What makes a great brand logo?

Before we even discuss any of the creative aspects of a logo let's see how your logo works with your existing brand. Assuming you know what your brand values and personalty is, you are going to want your brand logo to reflect these attributes. These two elements would help set the tone of the brand logo.

Who is your logo speaking to? Male, female? Young or old or somewhere in the middle? At a gut level how do you want your prospective customers to react to seeing your logo for the first time? Do you want to be perceived as an older established firm? Maybe, you need to relate a younger skew. How young? What are their trigger points?

How is the brand logo to be used? Is it appearing on large vehicles? Will it have to look great on a postage stamp or pen? What other physical restrictions must be considered?

When is the projected launch date for the new brand image?

Now we can get creative. Base the logo colours and themes on things that differentiate you in you market. Take into consideration colour trends and colour pshycology. Are the any colour triggers to consider? Ie: The Chinese reverence for red.

Choosing fonts properly to reflect the brand personality mentioned earlier. Make sure that you hire a professional who understand why the things mentioned here are important to developing an effective visual solution that will make you money. Actual creativity is truly in the mind of the designer. Being a qualified design professional, this person have the insight and skills to deliver an image that reflects your brand. Remember the brand shouldn't reflect the logo - but the logo SHOULD reflect the brand.

I BELIEVE that you should not request a rational to explain the logo. Your buying audience doesn't have this luxury so why do you need one? You should get it or not.

When I typically present a new logo I enjoy the initial reaction from the customer. I believe they must love it straight away. They are marrying this image so they must be satisfied from the outset. I don't try to talk them into it. If the fit isn't there we move on. Designing logos is one of the most interesting things a designer works with. It can be the seed that inspires everything else. It becomes the face of your brand.