Nine common myths about logo design
When creating a business, every entrepreneur is confronted with the question of identification (to put it simply, something that will make the business more easily recognizable). You have probably already guessed: we are talking here about the logo.
There are many myths that some entrepreneurs take for rules, especially novices. And yet, by applying them, they make mistakes. In this article, we will see which myths are most common in logo creation and how to avoid making mistakes. Some of them are even made by large budget companies. However, if you are striving to become a successful businessman or woman and are using your budget wisely, this article can help you save money.
1. Logo must be expensive
Achieving excellence for the success is common. A perfect design of your logo, website or mobile application effectively increases your chances of success in business. As proof, 80% of small businesses consider the design of a logo, website and other element of their identity as being very important for their success. On the other hand, only 3% of them believe the opposite.
However, do you really have to use all your resources to create another masterpiece of graphic design? Maybe not, especially if you’re an entrepreneur. You need a logo that will represent your company well, that will distinguish you from your competitors, but that will not necessarily cost you a fortune.
The success of the logo depends on its quality and not on the cost of the design. For example, Carolyn Davidson, a student in the design department at the University of Portland, created a logo for an unknown company in 1971 for only $35. That company was Nike. Was logo creation very expensive at that time? No. Does the logo work? Yes. And there are a lot of examples like that.
Let’s see the prices of the logos of some famous companies. For example, the Coca-Cola logo cost $0, the Nike logo $35, and the Twitter logo $15. However, Pepsi paid $1M and BP $221M. Prices differ, but all logos work the same way in their field.
But sad as it may sound, many companies don’t bother to create a logo.
TJ McCue says that about 50% of small businesses don’t have a website, Facebook page or LinkedIn profile. Many are profitable and word of mouth based, but have no online presence, which does not bother them. Some of them have, I dare say, a logo with burning text. And one day, they will find it embarrassing and want to change it, and then, little by little, they will worry about this problem that is very easy to solve. So, to avoid finding yourself in the same situation, adopt the right strategy to have a satisfied customer and make profit in the long term and do not take the lead for your logo.
Robert Jones, Professor of Branding at the University of East Anglia, says that a logo is the way you are recognized and helps to express your difference from your competitors: warmer, greener, stronger, etc. And people need an image to look at. As Aristotle said,’the soul cannot think without an image’. At the same time, people do not evaluate you on the strength of your logo, but on the quality of your product or service. So it is more important.
2. I need a logo with a trendy design
Reading another article about next year’s logo design trends, you want to create one that follows this wave. But as David Airey wrote in his book “Logo and Corporate Identity Designer’s Guide”, when it comes to logo design and brand identity, trends must be left to the fashion industry.
Trends come and go. What you really don’t need is to invest a lot of time and money in a design that will become obsolete almost overnight.
Longevity matters more than any other parameter, and the logo must live as long as the company it represents. You can of course change it from time to time and improve some details, but the basic idea must be kept.
3. My logo must be better than Apple and Starbucks
This is a worthy aspiration, but you have little chance of imitating the success of well-known companies. Moreover, taking up someone else concept is not the best choice. To get customer’s attention, you need to stand out from the crowd instead of copying other people’s ideas.
It is better to analyze why the logos of famous companies have become a success and draw conclusions from their experience. For example, think about why the Coca-Cola logo hasn’t changed since 1987. The Nike logo is also an excellent example of a strong, memorable, effective logo without being in color.
4. Everyone needs to understand what my company does by looking at my logo
It is one of the most widespread myths around logo creation. Most small businesses create a logo that only shows the products they sell, with visuals seen and reviewed. Under these conditions, how will your company stand out from the competition if each company uses the same idea?
The logo should not literally describe what the company does. For example, the Audi logo is not a car and the Hawaiian Airlines logo is not an aircraft.
5. The logo must contain a hidden message like FedEx’s
Yes, it’s a good idea to stand out from the competition and make your logo memorable. But let’s be honest, did your attitude towards FedEx change after you discovered that an arrow is hidden between the letters E and X? Have you started ordering more from Amazon after noticing a hidden smile?
This is unlikely because it is not important for the consumer. The important things are service, reasonable pricing and product quality. That’s why your prospects are ready to become customers of your company even if your logo is not very cool.
I’m not saying your logo shouldn’t have hidden elements. However, if you don’t know how to use these elements concisely and clearly, don’t focus too much on them. A logo can always be modified and you can campaign on it like Google did.
6. If my team liked the logo, customers will like it too
You create the logo for your customers and not for yourself or your colleagues and friends. You need to have a good understanding of who your customers are and what they want. To achieve this, you need to define the characteristics of your company that you want to convey to your audience and try to create a logo that will show them those characteristics.
7. The logo first, the sales and then the brand image
It’s common to spend time on your logo it’s the first thing your customers see, it’s the look of your business, the look that will reflect what you do. But what do many inexperienced entrepreneurs do by creating a startup? That’s right, they create the logo and brand identity, but at the same time they invest a lot of time and money.
Designing a logo is a creative process that requires significant resources. When starting a business, it is important to save time and money on product development. So think about focusing on products, sales and team recruitment in the early stages of business development.
This does not mean that you should not have a logo or that it should be of poor quality. There are several ways to create a good logo with a reduced budget. For example, you can use online logo design tools like Logaster, or find freelancers.
8. Logo is not important for the success of the company
Many people underestimate the importance of the logo and see it as an image to be created and put wherever possible (on the website, social networks, business cards, etc.) to show that you are as good as others.
The problem is that the logo has to be seen as a tool from which you can benefit.
If your products are excellent, your prices acceptable in terms of marketing and sales, and if you are better than your competitors, a quality logo can help you distinguish yourself from others and attract more customers.
Here is a simple and common example. Let’s say you’re buying milk at the supermarket and have trouble choosing between two options: one with a logo, another without. Which item would you choose? Under the same conditions, you are more likely to choose the item with a logo because the logo is also a symbol of quality, the face of the company. The packaging with the logo appears more credible than the one without. So you can take advantage of the logo.
There are also other elements that can affect the logo, notably the company’s recognition, credibility, loyalty and brand image.
9. If I am not good at design, a designer can do it all right
Creating a logo is a graphic design skill. However, that doesn’t mean that if you don’t know anything about design at all, a designer will do the work for you and create a logo that works.
As a business owner, you need to know the specifics of your business and its characteristics. Thus, you must be constantly involved in the development of the logo. A good designer will always ask you a few questions to learn more about your company and your competitors. You should talk as much as possible about yourself, your vision of the company and its values.
When the designer understands for whom is he designing the logo for, which consumers he must attract and the information or message to convey, only then can he get the job done. Of course, you don’t have to be with him all the time. A constructive dialogue must be maintained during the preparation of technical specifications. At that point, you should define everything and give as much information about yourself as possible. The next step will be updates and corrections. Thus, you will obtain a logo of quality which will play in your favor.
The logo is undoubtedly an important element for any company. However, keep in mind that the most important thing must be the quality of the product because a quality logo is often not enough to guarantee a company’s success.