10 Golden Rules in Logo Creation Designers Should Never Break (Includes Video)

Last updated - November 18, 2022

First impressions count. A company’s logo is one of the first things consumers notice, and it needs to make a memorable statement. Every brand’s greatest priority is to reach potential customers or clients and attract them to the business. Their logo needs to fulfill this role—fast.

A Logo Designer’s Job

Logo designers are graphic designers who specialize in creating logos. They’re tasked with developing emblems that portray brands in a positive and accurate way. 

There are many elements that go into designing a logo, and no two designers work in exactly the same way. There are some ground rules, however, that most logo designers abide by. 

Never skip preliminary planning 

It should go without saying that logo creation (like all design) requires thorough planning. Some designers tend to gloss over the essential stage of brainstorming ideas, sketching rough drafts, and experimenting with different styles. This results in a less-than-impressive final product. 

Creating a logo doesn’t happen in a vacuum. It requires a huge amount of communication and collaboration between a designer and the company employing them. The initial stage of logo development is probably the most important. This stage provides the best opportunity for people to collaborate and come to an agreement about the finished logo. 

Using free design software is a great way to play around with ideas before making a final decision. Canva Logo Maker is simple to use, as well as offering templates to work from. The basic package is free but upgrades are available. 

Start in monochrome

Working with colors is something graphic designers do every day. But for a logo to succeed it should stand up to the test of black-and-white. In other words, it’s important that the appeal of a logo isn’t totally lost when viewed in monochrome. 

Iconic logos like that of Apple, Nike and Adidas are highly memorable and aesthetically pleasing, whether they’re in black and white or in color. Starting with the bare bones ensures that your design is well-balanced and structured, without relying totally on color to hold things together. You can also use Free Logo Creator which has a wide range of icons and symbols. It’s a drag and drop tool and more easy to use. This is an ideal tool for small firms and startups. 

Find the right balance

When it comes to art in general, there are no hard and fast rules. A logo, however, has a very specific purpose—to represent the brand it stands for, the brand’s unique features, and to appeal to potential customers and clients. Logos often contain a mix of symbols, text, and colors that need calibrating to have the right effect. Achieving a good balance in a logo involves looking at symmetry, contrast, color, shapes, patterns, and movement. 

Using software like Ucraft allows logo designers to create from scratch. This is very helpful in assessing the overall impression of a design and editing it quickly and easily. 

Size and scalability

Designers can’t afford to ignore the issues of size and scale when creating logos. Brands use their logos on a wide variety of products, making adaptability essential. 

A logo on a business card might be one square inch, but designers need to keep in mind that their canvas size isn’t static. The final design needs enough detail to look sophisticated, but it must be simple enough to distinguish when scaled down too. 

Be selective with color

Logos must be eye-catching, but that doesn’t mean being loud or garish. A graphic containing many colors is confusing to the eye. Picking out the central feature becomes impossible when you’re trying to process too many things at once. The most recognizable logos usually contain a maximum of three colors—the rainbow palette of Google being the exception. The bright yellow of Mcdonald’s, red Coca-Cola slogan, and light blue Twitter logo are so easy to remember because of their simple style. 

Always link to the company and product

Logo designers have the difficult task of creating an aesthetically pleasing visual that also embodies a brand’s character and ethos. Each company desires a unique logo that consumers will remember and automatically associate with the brand. 

Logos don’t need to be too literal, but creating some connection with the product in question is essential. The Swoosh (Nike tick), for example, doesn’t literally look like a running shoe, but it’s still immediately recognizable and consumers relate it to the footwear brand.

KISS—Keep It Simple, Stupid

This concept, used decades ago in the US Navy, is something that all designers should follow, whether they’re designing a logo or a magazine cover. Keeping things simple should apply to all elements of a logo: colors, typography, structure, and overall composition. 

The simpler the better. Consumers just don’t have the capacity to remember complex logos when there are so many around them already. 

Prioritize communication and collaboration

Designing a logo isn’t the job of any one individual. While a talented graphic designer is fundamental in creating a logo, starting the process without proper input from the company in question is like trying to build a house without foundations. 

A designer can work with many elements to develop something aesthetically pleasing and memorable. But to capture the essence of a brand there needs to be constant and open communication and collaboration. A client might know nothing about design principles, but they do know about their brand and what it stands for. 

Stick to one font—and the right one

The typeface used in a logo is one of the most important considerations faced by the designer. Just as different colors are associated with different brands, different fonts and typography become synonymous with the company they represent. 

It’s easy to see how important typeface choice is in logos when you look at companies like Disney, HBO, and CNN. These logos are clearly recognizable and embody the relevant characteristics.  

Once you’ve learned the rules…break them

Rules are made to be broken, right? 

This might seem counterintuitive, but part of being a good logo designer (and designer in general) is knowing when to push the boundaries and break away from guidelines. The purpose of a logo is to be an instantly recognizable emblem that evokes a particular emotion and then prompts an action, usually the purchase of some product. 

There are hundreds of thousands of companies in every industry, each with a unique brand identity. This makes the task of creating a unique logo a daunting one. Look at other designers’ work and online portfolios, but don’t copy it directly. Draw inspiration from what came before, then apply your creative skills in a new and out-the-box way. 

Tips To Bear In Mind

These ten rules, although extremely helpful, are not the only guidelines you should follow when designing a logo. Experience in all fields of graphic design can inform your creative process and getting inspiration from other designers’ work is an integral part of conceiving your own ideas. When it comes to that, however, it’s a complete no-no to base your designs on someone else’s. 

Logos are not the only thing you can use as inspiration. 

Looking at the world around you and picking out visually striking elements can prove very useful. Especially when you’re trying to find the perfect design that links to a particular product. Shell’s logo, for example, is instantly recognizable even when the company’s name is omitted. Most people don’t know that the name “Shell”, along with the seashell emblem, originated from the shells imported from Asia to America in the late 1800s. The simple design is now associated with the international oil and gas company, even though it has no direct connection to their purpose. 

Logo design is a highly specialized field. Creators who enter into it need to be prepared to work hard and smart. The responsibility of designing logos that attract consumers to products makes this career both challenging and rewarding. 

Further reading

• Free graphic design software
• Understanding when to redesign your website.
• Biggest Mistakes in Logo Design You Should Avoid