Logos are an important tool when it comes to creating brand identity and communicating products/services to potential customers. But, when they don’t communicate these things, they are probably not fulfilling their purpose and this happens because they were poorly designed.
In this article, you will know what makes a poor logo design and how you can avoid these common mistakes.
It’s very detailed:
Many businesses commit this mistake, they think by giving their logos many details they will effectively communicate their message to the audience. Things don’t work that way, especially in designing and in marketing campaigns. The key to success here is to keep things simple and not complex.
The reason strong emphasis is put on keeping things simple is that people easily recognize simpler designs and remember them without any problem. On other hand, complex logos distract the audience and make them confused.
Irrelevant symbols:
The main job of any logo is to communicate the brand’s message but if it doesn’t contain relevant symbols then people will not be able to connect that design with the brand. Many times designers create logos that look aesthetically pleasing but are not relevant and they fail to make an impact.
Before jumping into designing; firstly, do market research and see what types of symbols and typefaces would look relevant. Always incorporate those symbols and typefaces into your custom logo that best reflects your brand.
It relies on colours:
Yes, many inexperienced designers commit this mistake and unfortunately, brands pay the price for such mistakes. To avoid this, the best option is to design your logo without relying on colours. This will enable you to come up with the best creative ideas. Once your logo looks perfectly fine without colours then you can start playing with colours.
Furthermore, only add fewer colours to your designs otherwise many colours will make your logo look messy and unprofessional. Also, colour psychology plays an important role in a customer’s purchase behaviour. So, add those who can best reflect and gives meaning.
Contains stock imagery:
Just because these images are free to download, doesn’t make them a good choice for your custom logo design. Never make such images part of your emblems because they are not unique and the other reason is that the owners of these images allow you to use them for personal use and not for commercial use. You will end up getting sued by the owners of these images and you don’t want that.
Even if they don’t bring any trouble you still shouldn’t use them because they come in pixel-based raster files. Raster images lose their quality and magic when they are oversized, which doesn’t make them scalable. Avoid them at all costs.
Not Unique:
To make an impact, your emblem has to be unique and different from others, so it can stand out from the competition. After all, that’s the main purpose of logos but many ventures don’t have distinct elements on their designs and fail to influence customers. Today, people come across more brands and they don’t remember them all.
To grab the attention of your potential customers you must have a uniqueness in your design. Furthermore, when you copy others you damage your authenticity and personality in the market. People will never embrace your logo because it is copied.
Designed by an amateur:
You have invested heavily in your venture with time and capital and it probably took you years to reach that far to become a professional. Similarly, an experienced designer spends years in the designing industry to become a professional. So, why are you relying on an amateur to design a logo for your professional business?
Yes, amateurs cost very little money but don’t expect quality work from them. Various professional companies offer custom logo design services, you should take their service. Some of the companies work fast and will have your logo delivered within 48 hours.
It’s not versatile:
There are many reasons why logos are not versatile. It may be because of colours, file formats, complexity and various other reasons. Versatile logos are those which are highly adaptable to different platforms and maintain their quality and magic throughout the different platforms.
To have a versatile logo, try to create your design with transparent background, utilize your negative space effectively and follow a minimalistic approach. These are the qualities of versatile designs.
Conclusion:
Poorly designed logos are complex; they heavily rely on colours, may contain stock images, and are designed by an amateur. Also, they are not scalable and versatile. When you buy a logo make sure to check all these factors.