A logo is one way in which a brand can engage with its customers. At the same time, a quality logo design is the best way customers can engage with a brand. However, logos in the pre-digital era and those in the digital era are quite different. In the digital era, logos are being designed taking into consideration the different platforms on which they will be viewed. Therefore, care is being taken that a logo designed for viewing on a desktop/laptop can also be viewed through a smartphone screen. This article gives seven tips for professional logo design in the modern mobile era.
Tips For Logo Design In The Modern Mobile Era
- Clarify What Your Brand Stands For
Eminent art director and logo designer, Paul Rand has quoted, “A logo is less important than the product it signifies. What it means is more important than what it looks like”. A logo communicates a message about the brand. Therefore, a logo design should be started with a clear understanding of the business and product challenges and opportunities, the competitive landscape and key brand differentiators. Every logo design will be evaluated based on business and product outcomes.
- Design For Flexibility
Customers personalize logos for their own use and promotion. They extend logo systems to include logo animations and favicons. When designing a logo, the holistic branding system should be taken into consideration and not just the static execution of the logo. The logo should be extensible across the ever-increasing range of digital touch points and channels available. It is fine for graphic designers to take risks while designing logos
- Optimize For Mobile
In the digital world, the app is the ad. In such a scenario, the brand strategy should be defined right from the word go. Most brands underestimate the potential of mobiles in viewing a logo. They do not consider the mobile as an important channel or the important channel for viewing a logo design. Therefore, brands should consider the impact of a logo design across all screen sizes when they design a brand logo.
- Function Well At Large And Small Scale
Great logos should appear distinctive irrespective of the channel they are viewed on, whether it is a building, a home screen of a smartphone or a watch. The focus should be laid on the message that the brand wishes to convey through the logo. Overcomplicated logo designs are not appreciated as they send mixed messages. These also cannot be easily translated across various platforms.
- Go Beyond The Surface Level
The smile on the smiley in the Amazon logo extends from A to Z. This depicts that Amazon fulfills all requirements from A to Z. The arrow between the letters E and X in the FedEx logo has been placed there strategically to convey something about the brand. This message is that FedEx delivers things in a quick way.
- Take Into Account Geopolitical And Cultural Sensitivities Around Symbolism
Today, brands are visible on a global scale. What may be visible today locally may become visible globally tomorrow. While your brand may not be present in a particular market today, it may penetrate that market tomorrow. Therefore, while designing a brand logo, various geopolitical and cultural sensitivities need to be taken into account.
- Empower Rather Than Police
Give brand builders knowledge on how to execute a successful brand launch. This will enable them to take decisions more freely as they will start enjoying greater creative freedom, at the same time performing within the restrictions posed by the brand image. Brands should not impose strict guidelines on when a logo may be used. On the contrary, they should be developing key principles based on which the logo is made available across a larger media platform.
Conclusion
Before the rise of the digital business environment, logos were designed based on certain set standards. This was because they were to be displayed across a fixed set of media channels for longer periods of time. However, today, brand visibility timelines have shortened with the number of distribution channels multiplying. Therefore, these tips given above will come in handy for logo design in the modern mobile era.
Author Bio: Hermit Chawla is a Marketing Manager at Sprak Design. He would love to share thoughts on Logo Design Company, Lifestyle Design, Branding Firm, Exhibition design, etc.