What You Need to Know About Logo Design

Author:  Mitch Keeler

It is coming close to the end of the year, and around this time we start looking at what has and what has not worked on our various web sites.  One thing that can often need a visual refresh is the logo of a web site or business.  Here are some helpful tips for those of you out there that want to do a logo redesign or might want to create a logo for the very first time.

great-logo-design

Remember, keep your designs unique. Nobody likes a logo that looks like everybody else.  You have to be the circus clown in the crowd of businessmen.  Do not copy somebody else’s work.  You also want to be careful about following any general design fads that are going on for the time.  For example, Apple computers often inspires a “gel” like logo, that many have copied.

Keep special effects at a minimum too. Sure, it might look cool to set the entire thing on fire in Photoshop, but it isn’t the best idea when it comes to logo design.  You want your logo to be simple enough to be remembered and also adaptability needs to come into play too.  You might need for it to be large, small, printed on a cup, made into wallpaper.  Make sure your logo is ready for any situation that may arise.

Colors should be the last thing you need to worry about. You may have a favorite color scheme already for your site, so dropping in some of the strongest colors from that would be very easy to do.  Also, make sure you logo stands out a ‘bit from the rest.  For example, you don’t want to have a black background and a dark grey logo.  It is too hard to see.  In that example, it might be best to keep the background black and the logo white.

If you need a good place to get inspiration from, or to see what others are doing (remember tip number one, keep it unique) visit:  http://logopond.com/

That have tons of great logos you can browse through to see what other people might be doing.

Where does Lunarpages help you with logo creation?  Well, as a part of our $775 software deal, you can download the Logo Creator for free to help you along the way.

  • lanespiral

    verrrrry cool

  • http://warehouse.carlh.com Carl

    As a professional graphic designer, web designer, and freelance artist I get a kick out of the phrase “Keep special effects at a minimum” when the lunarpages icon has chrome metal rings, gradients, and a drop shadow. I kid because I love; it is a very nice logo that’s clean, and the effects are organized; that’s the difference. If you’re going to use fancy effects, they have to be tasteful and organized, not showboaty and chaotic.

  • http://blog.lunarpages.com Mitch Keeler

    Yes, but it isn’t on fire Carl. :) I would consider Lunarpages’s logo the entire logo+works myself. Lunarpages does a good job because it is unique and if you put it in a lineup, I think most people would be able to pick it out if they knew about the Lunarpages business.

  • http://www.indiecognition.com indiecognition

    Logo Lounge…a very cool site, particularly the annual pages in the “Logo Trends” section.

  • http://www.theagilebadger.com Curt

    Thanks for the tips, Mitch. Like Carl, designing logos is a big part of my freelance work, and I grapple with the idea of uniqueness with every design. I’ve concluded that being unique is not what we should strive for.

    By its strict definition, no logo is unique because its graphical elements rely on familiar themes in order to effectively communicate an elemental idea to the widest possible audience. I think being “distinct” is actually a higher goal. The Lunarpages example is not unique because the theme of “orbit path around globe” is a fairly common visual element in logo design. But the logo is certainly distinct in that the manner in which its portrayed is different enough from the others to set it apart. And in that way, I think it’s quite successful.

    I know I’m putting too fine a point on it, but I’m on my third cup of coffee and the fingers just can’t stop typing…

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