When a logo redesign begins, the drawing starts with reflection, pen and paper. What is the vision for a new design? Why do you need a new design? Logos tell a story. A logo is the front-facing, iconic piece of a company. A logo is the first to say hello to the world. Make your mark count.
Software.
Any professional vector design software is great for accuracy (there are some free ones available online now). Simple programs are just not going to cut it for a proper logo redesign. They don’t give you the needed flexibility when elements are to be shrunken down and blown up. A simple program, or pen and paper, are good places to make quick mockups though, along with any simple drawing app on your computer.
1-inch rule.
As far as the actual design, make sure you can shrink the logo to a 1-inch square diameter without losing detail. If you lose detail, you have too many things going on. Think letterheads, business cards, mobile screens, websites, etc. We always work on a design in full-screen, and sometimes we forget how things will look in the palms of our hands.
Colour rule.
Focus on one to two colours in your logo, max. It should also look good in black and white (not everyone has colour printers). The more colours, the more complicated it gets to properly communicate your message.
Iconic element.
Make one thing stand out, not many. You could just type the logo in Helvetica, like those New York subway station signs, but what you really want is a unique letter that catches the attention of your prospective customers. If your letter E, etc., is the only thing that has been manipulated or tweaked, that’s actually perfect. Everyone will stare at it for awhile longer. You only have a few seconds to catch the attention of passers-by. Make your iconic element stand out.
Globes ew.
Please, please, please, for crying out loud, no more globes in a logo. We get it, “worldwide” is cool, but everyone is worldwide since the invention of the Internet. Globes scream amateur hour and scammy company. The population is smarter these days. Avoid the fancy globes.
Break rules.
Break all of the design rules to really stand out. Maybe you want to go crazy with this, like with the letters and main product for that Tesla Cybertruck launch. Cool, it might be the right approach for your business, especially if you are an advertising agency or entrepreneurial startup.
Your audience cares.
Check with your audience. Maybe your customers will have a say in the logo design process. Conduct a customer feedback poll or survey to gain more ideas and favourite picks. But you can ignore the feedback too since customers don’t know what they want until you give it to them, as Steve Jobs would say.
Tell a story.
Craft a story about the logo that catches the world’s attention. Can you tell me why the logo looks like XYZ? Can you captivate me? Can you start a campfire and go on for hours about the logo’s history? Cool, I’m hooked.
Design matters.
I like researching a brick-and-mortar company if they have an amazing logo. You can literally gain a flood of new customers if you craft a meaningful mark. Design makes a huge difference for curiosity’s sake alone. I’m not the only one who cares. Your fans do too.