This is guest post from Ben Johnson of Logoinn, custom logo design service provider based in UK. It is timely for us here at Blizzard because we have been actively working to redesign our logo:
Clicking on this link is an indication that you are doubtful of your logo. Don’t fret! Time and again, many organizations have realized that their logos have become stale and out dated. They realize that a logo is the foundation for any business and if there is something wrong with the foundation, disastrous could be the consequences. We all have different tastes and preferences for designs, colors, flavors and so forth. So, naturally when it comes to selecting a logo, business owners would choose the ones which suit their personal tastes. I see nothing wrong with that, in fact, to an extent I believe that following this route results in logo designs, which are truly a representation of their moods, people, and culture of their company.
Hmm! Now that’s quite understandable, however there are still, certain guidelines and criteria that every logo design should comply to. What are those guidelines, we’ll tell you because we don’t want your logo to fall into the category of logos that suck! If your logo already does not comply with these guidelines, you can consider a redesign. Your logo:
- Should be describable
- Should be memorable
- Should be scalable
- Should depict your company
- Should be unique
Your Logo sucks if:
Business owners can analyze if their logos fall under the category of bad logos.
It is not describable
You need to ask yourself whether your logo is describable or is it ambiguous. Is it communicating any tangible brand attribute or not? Many companies struggle in describing their logos and their connection with the company’s goals and objectives due to a weak or vague logo that portrays a different image than what the company is actually about. In this case, no slogan line, any suggestive image, or color element help much.
It is not logo memorable
If your logo is instantly recognized by your target audience, you can assert that your logo is memorable. Your logo should be creative enough that it could be remembered at a glance. Usually graphics are the focus when designing a logo and business owners should keep in mind the simpler the logo is, the more effective it will be. Logos must be appealing and strong enough to become instantly recognizable brands. Your logo should be so perfectly designed that the customer gets influenced by it upon first sight. Don’t make your customers to spend more than a few seconds thinking about your logo.
It is not effective in black & white
Your logo should have an ability to draw attention when displayed in black and white. When designing a logo, one should keep in mind whether the logo would look appropriate when shown as black and white, because if your logo looks good in full color, you may definitely have a problem in situations where it can only be represented in black and white. For instance, faxing a letterhead to your client.
It is not Resizable
Identify whether your logo is resizable on every medium or not? If not, your marketing collaterals would be of no use since your logo would not fit in to any of those, giving a shabby image of your business to your customers and clients likewise. After all, your image as seen on your business cards, marketing materials, packaging and website is the first and sometimes only chance you have to introduce your company to potential customers. So, if your logo is resizable, your business cards, letterheads and other marketing collaterals would reflect a flawless image on your potential clients.
It is not Unique
We live in a logo-rich environment where we see countless logos every day, few of which reside in our memory because of their uniqueness. It is the most important factor when designing a logo, so if you think your logo has the slightest touch of any other logo, you should immediately do something about it. Remember, you can be in trouble for copyright infringement. See how Italian fruit seller Vanzetti copied Apple’s logo to sell his apples:
This happens majorly because of two reasons either due to lack of creative thoughts of a logo designer or a big communication gap between the business owner and the logo designer. So, brief the designer about what exactly you require and ask for redraws if you feel your logo resembles any other brand identity.
It does not have a good font?
Your logo sucks if it doesn’t have a good, appealing font. Using the right font is as important as working with other design elements. Use fonts which depict the purpose of your business instead of using fonts which are famous, else all your efforts would go in vain. Your logo is categorized as a bad logo even if it’s a combination of a very well designed symbol with an entirely awful font.
Have a look at Toshiba’s logo: 
Look at Toshiba’s logo, isn’t it horrific and looks more like an industrial warning sign in red. They are world’s leader in high technology products and are considered giants in making everything from computers to DVD players to high-def televisions, yet their logo seems an insult to their company image.
Over the years, they have worked upon their logo but no major transformation has been noticed as such.
Having all the discussion, I am optimistic that you as a business owner would now be able to crosscheck your logo in order to take it out from the list of logos that suck. Remember, your logo design should give a unique identity to your business, if a single attribute is missing, you should redesign it with an expert who already knows about these characteristics. Otherwise, your business identity would be lost in a crowd.
On the topic of resizing, your logo should also be able to be added to just about any content to bring your brand presence to it.
oh dear, I need to redo my logo :(
Toshiba’s slogan lacks major creativity. I mean the fading arrows – so passe.
Ben, I was wondering, which types of logos are more appealing? The static logos or the flash logos?
Personally I’m all for simple logos which web trends seem to be steering away from. The mcdonalds logo is a great example of simplicity that works (everyone knows it).
Great article. So many people think that more colors, ridiculous gradients, and flash are the way to go. Not true! I personally think the nike logo is one of the best ever.