Do a lot of people and research tell you that you need to have a logo and branding? Do you not know what this means or why it is important for your business? As a graphic designer here at 100K Ideas, I create logos and branding for businesses and can help to explain the importance of having them. Let’s answer some of the questions you may have, and give you tips on why this is necessary:
What is a logo? What is branding?
Let’s start with a logo, we see them everywhere. They are in fast food restaurants, grocery stores and so much more. A logo can be a symbol, word, or phrase that is adopted by a business to help identify its products or services. Branding, on the other hand, is what makes a business unified and what separates them from other businesses. This is done through the use of colors, fonts, and images used on the companies website, flyers, emails, and even in their logo. So, why is it important?
Tip #1: Logo Importance and How to Begin
When creating a business there is a lot that goes into it. One of the first things that can be beneficial as you build it is to create a logo. You can create a logo with a company, freelancer, or even create one yourself. Here are a few times and things to keep in mind as you create your own:
- Simplicity: Keep it simple and easy to read. Making sure your logo is easy to see and read, at any size, is important for any business. When you have to size down your logo to make it fit on things like business cards and letterheads, making sure it is as easy to understand as when it is blown up on a computer screen, sign, or billboard, is important.
- Timelessness: Working to make a logo that is timeless can be super beneficial. What this means is that it will never be outdated and will always be noticeable and identifiable, such as Nike and Louis Vuitton. You look at their logo and automatically know who they are. Also, note that many brands, such as Nike and Adidas, have tweaked their logos throughout the years, yet you can still identify them, even when they do so. This is due to the ability of their logo being able to be timeless, as they can tweak it to fit the current timeframe we are in.
- Colors: Choosing the right colors is another important factor in logo creation. Some colors mean totally different things than other colors do. Yes, Colors have meanings! By choosing specific colors, you can invoke specific feelings, aesthetics, and draw different attractions to your brand. Choosing the right colors for you can help with the representation of what your company stands for. Tip: Google “color emotion guide” to see how different colors affect how we feel, as you begin to choose the color scheme for your brand.
- Fonts: Fonts, or other known as text/type, can be a big part of your logo/brand. Similar to colors, specific fonts will draw specific feelings, aesthetics, and audiences to your business. Picking a font that tells a story and matches what you are selling is important to not lead consumers in the wrong direction,=. The right font can help a consumer understand your company before they even look deeper into what you are doing/selling. Tip: type your business name into Google Fonts and see which one stands out to you!
Tip #2 Branding Importance and How to Begin
One thing that goes hand in hand with creating a logo is also creating branding. The colors, fonts, and aesthetic of your logo, that we discussed above, will be part of your overall branding. Creating proper branding from this helps to maintain consistency, create an aesthetic, as well as provides a guide for creation of all other visual elements of your brand. This includes websites, social posts, flyers, social banners, and more! Most people who create a logo also include the branding with it to help keep things unified. What we include in branding is:
- Font: In your logo, you choose a font (or fonts) that you want to have to represent your company. From the ones chosen, it is common to take these fonts, and/or find other complimentary fonts, and use them across all aspects of your brand, as mentioned above. This will help your company stay cohesive and consistent. These fonts will also help to be an identifying factor of your company.
- Images: Any images you use for your logo, letterheads, posters/flyers, etc. will make your brand. You will use them often in what you create, post, and share. As mentioned prior, this agan will help identify you to consumers and differentiates you from other companies.
- Colors: Any colors you choose for your logo you will use for your website, letterheads, posters/flyers, as well, creating the same identifying factors.
We hope this helps you with a general understanding of logos and branding, as well as how to start and why it is important. These two things help bring together the essence of your company, helping to bring a personal identity to your business.. Putting emphasis on your logo and branding, will help everything fit together, flow nicely, and can make it easier for you as you begin to build your company out and create content.
