7 mistakes to avoid so that you can prevent your logo design from turning into a disaster

7 mistakes to avoid so that you can prevent your logo design from turning into a disaster

Many of the most successful logos can be hand drawn by a child because of their simplicity and strong memorability. Designing the perfect logo for your company is anything but easy. Below are the biggest mistakes made when creating a logo design. When you avoid these mistakes, rest assured, your logo will not be a disaster.

Error #1: An Overloaded Design

Many people believe this, particularly when creating a company logo. In fact, they clutter their logo as much as possible with many elements. Their basic idea is to attract as many people as possible by showing all the services they offer. But this is a fatal error because the more the logo is cluttered, the harder it will be to be remembered by potential customers. So avoid at all costs to overload your logo. The more the design is simple and less details it contains, the easier it is to remember.

Error #2: Resemblance to existing logos

Of course there are countless logos around us and it can be tempting to imitate a successful logo. Avoid this trap, as a design that is too similar or a copy can be confusing. Anyone who commits to this path is rarely successful and takes a huge risk. If the logo is already registered as a trademark, an impersonation can be expensive and ruin its reputation. Rather, create an original and unique design that stands out from your competitors.

Error #3: Incorrect choice of colors

Many people think that the more colours a logo has, the more attention it attracts and the easier it is to remember. It may attract attention but it is not easy to recognize. One thing that is memorized is the multicolored character of the logo. Only a few people can remember each colour.

As more colours are used, there is a higher risk that the colours are not in harmony or form a low contrast. That can be fatal, since a good logo design should be clearly recognizable in black and white as well, which is why strong contrast is so important.

By testing your logo in different versions, not only in black and white, but also in different shades of colour, you can ensure that your logo will always be recognizable. The coloured version of the logo may not always be used but rather the black and white version. Unfortunately, you cannot always determine how your logo will be displayed, so be ready for all eventualities. To do this, lean towards a single colour. If there are no other options, choose a maximum of two colors.

Error #4: Unreadable fonts

You may want to have a logo that has an unusual font and stands out completely from the others. But be careful, if a font is too fancy, the text may be unreadable. It can have serious consequences because what is the point of having the best brand image when your brand name is not readable.

In addition, the use of multiple fonts can be perceived as a lack of seriousness. So instead lean towards using a single font that will be consistent with the brand image, the company, and the industry. This alone is a difficult task. In case a slogan must be inserted in the logo, a clearly legible font must be chosen. No more than two fonts should be used.

Also select the font size that is proportional with the image. In this case, you have to find the right size between a font that is too big or too small.

Error #5: Designing a logo without a concept

You just get the idea and get started. Many times we have the best ideas and we can let our creativity run free. This may be true, but does the end result convey the desired message and does the target audience respond optimally? It is better to think well in advance about who your target audience is. Don’t try to match the mass, it rarely works.

Consider also what message you want to convey through your logo and what emotions your design should convey. When you have defined a message and a target audience, you can then search for a representative figure.

From then on you can start looking for ideas and design work. Occasionally it is better to make your first logo in black and white. This way you will see if the logo looks good or not. Once the design is ready, you can use colours. You have a lot of choice here. Do not choose colours based solely on your taste, as each colour has an effect and conveys a message.

Error #6: Design your logo even if you are a design lover

“Anyone can design a logo; it’s child’s play!”
Now you know the biggest logo creation errors and you can start making your own logo. Is this what you think? To know mistakes is one thing, but applying it professionally is another. You may have a limited or insufficient budget, which is generally the case with startups, but you can still help. There are a lot of Dos and Don’ts when it comes to logo design. It is imperative to have basic knowledge in graphic design if not you will not be able to judge the quality of designs.

Error #7: Incorrect format

A logo created on Powerpoint or Photoshop and saved as a JPG file is more than enough. False! Some of the formats you may not even have heard of can be very useful. You may not yet know all the media on which your logo will be used. It may initially be displayed on your website, business cards and letterheads, but eventually it may be followed by an advertising poster or vehicle markings. In order to be able to use the logo in all sizes without any loss of quality or to make changes, it is necessary to have the logo in a vector format such as EPS or AI. For the website alone, the JPG format may not be sufficient. A PNG file may be more useful, because in this type of format, the logo has a transparent background. In addition, the background color of the design can be changed without white edges appearing, which is inevitable in JPG format.