As your business grows, it should also evolve. Your target audience may shift, your services may pivot, and your values may become clearer. When this happens, it’s important to ensure your branding reflects what your business is becoming, appealing to those you want to reach and communicating exactly what you want to say. Your logo is one of the clearest and most important ways to do just that, and you’ll want to create a better logo.
For example, Airbnb changed its logo in 2014. The original logo had outdated, cursive text that said little about what the company could offer. In short, it was forgettable. After its rebrand, Airbnb’s current logo now communicates the company’s core values, services, and the name has subsequently become recognizable worldwide.
So, as you assess your current logo, ask yourself: Is it outdated? Does it communicate your brand’s message? Is it something clients will remember? If the answer to any of these is ‘no’, we can help.
In this guide, we’ll teach you how to create a better logo for your business. Read on to learn more.
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Using an online logo maker: quick and affordable solutions
Hiring the services of a professional logo designer is best for those with a large budget and complex needs. However, most business owners can create quick and affordable logos using an online logo maker. These high-performing tools are perfect for startups, small businesses, freelancers, or those on tight budgets.
An online logo maker is a cost-effective way to generate valuable ideas and draft a new logo for your rebrand. They’re easy to use and offer immediate results, which you can keep tweaking until you’re satisfied.
Here’s how it works.
1. Select a template
First, you’ll select a template from the logo maker tool, whether you’re opting for sleek and modern or traditional and conservative. Based on your selection, the logo maker will create a better logo for you.
2. Customize the design
Next, you can customize the design, adjusting the font, color palette and text size of the logo to fit your preferences and brand identity. You can draft multiple options, so be creative and experiment!
3. Download your new logo
Once you’re satisfied, you can download your new logo to resize and use across your advertising campaigns, on social media, and even directly across your product range. Job done!
The core principles of effective logo design
If your current logo isn’t up to snuff, it’s time to start conceptualizing a new, effective logo design. But where do you start?
Let’s take Apple’s iconic logo as an example. Did you know the logo we see today wasn’t their first choice? The original logo featured a detailed image of an apple falling on Isaac Newton’s head. The picture was framed by the phrase ‘Apple Computer Co’, written across a billowing banner – nothing like the minimalist logo we’ve come to recognize today.
There are four core principles that make the Apple logo so strong, which you should consider implementing too as you draft your new design, to create a better logo.
Prioritize Simplicity
The logo should be minimal and easy to recognize.
Apple’s original logo was very complex. However, the brand’s current logo is simple, and therefore instantly recognizable. Apple may not have had the same success without making this crucial adaptation.
Focus On Memorability
Your next logo should be unique, so it sticks in the minds of current and potential customers.
The current Apple logo is easy to remember – the apple’s small leaf and missing bite are so embedded when you picture the company that the logo acts as the visual representation of the entire brand, perhaps even more so than its products.
Design For Scalability
A logo must look good whether it’s on a business card or a billboard. It should be used consistently across all marketing and social media assets for easier recognition. So it’s important you create a better logo from the start.
The Apple logo fits on a phone, on your TV at the end of a commercial, and on huge billboards. No matter the scale you can always tell what it is, whereas the old Apple logo would be illegible on the back of an iPhone.
Think About Industry Relevance
The colours, fonts, and shapes of your brand identity and industry should align with your company logo.
For example, the sleek shape and greyscale colors of the Apple logo perfectly suit its identity as a provider of modern, cutting-edge technology. Use graphic design elements to ensure your company’s values and mission are symbolized through your logo.
Testing and refining your logo design
Once you become familiar with a company’s logo, it can seem like it must have existed forever. However, behind every successful logo is a long process of testing and refinement to eventually arrive at the perfect design. Depending on your resources, you can implement A/B testing, employ focus groups, or simply ask friends and family who fit your target demographic for their opinions.
Alongside market research, use generative AI to analyze and provide feedback on your logo. By acting on your data you can improve your logo’s readability, relevance, or overall look to create a better logo your future clients will appreciate as your business grows.
Rolling out your new logo
After completing your logo, it’s time to roll out your new branding! Begin by changing the logo on your website, social media accounts, and email signatures while you wait for updated signage and business cards to arrive.
Then, announce your rebrand to your customers. Explain why the logo has changed, how it reflects your growth as a business, and what your audience can expect from you going forward. Ensure all your assets reflect this rebrand to create brand consistency across platforms and prevent feelings of confusion or abandonment.
During this period, it’s important to retain customer trust and loyalty, by reassuring your customers that you still hold the same core values and standards of products and services, you’re just preparing to build your future.
Create a better logo through refined rebranding
Here, we’ve given you the basics on how to create a better logo that better suits your business. This is what you should remember:
- You can use a free, user-friendly logo maker to craft your next design.
- Your logo should be simple, memorable, scalable, and relevant.
- Testing and refinement is essential to designing a logo that accurately reflects your rebrand and reaches your audience.
- When rolling out your logo, ensure you’ve updated all platforms and touchpoints to maintain brand consistency.
- Keep customers in the loop and on-side to ensure you retain your existing client base before attracting new or larger audiences.
Using these tips, you’ll be able to design a logo that aids your business as it evolves and grows.
