Today I'd like to talk to you about the key aspect in the corporate identity of a company, the logo. As we very well know, a company's logo is the cornerstone that identifies them in all their communications. I seriously doubt that you'll find an ad by Nike without their logotype or isotype. This time I'd like to talk about the steps towards creating a good logotype.

In several occasions in this blog we've explained what is a logo and its importance, what differences there are between an imagetype or an isotype or isologo, what qualities a logo should have in the process of creation and development, how to select the most appropriate logo colours that strengthen the empathy between the brand and its audience or how to choose the tipography that best fits so that your message is received with the right attitude, intention and clarity.

Now then, aside from all this content we've been sharing with you, there are more factors to take into consideration for a logo to function well and to be coherent with the different steps or actions that lead to that final sale or that create awareness of a project, business or product.

I'm telling you all this because not long ago a designer named Borja Acosta de Vizcaíno published a very simple guide in visual format to help people clearly understand the 11 steps to creating a perfect logo.

In this post we want to share this guide with you and to give you our humble comments.

 

11 Steps to a Perfect Logo

 

• Does it work vertically?  Keep in mind your logo should be versatile to work correctly across all channels you use to communicate about your company, from a vertical or horizontal banner, a label, a card...

 

• Does it work without a box around it? Depending on the case, the logo might need to have a box around it in your corporate colours so that it is understood and stands our from an image or simply so that it is more visible.

 

• Can you sketch it near-instantly? In part the cleverness of a logo is in the simplicity of its lines. You can probably easily draw Nike's isotype, the three diamonds of Mitsubishi or the F of Facebook.

 

• Does it use less than two fonts? The identity must be clear, so more than two fonts can generate confusion for the brand.

 

• The abstract aspect of the logo comes before the literal aspect. If you can imagine it you will be able to draw it.

 

• The brand or corporate identity is the sum of all its parts. The logo, isn't. Essentially, a good logo is unique by itself.

 

• The logo is a suggestion, the first impression, a clue to what is hidden beneath.

 

• The logo's job is to portray a legible, recognisable face to your brand. As Borja says, the logo is the image that represents the values and personality of a company and the importance comes from there.

 

• Don't focus on choosing the colour. First, it's important to decide if the logo is more technical or if it follower a certain trend. It's all about knowing what you want to project or transmit.

 

• First, determine the identity of the brand and then define the logotype. Before defining a logo you must know for certain what the brand personality is, what message you want to communicate and all the other intrinsic aspects the brand represents.

 

• Assume this identity from day one, there will always be someone who doesn't like the logo. Don't worry, the logo must carry out one key function, to be the link between your brand and your audience, in line with the brand personality. Try to not let other people's opinion affect your decision. 😉

 

When you hire a designer or agency to develop the identity of your company keep in mind these simple tips that Borja so graciously provided. Maybe it'll save you a headache when you start to design the perfect logotype for your project.