI file? A designer does, and they’ll be sure to provide you with multiple formats of your logo and tell you what each is best for.
- A designer will create a timeless logo. It’s easy to get caught up in the latest design trends, however a great logo should be visually appealing and timeless. Handwritten fonts, starbursts, and certain loud colors have no place in your logo design. Visual trends come and go, but a designer knows which logos, colors, and imagery will withstand the test of time. Creating a DIY logo may not necessarily lead to a timeless design.
- They’ll make intentional design and imagery choices. A good graphic designer will create a logo that has certain visual cues that represent your business. For example, Canva, a visual design program, published an article about the hidden meanings behind famous logos and used Amazon as an example: “Amazon is a powerhouse when it comes to online shopping, and their logo reflects that. The yellow arrow in their logo starts at the letter ‘a’ and ends at the letter ‘z,’ implying that they sell everything from a to z. The arrow also represents a smile, with the arrowhead being a stylized dimple or smile line. The smile indicates the happiness people feel when they shop with Amazon.” These details may seem small, but they were intentionally made to help represent their goals and business model.
- They’ll tell you how to use it. A designer has your best interests in mind. They’ll provide you with black, white, and color versions of your logo and tell you when you should use each. They’ll also explain distorting and skewing so you don’t make your logo look unrecognizable. When choosing a designer to create your brand, see if they will provide a brand style guide to help you consistently use your brand moving forward.
There are a lot of considerations to make when you’re deciding on a logo for your business (or you’re thinking about rebranding). Enlisting the help of a professional graphic designer instead of creating a DIY logo will make the process easier for you, and it will ensure that you have a logo that’s well-designed, timeless, and accurately represents your business.
If you’re interested in learning more about our logo design process at Pulse, we offer free 30-minute consultations and would be happy to talk with you about how we can help start your business off on the right foot.
