When we are working on designing a logo, there are many variables to consider, and the most important one is “how is the intended target audience going to react to the logo?” Really, it doesn’t matter if I think it’s an artistic masterpiece, or if your wife/husband/mother-in-law thinks it’s a great match to the office decor. What matters is what it’s going to take to get your intended audience to take money out of their pocket and put it in yours. And your logo is the first step to making that happen. If you have a cheesy, low-quality logo that could be mistaken for multiple others…then your odds aren’t real good of getting anywhere near this person’s purse-strings.
So, while you should understand your target audience, you don’t necessarily have the same triggers. Consider these thoughts when evaluating your logo:
- Does your logo convey professionalism that will make this potential client trust you?
- Does it hit your potential client in his heart? gut? brain? where the trigger to make that decision lies?
- Does the logo clear define what market/genre/niche your business fits in? Will your potential clients see it and think, “Wait! What’s that? I want to check it out…” (Seriously, show me a logo that looks military related and I have to go see what it is!)
- Can you read your logo? Yes. I’m serious. Many logos we are requested to mimic are completely impossible to read when you are looking at it at any size under 8in x 8in. Trust your designer when they say simple is better. Super fancy fonts and overly swirly embellishments are great on your wedding invitations, but they shouldn’t be on a logo that you will be reducing to a Facebook sized profile image. If no one can tell what it is…they will move on to your competition.
Your logo is the keystone to your company’s brand recognition. You did your research, you hired someone you felt you could trust to design the logo in a way that would achieve your desired outcome. So whether it’s to sell pajamas to dog lovers, or widgets to NASA, you should trust that your designer has done their own research and can apply the right design elements to your logo that will help your business succeed.
