The most successful business logos don’t just show off your brand, they also show off your message.

Logo designers are a bit like master chefs. Creating an effective logo for a brand calls for many different ingredients that interact with one another in a very complicated way. A logo needs to stand out in a crowd, but it also can’t be too busy. It also must appeal to the company’s audience.

Whether you’re a novice designer or an experienced veteran, it helps to have a refresher about what makes a good logo work. The infographic below illustrates all of the important qualities that a successful logo must have, including a distinctive style, an enduring aesthetic and an elegantly simple message.

A version of this article was originally posted on the Company Folders blog here.