7 Secrets to a Perfect Logo
LogoDesign.com Staff
There are a lot of articles on logo design best practices, but we’ve never come across something that concisely states the secrets to creating mind blowing logos. So we decided to develop one ourselves, and here it is!
1. Design your logo using Microsoft Paint.
Microsoft has a plethora of design tools to design stunning logos. Microsoft Word is a great start. They have some amazing arrows, shapes and fantastic wingdings…not to mention their detailed clipart. But you’d be even better off with Microsoft Paint, as it provides you with a more technical set of tools.
2. Use Papyrus or Comic Sans font.
If there’s a more sassy and eye catching font than these two gems, we haven’t seen them. Papyrus looks like it was written on an old scroll, so it will make your business look like it’s been around a while, and plus, it’s really classy. Using it also makes you look like you’ve hired your very own calligrapher, and that’s big league!
Comic Sans shows your fun, creative side with its informal bounce and unique slant to the right. It’s like a cute little poodle that people can’t help but fall in love with.
The best part with these fonts is they’re rarely used.
3. Use as much detail as possible.
Show every detail you can about your business in your logo design. A good vet clinic logo will include images of all the animals the clinic has treated, not just dogs and cats.
Be specific and detailed. For example, if you are a library, you want to add as many elements as possible to attract the greatest number of patrons. Why just do a book, when you can do a book, a picture of your building, a librarian, a person reading by the glow of his living room fireplace, and an owl? Do this and the library card applications will come flooding in!
Got a fax number or license number? Demand that your designer squeeze it in to your logo. People want to know this.
4. What type of business are you?
LLC? Incorporated? Sole Proprietor? Always, always include this information in your logo, otherwise people will be thinking, “Is this guy a limited liability company or what?”
A designer might tell you differently, but remember, your designer doesn’t always know what’s best about marketing and design. Only YOU know what’s best for your company, and YOU are the one that got that company incorporated! So let people know!
5. Vote by committee.
Your logo is too important to put in the hands of one or two people. Include as many people as you can in the decision making process. If possible, make it a company-wide affair, and don’t stop designing it until everyone is satisfied. Have you asked your 2nd cousin twice removed what she thinks? Why shouldn’t she be involved in this important decision? She probably took a design class in high school.
6. Out of ideas? Add a swoosh!
Swooshes are the meat and potatoes of logo design. The swoosh represents speed, customer satisfaction, interaction and forward-thinking. Can you imagine Nike without their swoosh? Look what it did for them? Why shouldn’t you tap into that creativity?
If you don’t know what to do with the swoosh, take your competitors logo and add a swoosh. It shows you’re like your competitor, but better because you’re in motion.
7. The more colors, the better.
Why limit yourself to just one or two colors? You never know what your customer’s favorite color is, so play it safe and if possible, include the whole color spectrum. Leaving out that lime green stripe might cost you a sale.
Use these secrets and your logo will be looking fantastic!
May 24th, 2007
I think you’ve read the minds of some of my customers and managers! Now that that you’ve published it they’ll think they’ve been right all along — thanks a lot!
The thing they never discussed in design class was how to deal with customers and supervisors — that should be a course in itself. At times one of the most valuable tools I’ve had is the jargon I got from school which, when used appropriately, has helped me reduce amateur meddling. Now to get back to adding dancing pink dinosaurs to my department’s IT Approval site….
May 24th, 2007
hahaha… thanks for the laugh! It’s just sad it holds so much truth.
May 25th, 2007
Nice. Thanks for all the great tips. I’m sure my graphic designers will be very open to these suggestions. They love design tips from non-designers. It’s their bread and butter- goes great with the meat and potatoes from all those swooshes they’ll be integrating.
May 25th, 2007
“Can you imagine Nike without their swoosh? Look what it did for them!”
Brilliant.
May 27th, 2007
At first I thought this was a joke. Being a graphic designer, my best advice is for everybody to steer clear of this advice. Logo design requires research and creative thought…it’s not a swoosh here and fancy font with as much detail as you can fit kind of work. This is all horrible advice..and by the way, use Adobe Illustrator, not Microsoft Word.
May 29th, 2007
What changed your mind that this was a joke?
May 29th, 2007
freaking brilliant! lmao! i have had customers say/think some of this… it’s all too true… cheers!
May 29th, 2007
Dude? Cool podcast but the “steps on creating a logo?!” I mean WTF?
Don’t use Paint, don’t use comic sans, don’t use as much detail as possible, don’t use swooshes (shudder) and don’t use too many colours!
May 29th, 2007
This is a joke people! Can’t you see it?!
May 29th, 2007
Lol this is a joke. Or titled how to be the worst graphic designer ever. Or tips for someone that never wants to be a designer.
Logo design is about simplicity.
If you have employees working for you and read this. And actualy thought it would help the designer. You better smack yourself realy hard. And wow if you can make it anyone can make it.
The swoosh logo was made by a art student randomly. Not in clip art lol.
May 30th, 2007
Don’t stick yourself to much on the rules, folks. If it looks good and fits your needs, everything will be perfect!
June 4th, 2007
Lol…This is some funny stuff. At first I thought cool, I get to learn something new! The first tip threw me off a little, then I thought …heck maybe some designers do use Microsoft paint…kudos to them. Then as I read on I realized that it was a joke. Good one!!
June 4th, 2007
They forgot to mention the black stick figure people w/ the long noses that MS has in their clip art collection. How cool are they? They have the one where he has a bright idea, illustrated by an index finger pointing upwards and a light bulb above his head - how cute & lovable! Use that one everywhere!
They should make a cartoon with those guys, that would be so cool!
June 4th, 2007
Nice post,thanks a lot!
June 5th, 2007
out of all, I like the idea of number 6.
upside down, inside out or in every angles!
June 6th, 2007
you should be ashamed of yourself..This is NOT good logo advise..
you have just posted just about every element to avoid..
try another job sweety logo designing is not for you.
June 6th, 2007
good god this is hilarious, but its a decent take on how a client’s head works.
Money is money but it of course, likes to think that it can think. And it can think of course, but money thoughts are different.
June 6th, 2007
The best part about this article were the ridiculously naive commments by Jesse, Owen, and Tammy. Wow. No really, wow.
June 6th, 2007
The people who thought it was NOT a joke obviously don’t design for anyone but themselves (and maybe other designers). Co-workers 3 cubes over could hear me giggling over this gem!
June 6th, 2007
Actually you missed the cream on the cake:
To really impress your clients…always make it bigger.
Rules to live by.
June 6th, 2007
I nominate Tammy for the Awesomest Comment Award. And hesukristo for the Best Name.
June 6th, 2007
IT’S A JOKE, PEOPLE!!!
Excellent, whoever wrote it.
Excellent.
June 6th, 2007
BTW, I’m an American designer living in the UK. I am ashamed of the Olympic logo. UNbelievable how that thing made it so far.
June 7th, 2007
WHAT!? You mean I’ve been doing logo design wrong this whole time?
/sarcasm
June 11th, 2007
This is absolutely hilarious!!! well done on such terrible advice, hehe.
June 11th, 2007
This is absolutely hilarious!! Well done!
June 13th, 2007
i think that if you combine all your tips you would end up with the new Olympic London 2012 logo….
is that bad?
July 16th, 2007
c
August 16th, 2007
ahahaha ROFL this is great!!!! WE WANT MORE!!
creative group from europe
November 24th, 2007
This is of the same tone. Someone sent it to me recently. Take a look.
http://www.makemylogobiggercream.com/
P.S. I’m a little worried about some of you.
February 3rd, 2008
Thanks for sharing
February 9th, 2008
I’d prefer reading in my native language, because my knowledge of your languange is no so well. But it was interesting! Look for some my links:
March 24th, 2008
I’d prefer reading in my native language, because my knowledge of your languange is no so well.
May 22nd, 2008
I’ve never read so much crap in all my life.
There is a reason why Comic Sans isn’t used widley… it’s a rubbish font and looks very amateurish. Voting by committee also leads to delays, basically your saying people are unable to make decisions, if this is the case then their business will fail! Adding swooshes and lots of colours just because you can it rediculous. The only true way to design the perfect logo is by building a relationship with the chosen designer(s). Letting them know everything about your business and through good research and strategy build a brand. Yes changes can be made but having round and round of changes based on 30 people deciding what is best is stupid. Who ever wrote those tips obviously is no designer.
May 22nd, 2008
MAB24097, don’t be hatin’. Print the tips out (in Comic Sans) and hang them up in your office. Do it now.
August 21st, 2008
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September 4th, 2008
Your blog is very much good.
I am very much impressed by your blog content,
i also come across number of sites finding tips in creating a logo…. thank for the tips! Cheers… you can also check these are also very much useful for everyone.
http://www.marketcreations.com.au
September 16th, 2008
That is great, thanks a lot!
January 9th, 2009
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February 12th, 2009
Another idea, keep logos simple.
May 20th, 2009
Мне вот интересно, а комменты которые не нравятся автору здесь стирают?
May 23rd, 2009
Скажите, а можно ли взять новости с вашего блога? Со ссылкой на первоисточник естественно.
May 27th, 2009
Молодец! Целиком и полностью поддерживаю!
June 13th, 2009
Решил Вам помочь и разослал ссылку на этот пост в социальные закладки. Надеюсь поднимется ваша популярность
June 24th, 2009
good post thanks for sharing.
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July 15th, 2009
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September 2nd, 2009
Спасибо.
September 2nd, 2009
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September 9th, 2009
Спасибо!
Отличная информация!
December 24th, 2009
I like it !
February 23rd, 2010
Great article, thanks for the share. Blog bookmarked
October 4th, 2010
Our company creates logos and brand identity and I can tell you these points of “advice” are all too common with small businesses. Thanks for the great read. I worry about the people who thought the article was serious…
October 27th, 2010
Yes, the opening of this installment was entirely kurobara-hen… and I liked the episode in general since it did what I had desired for after episode 3: Take a breather and center on the characters that are already there instead of introducing even more.
January 28th, 2011
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February 22nd, 2011
If anyone read this and didn’t INSTANTLY realise it was some pure sarcastic genius, kill yourself. No joke, you are an idiot and no fun to be around.
Well done on a fantastic post. It was a great read
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