An essential key element to success in company branding is the logo design and launch. This has been true since the dawn of time. Logos serve as an instant identifier of the company brand, so we need to take a great deal of time and effort in creating a logo that will be distinctive, versatile, simple, and practical for the long-term. Here are 7 design tips for creating the perfect corporate logo.



1. Learn from others.

There’s no harm in looking to other successful companies to get ideas on what works and why. Take a look at the “swoosh” of the Nike Company, for example. It’s strong, memorable, and perfectly relatable to the product of sporting apparel.



2. Research your audience.

Logo design is more than creating pretty pictures and graphics. The logo needs to relate your targeted consumer. Before launching a massive campaign with the new company logo, test it out on a focus group first. Involving your customers on the front end might make all the difference in the world.



3. Do not imitate.

While it is perfectly acceptable to look to other successful company logos for inspiration, avoid the temptation to imitate or “copy and tweak” these logos altogether. Your company logo needs to stand on its own and be unique. You don’t want your customers to think that you are a “copycat” or just plain lazy.

4. Sketch it out.

We are so used to heading straight to the computer for almost every marketing strategy, but this can actually be very detrimental to the logo design process. Break out your sketch pad and begin doodling some ideas on paper. It’s a faster and much more effective way that simply lets the creativity flow right from your fingertips.



5. Make the font match the brand.

Match the qualities of the font to the qualities of the brand. Some fonts are elegant, like slab type fonts, others are classic, like scripts or serifs, and some have a feeling of movement and flow, like slanted fonts.

6. Be experimental.

Don’t be afraid to think outside the box. One logo designer named Luke Prowse actually created a logo that never appears the exact same way twice, either when seen online or in print. It changes and pulsates constantly. Have fun and enjoy the creative process if you really want your logo to stand out.



7. Expect your logo design to be criticized.

You can’t please everyone all of the time, and the world of marketing is filled with naysayers. People simply don’t like change, and they tend to react very harshly when change is forced upon them. So expect a rush of negative comments in the initial days of the launching of your new logo. Stick to your guns. Eventually, they will embrace the new design. Besides, if you were to change it a second time, they will likely have even more negative things to say.