The first time you see the Logo design created by your graphic design team is exciting. It’s interesting to see how vague ideas, general thoughts, and sometimes conflicting input gets pulled together into a representation of your company. Turning the abstract into a concrete design can be an overwhelming and even emotional experience.

Now that you have that first draft of a logo in your hands, it’s time to evaluate it in the most objective way possible. Good logos have both a great first impression and a timeless appeal. They look clean and bold at first glance but have deeper elements that reveal themselves with time.

Think, for instance, of the Amazon logo. The arrow underneath looks like it could be a smile, relating to the smile on the customer’s face after receiving a purchase. However, upon further inspection, you realize that the smile is an arrow that starts at the A and points to the Z in “Amazon.” This represents how the company sells everything from A to Z.

First Glance

It’s a good idea to take a pen and piece of paper and write down your first impression when you see your logo.

Some of the same feelings you experience may be what your customers and prospective clients feel as well.

• Do you have a strong negative feeling, but can’t articulate why?
  • That’s okay. It is still a valid response. It may be a subconscious feeling or a gut reaction, but you still may dislike the design.
  • You may also find that you really like a particular design and can’t pinpoint why. Either way, the feeling is acceptable.
  • Regardless of whether you have a positive or negative first response, if it is a strong impression, you probably won’t be able to overcome it. You shouldn’t have to wait for an explanation from the designer. Your customers will not have that benefit.

• A logo should work on its own.
  • A logo should stand out when viewed quickly.
  • Too many intricate pieces and it’s ineffective when seen at a glance. Imagine someone driving down the highway and seeing your logo on a billboard or perhaps they just get a quick peek as you hand them your business card.
  • In either of these situations, people need to be able to quickly “get” your logo without deep analysis of its meaning.
• Does your logo look just as good up close as it does in the distance?
  • You should be able to use your logo on a variety of different sized mediums without reducing the quality or readability.
  • If you’re scaling your logo make sure you’ve designed it in vector formatting. If not, logo distortion will happen.

Deeper Elements

While first impressions are important, sometimes it’s the deeper elements that make a design truly wow people. You’ll want to mull over your design options and see which ones truly grow on you the more that you look at them. In most cases, the stronger the concept behind the logo, the more you’ll like it as time goes by.

Some of the best logo designs are those that tell a story. The concept or story will help you to connect with your audience and continue to resonate with them as time goes on. Without this story element, a design lacks substance or depth. If the design only has “style points,” it will become outdated quickly. Remember that your own design may grow stale as trends change, so sometimes the simpler, more classic elements are those that tend to last.

Another thing to keep in mind as you’re evaluating your logo is, is it memorable? You want customers and potential customers to remember and recognize your logo. Following that, is your logo easy to read? If it’s not easy to read chances are people won’t remember your logo.

Opinions of Others

Designers tend to dislike it when a logo must meet the approval of several people. The more opinions involved, the more difficult to find that right design. In the end, your concept will be so watered down that it lacks the excitement of its original concept. However, that doesn’t mean that your logo should remain a secret until a grand unveiling.

Sometimes you want to ask trusted individuals what they think. This is a good idea because everyone brings different experiences with them when evaluating a design. Perhaps one person may feel that it has similarities with a brand that you are not familiar with. Or perhaps another may have other valid objects to the design that you are leaning towards.

A good way to get the opinions of others is by asking, “does this logo stand out amongst competitors?” Place your logo and your competitors logos side-by-side and compare. This type of critique allows you to see if your logo pops out, or blends in with the competitors.

It’s good to hear these opinions before you have selected a sole design, although you still can rely on your own opinion for the final cut.

Final Thoughts

Don’t feel that you are “stuck” with whatever first design you receive from your team. They should be able to continue to refine the logo after showing it to you the first time. But speak up if you don’t like a particular color or a direction they are headed. This will help your designer avoid ideas that you may already have dismissed as unacceptable and help the team create something that you are truly excited to share as your brand symbol. Other final thoughts you’ll want to think about it:

• Does this logo look good in black and white? Your logo will not always be printed in color, there will be times when it needs to be printed in black and white.
• It is timeless? If you or client isn’t planning on getting another logo designed anytime soon, you’ll want to make sure that the one you’re working on can stand the test of time.
• Can this logo be used across different medias? Chances are your logo will be on business cards, banners, posters, letterheads, postcards, and so on. It’s key that your logo fits your brand identity.

A logo is a visual representation of your brand, and typically it’s the first experience a customer has with your brand. Knowing this, your logo should connect with the viewer and invoke some emotion to turn them from viewer to user. A strong and successful logo is the result of a careful evaluation, teamwork, and quality design. If you’re stuck and need help designing a logo Electro Image, LLC. can assist you, we’ll listen to your ideas, give you suggestions based on your audience to help craft an impactful logo for your brand. No matter how or where you use your logo, digital or print, a logo designed by Electro Image, LLC. will be clear, crisp, and memorable. With the help of our graphic designers, your logo will be able to travel across mediums and pack a professional punch.

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