CrazyLeaf Editorial A great logo is a versatile marketing tool, able to convey messages about your company at a glance and serving as one of the primary graphics for you to use on your website, product packaging, and more.
With that said, there’s a lot that goes into making a logo that is truly exceptional versus one that is merely a piece of abstract art with your company’s name on it. In order to truly stand out from the competition, your logo needs to be unique in all the right ways. Outlined below are five tips that you can use to make your logo stand out from your competitors.
Avoid Clichés and Design Fads
The world of graphic design is not immune to fads and clichés. Every so often, a certain design style or concept will gain a lot of traction and designers everywhere will start using it in the logos that they design. The problem is that it doesn’t take long for these design fads to become clichés.
Examples of these logo clichés abound, from the use of multi-colored dots to typography logos where the key design element is an overlapping of two letters. While these logos may look professional, the fact that there are countless other logos that look just like them makes it hard for these logos to stand out from the crowd.
It’s always better to strive to create something new and original rather than relying on a template that is overused to the point of being a cliché. Spend a little time looking at the various logo designs that are commonly and work with a logo designer who is willing to think outside the box to create something that is unlike anything already out there.
Use a Custom Typeface
The font that is used to spell out the company name in a logo is one of the most important parts of a logo’s design. Far too often, though, designers simply open up their font menu and choose from a list of pre-set fonts rather than coming up with a unique, hand-drawn font.
There’s nothing wrong with using a pre-set font so long as the font is not the centerpiece of your logo’s design. If you are creating a typographic logo, though, or even a logo where the typeface is a central element of the logo’s design, you’ll be well-served to hire a designer who is willing to create a custom typeface for your logo.
Nothing sets a logo apart quite like a unique, custom typeface that is a work of art in and of itself. In fact, some of the most recognizable logos in the world feature custom typeface. If you want your logo to stand out from the competition, making every aspect of it custom – including the typeface – is a great place to start.
Simplicity is Your Friend
Many times, when people set out to create a unique and recognizable logo, they shy away from simplicity. They see adding tons of bells and whistles as a way to make sure their logo is unique, however, sometimes too much complexity in a design waters down its effectiveness. Keep in mind that your logo needs to be recognized and understood at a glance rather than being a complex piece of art that needs to be fully analyzed to be appreciated.
Think of some of the most iconic logos in the world today such as the Apple logo or the Nike swoosh. These logos are as simple as they come in their design, and yet they are completely unique and instantly recognizable.
It’s not a bad thing to want your logo to have more going on in its design than these examples, however, it’s also certainly not a bad thing to come up with a simple yet unique design that is clean-cut and professional. Don’t be afraid of simplicity when designing a logo; sometimes, simplicity can be your best friend.
Consider the Importance of Color
Another cornerstone of a logo’s design is its color scheme, and the choosing which colors your logo should use is not a decision that should be taken lightly. Colors have meaning and significance that people are able to absorb without consciously realizing it.
Blue and white, for example, can be used to convey the ideas of cleanliness and purity, a green color scheme can be used to convey the idea that a company is natural and eco-friendly, and a red color scheme can be used to generate excitement and convey the ideas of adventure and passion. These, of course, are just a few of the ways that color can be used to convey meaning.
In addition to using color to broadcast a message, color is also an essential part of your logo’s aesthetics. A big part of making your logo stand out is making it eye-catching and pleasant to look at, and the colors you choose play a big role in helping you achieve this.
Create an Active Logo
When Twitter first developed their logo, the design featured the same, blue bird that Twitter now uses. In the first design, though, this bird appeared to be sitting on a perch, compared to Twitter’s current logo in which the bird is flying up through the air.
The difference between these two logos is that the second one is active while the first one is passive. Active logos have the advantage of enabling you to convey motion and action within a static, 2D design. They tell more of a story than a passive logo and therefore present more opportunity for you to make your logo stand out.
Of course, this concept doesn’t work for all logos. For example, it wouldn’t make much sense to try and make the Apple logo an active logo. However, if your logo design features something that could move, it’s a good idea to consider showing it in motion rather than showing it at rest. People like motion and the ideas that it conveys. Best of all, motion is a design element that many designers overlook, giving you the opportunity to set your logo apart from the competition.
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