The Importance of Website Functionality

Everyone is so quick to jump all over a shiny website with a lot of bells and whistles without realizing the effect it is having on the overall experience.

Have you ever seen those mouse tracking balls/pointers some websites have these days? Those from the early 2000s are having flashbacks!

Having a lot of unnecessary effects, animations, and media files on your website pages will certainly affect your website’s performance and speed. Once the performance and speed take a hit, then your search engine rankings also take a hit.

Here are some bottlenecks I have noticed being used on websites recently:

.JPEG or .PNG Images: .JPEG or .PNG images are massive in size. They can dramatically affect your website’s load times. Instead, convert these images into .WebP format. Every modern web browser supports this format and cuts the overall size dramatically.

Solution: Use Photoshop or an online image conversion service to convert your existing images to WebP format. We ran a test on an image of our own, the original .PNG was 1.49MB and the same image with the same quality was 24.3Kb in size.

Intrusive Pop-ups: Pop-ups play a huge role, however if done incorrectly then it simply affects the overall experience. Ensure the pop-ups are responsive and have an accessible close button. Nothing worse than having a pop-up asking me to join the website’s mailing with a close button that is missing from eyesight or behind a scroll.

Solution: Ensure the close button has an “absolute” position and a z-index higher than everything else on the page. You also need to ensure the close button is not within a block that is scrollable, the button might hide until you scroll if that is the case.

Excessive Animations/Effects: Animations and CSS / JavaScript effects are beautiful and masterpieces of art when done correctly. One simple mistake designers make is by overloading the page with animations and effects without testing them on a lower performing device. Every animation/effect will work flawlessly on the latest iMac, however folks on older devices (think older PCs or older phone models) will have a tough time. You do not want your users to experience page freezes when trying to scroll through a page.

Solution: Assess your animations or effects on Chrome through the dev tools toolbar. At the top, there is a throttling option. Test it out on both the mid-tier and low-end mobile options.

Complicated Navigation Menu: Always evaluate your menus for both desktop and mobile compatibility. Many of the popular CSS frameworks have built in technologies which you can easily hide/show different menus depending on screen size. For example, there is no need to show a menu which has the menu item title, description, and an icon of the menu item on a mobile device.

Solution: If you’re using Bootstrap for example, you can simply the following classes to your element to only display the content on mobile and hide on every other display size: “.d-none .d-sm-block .d-md-none”

There is a lot more that goes into a website’s feel and functionality beyond the good looks and shiny images. Having a slow or low performing website can be very harmful to your website and overall website experience. You don’t want to lose business over something that is fixable. When we enlisted Vemlo to develop our AI logo generator product, they outlined these items and many more before we even had a chance to mention it to them. If you’re building your own website, make sure you follow these steps closely. If you’re having someone else build it, make it clear to them that optimization is critical to you.

Testing Your Live Website

Once your website goes live, we strongly suggest you run a test on it through Google’s PageSpeed Insights tool. The tool will give you a detailed breakdown on the overall web page’s performance and make recommendations on performance optimizations.

Top 7 Tips On Adding Logo To Your QR Code

In the digital age, QR codes have emerged as an important tool during the pandemic for connecting the physical and digital worlds, offering instant access to websites, menus, social profiles, and much more. However, the real magic happens when these practical squares are combined with the unique identity of a brand’s logo. Here lies an art form that, when executed correctly, not only enhances brand recognition but also invites engagement. This article delves into the best practices for integrating logos into QR codes, ensuring they serve as both an effective marketing tool and a seamless extension of your brand’s visual identity.

1. Making Your Logo Scalable

One of the foundational practices in merging logos with QR codes is the use of vector-style logo formats, such as SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics). This format is crucial for maintaining the integrity of the logo’s design, regardless of the size at which it is printed. Whether displayed on the small screen of a smartphone or emblazoned across a billboard, a vector logo retains its crispness and clarity. This scalability is essential for QR codes, which may find their place in diverse settings, from business cards to large outdoor advertising spaces.

2. Solid Colors for Seamless Integration

The choice of color plays a pivotal role in the design of a logo-infused QR code. Opting for solid color formats ensures that the logo not only blends harmoniously with the QR code but also maintains visibility and readability. The contrast between the logo and the QR code’s background is vital; a well-chosen color scheme can enhance the QR code’s scan-ability while reinforcing brand colors. This practice encourages a design that is both functional and aesthetically pleasing, ensuring that the logo stands out without disrupting the QR code’s usability.

3. Mind the Quiet Zone

Every QR code is surrounded by a ‘quiet zone,’ a critical margin of empty space that ensures scanners can correctly identify and interpret the code. When integrating a logo, it’s essential to respect this boundary. It is critical to use a QR code generator capable of respecting this boundary. Otix is a great example, while most QR code generators only accept JPG and PNG formats for logo uploads. Otix allows you to upload your logo in SVG formats. The logo should be centrally placed and sized in a manner that it does not encroach upon the quiet zone. This balance preserves the QR code’s functionality while allowing the brand’s logo to shine.

4. Testing Across Devices and Conditions

The diversity of devices and scanning applications means that a QR code must be universally readable. After incorporating a logo, rigorous testing across various devices and lighting conditions is paramount. This ensures that the addition of the logo does not compromise the QR code’s primary function: to be a reliable bridge to digital content.

5. Clarity and Simplicity Above All

In the quest to embed a logo into a QR code, clarity and simplicity should never be sacrificed. The logo must be simplified to its most recognizable elements, avoiding intricate details that could become lost or muddle the QR code’s readability. This minimalist approach ensures that the logo enhances rather than complicates the user’s experience.

6. Consistency Across Branding Materials

Integrating logos into QR codes presents an opportunity to reinforce brand identity across various materials. Consistency in how the logo-infused QR code is used—be it on packaging, promotional materials, or digital platforms—strengthens brand recognition and fosters trust with your audience.

7. Accessibility and Inclusivity

Designing with accessibility in mind ensures that the QR code is usable by as wide an audience as possible. This includes considering color contrast for those with visual impairments and ensuring that the digital content accessed via the QR code is accessible.

DJ Logo Ideas – Create Your Free DJ Logo

Starting your DJing business is tough to begin with. DJs are creative artists in a sense, however logo design may not be a familiar territory for many DJs.

Create a memorable and a recognizable logo which listeners can become familiar with. Your logo will not only be used on your business card or your DJ booth. Your logo will be your online identity and the first thing listeners will see when hearing your mixes for the first time. Besides, we’ve all seen that sleek logo famous YouTune DJ’s display before a track starts playing right?

The trend these days is going with a simpler minimalistic logo. Do not over crowd your logo and allow your listeners to memorize and understand your branding. Here are some ideas of trending DJ logos:

The samples above demonstrate a perfect example of how you can be simple yet showcase your identity and the service you are offering.

When it comes to logos, often times, doing too much can hurt you. Stay simple and do not clutter your logo.

Furthermore, the examples above demonstrate that a DJ’s logo does not need to be a colorful one. A simple, one color logo looks just as nice and professional.

Create Your Free DJ Logo

A Simple 10-Step Guide to Creating a Great Logo

Before you begin the process of designing your new business’s logo, it is important that you have a strict guide that you can follow. This article will provide you with 10 simple and easy yet effective steps that will help you to create the best possible logo for your business. The logo that you come up with for your company will have a huge impact on how well it does in the future, so you will need to be careful when designing it.

1. Understand the Basics of Logo Design

There are certain basic elements of logo design that you will need to understand before getting started. One of the most basic yet important things to remember is that your logo should have a simple and clean design that isn’t complicated at all. You will also need to make sure that your logo is very memorable so that it sticks with people long after they initially see it. The logo that you design should be timeless as well, because you don’t want to have to redesign it in a few years after it becomes outdated.

2. Come up with your own design process

Next you will need to come up with a process that you are going to follow to create your new logo. You can start off by simply getting a pencil and some paper to sketch out a rough draft of your logo. Then you might want to do some research to see what kinds of elements you should incorporate into your logo based on the industry your business is in. Take all the time you need with this process, because rushing through won’t lead to anything good.

3. Ask yourself some important questions

There are some questions that you should be asking yourself while designing your new logo, including “What kind of image do I want to project with my logo?” and “Who is my target audience?” By taking the time to ask yourself these questions, you will be able to get the answers you need to come up with a truly effective design that is going to benefit your business in a lot of different ways. These questions are paramount when it comes to creating a logo that will work for your company instead of against it.

4. Free or paid?

There are a lot of websites that you can use to create a logo, some of which are free and others that charge for their services. You might just be surprised when it comes to the number of websites that can help you design an amazing-looking logo for absolutely nothing. It is still important to think about paying for logo design services though, because you might be able to get more out of them. Take the time to explore some of the different websites that offer logo design services, both free and paid. The more time you spend doing this, the more likely you will be to get a great logo for your business.

5. Learn from Others

It’s also a good idea to spend some time looking at logos of successful companies so you can get a few ideas for your own logo. You obviously don’t want to just copy another company’s logo, but there is nothing wrong with drawing inspiration from others. If a company is very successful, chances are it has a brilliant and effective logo. Take as much time as you need to do this research, because it could benefit you greatly. There is nothing like learning from other companies and what they are doing right to make yourself successful.

6. Use all of the Resources at your Disposal

There are so many great resources on the internet when it comes to getting help with designing your new logo, and it is important that you take full advantage of them. These resources should be able to help you out quite a bit when it comes to coming up with a great-looking logo that will impress those who see it. Take the time to read articles on common logo design mistakes as well as tips so you can educate yourself properly before getting started.

7. Choose the right Font

The right font can make or break a logo, so you will need to keep that in mind when you are going about designing yours. You will of course want to avoid any silly or over-the-top fonts like Comic Sans, but it’s important to choose a certain one that will make people take your business seriously. You should also consider which specific font best suites the particular type of business that you are running. The last thing you want to do is select a font that will flash with the rest of your logo or look inappropriate for your business as a whole.

8. Don’t be too Cliché

There are certain clichés that you will want to make a point of avoiding when going about designing your logo, such as using a light bulb graphic to represent an idea. The more original and unique your logo is the better. This doesn’t mean that you should go out of your way to make your logo overly complicated or hard to understand though.

9. Make good use of Negative Space

One of the biggest mistakes that people make when designing their logo is to not utilize the negative space in it. Make sure that you get creative when it comes to how you use the negative space in your logo so that it doesn’t end up looking bad.

10. Keep Refining until you are Satisfied

Make sure that you keep refining your logo until you are completely satisfied with it. There is nothing wrong with taking as much time as you need to get your logo just right, as long as you aren’t purposely drawing the process out because you are a perfectionist. You will certainly be glad that you took the time to do this.

Best Tips for Saving Money when Designing your Logo

If you are going about designing your new company logo and need to save as much money as possible, it is important that you keep some helpful tips in mind. There are tons of different ways to keep costs low when you are trying to create the perfect logo for your business, and this article will provide you with some of the better ones to follow.

Write out a ‘Brand Brief’

When you hire a professional to design your new company logo, spend some time writing out a brand brief so the designer knows exactly what the logo is going to represent visually. Think about what some of the main attributes of your brand are, and what the whole idea behind your logo should be. By giving the designer you hire this information beforehand, you can save yourself quite a bit of time and money overall.

Provide the designer with some color suggestions

You might also want to think about providing the designer you have hired with some color suggestions for your logo. This will ultimately increase the chances of getting the kind of logo you want for your business while cutting down on the cost of hiring a professional for this type of job. Think about which colors best represent your business and what it’s all about. If your business is related to the environment, you might want to have various shades of green and blue be prominent in your logo.

Give the designer Examples of Logos you like

Make sure that you also give the person you have hired to design your logo some examples of ones that you particularly like. You obviously don’t want to just have someone copy another logo outright, but it might be a good idea to have the professional you hire take some ideas from other logos you are fond of visually.

Take the time to find the right Designer

It is crucial that you take all the time necessary to find the right professional to design your company’s logo so that you get the quality design services you need while managing to stay within your budget. Some graphic designers charge more than others for their services, so you will therefore want to get quotes from at least a few different ones. The more time you spend doing this research, the more likely you will be to get what you need at a fairly low cost.

Design your logo yourself

If you have some artistic ability, you might want to just do all of the design work yourself when it comes to your new logo. This can save you a ton of money, but it’s important that you’re confident in your abilities. Not everyone is capable of doing this kind of work, and there is absolutely no shame in hiring someone else for the job. If you are artistically inclined, designing your own logo is probably the best option in terms of saving money while getting the exact kind of logo you want.

Keep it simple

One of the best ways to save money on your new business’s logo is by keeping the design fairly simple. Simple designs usually look better and are more effective than overly complicated ones, and they are almost always less expensive to have made. If you want a logo that will help you stir up business while saving money, it is very important to keep this in mind. While you might be tempted to have a complex logo designed to impress those who see it, this is almost never a good idea.

Ask for a Gray Scale Version of your new logo

We highly recommend that you ask for a gray scale version of your logo as well as a color one. You might just decide that you want to use the gray scale version, which can save you a lot of money over time when printing it up into banner, signs, business cards and other things. There is nothing wrong with using a full color logo, but doing so can be a lot more expensive.

Hire a Freelance Designer

While it’s certainly true that you can choose to hire a big graphic design company to create your new logo, you might want to think about hiring a freelancer instead. This way you will end up saving quite a bit of money. If you want to stay within your budget without any issues, this is definitely one of the better things that you can do. Hiring a freelance graphic designer is almost always less expensive than choosing an actual company, so you will need to keep that in mind. There are a lot of good freelance designers out there, but it will be up to you to find the right one for the job.

Look into hiring a student

Hiring a student to design your new company logo could be a win-win situation for both parties involved. You will be able to get the new logo you need and they will have something else to add to their portfolio. Sometimes you can get away with getting a logo designed for free, but you might need to spend a little bit of money. Either way, you will most likely come in under budget when you go with this option. There are many talented graphic design students, and it’s crucial that you find one that is talented enough to do this work for you.

Conclusion

Because there are so many different ways to save money on the new logo you need, it is important that you take the time to look into some of them before deciding what to do. All of these tips can be very helpful when it comes to getting the logo you need while managing to stay within the confines of your budget. In the end you will be very glad that you decided to do at least some of the things mentioned in this article, as they can help you to save quite a bit of money on your logo.

Why is a Professional Logo so important to your Business?

You will find that having a good professional logo is incredibly important to your business for many different reasons. A lot of businesses breeze through the process of designing their logo, and as a result they suffer the consequences. If you want to keep your business going strong, you will need a solid logo that looks good and is effective on multiple levels.

A great logo will make a great first impression

One of the best reasons for you to focus on designing the best possible logo is so you can make a truly good first impression on those who see it. A poor logo will make a poor first impression, which instantly decreases the chances of people looking into your business any further. If you want to attract as many customers as possible, you will absolutely need to have a great logo.

Stand out from your Competitors

Almost all businesses have quite a bit of competition to deal with, and one great way to set yourself apart from all of the others is by coming up with a truly great and unique logo. There are a lot of different ways to make your business stand out from the competition, but this is by far one of the best and most effective. These days a lot of businesses in numerous industries have similar logos, so standing out with yours won’t necessarily be extremely difficult. If you want people to choose your business over all the others that offer the same products or services, you will need to put quite a bit of effort into creating your new logo.

Promote loyalty of customers

Attracting customers in the first place can be a challenge, but keeping them can be even harder. If you want to make sure that your customers don’t start getting what they need from a new company with a shiny image, it is crucial that you have a logo and brand that is very impressive. A great logo can be extremely effective when it comes to promoting loyalty with your customers, so you will need to keep that in mind.

Earn trust with a professional image

A lot of people tend to trust businesses with professional-looking logos, which is all the more reason for you to focus on making yours as sharp as possible. Make sure that your logo exudes professionalism and that it’s not too whimsical or silly. A serious logo will make people take your business seriously. It can be difficult to earn the trust of people who are on the fence about your business, but with the right logo you can get them on your side.

Your logo tells people what your business is all about

The logo that you come up with for your business will essentially tell people what it is all about. Your logo will be a representation of your business and what it has to offer. Every single business is different in some way, and your logo should emphasize why yours is superior to your competitors. This is important information that potential customers need to make up their mind as to whether or not they want to pay for your products or services.

It will help people remember you

Another reason that it’s so important to have a professional logo for your business is so that people will remember you (in a positive way.) If you want people to keep your business in mind, it’s crucial that you have a unique and powerful logo that will stick in people’s heads so they don’t forget about you. Most of the very successful large businesses in the world have extremely memorable logos that are truly hard to forget.

A Consistent Identity for your Business

We live in an age where just about every business’s logo is plastered all over social media, business cards, leaflets, promotional merchandise and a number of other things. Your logo is going to act as a consistent identity for your business, so you will need to keep that in mind. It is extremely important that you take your logo seriously when you are going about designing it, because it is going to be how everyone identifies your business from now on.

It is Expected

The fact is that all businesses are expected to have a logo of some kind, and if you don’t then nobody is going to take you seriously. Simply not having a logo at all will make your business look illegitimate and untrustworthy. This doesn’t mean that you should throw together something quick just so you have a logo, but it’s still important to keep this in mind. A vast majority of businesses, especially legitimate ones, all have logos.

You will get more customers

A good logo can help your business to stay afloat, but a great logo will help it to thrive. While it’s true that there is more to running a successful business than just having an impressive and effective logo, it is a good first step. If you want your business to do really well (and of course you do), you will need to spend some time coming up with a great one that will really draw in new customers. The logo that you come up with can actually have a huge effect when it comes to how well your business does overall.

Conclusion

If you have just started a new business, you will have to take the time to focus on coming up with a great logo to use. The logo that you create (or have created for you) will be put on everything from business cards to social media websites, so you will need to make sure that it’s truly impressive. Remember that a logo doesn’t have to be complex to be effective, and simple is usually better. Businesses that have a great logo typically do a lot better than ones with a subpar logo, so you will need to keep that in mind.

A Comprehensive Guide to Free Logo Design

If you are going to design your own business logo instead of hiring a professional for the job, it is crucial that you get as much information as possible before getting started. The fact is that designing a logo can be quite challenging, especially if you aren’t properly prepared. There are lots of things that people don’t know when going about doing this, and as a result they tend to make a lot of very avoidable mistakes.

The Importance of a Strong Logo

It is important that you first understand why it’s so crucial that you have a strong logo for your business. A good logo can seriously increase your chances of succeeding with your business, so you will therefore want to know why it’s so crucial that you design the best one possible.

Establishing trust: The right logo can actually help you establish a sense of trust with your customers and potential customers. It will also legitimize your business and increase the chances of people taking your company seriously.
Helping you stand out: These days it is very important for every business to stand out from the crowd as much as possible, and one of the best ways to go about doing that is to have a unique and powerful logo.
A good first impression: Your logo is going to be the first impression that a lot of people get of your business, so it is therefore important that you spend a decent amount of time coming up with a good one. After all, you want people to think the best of your business before they even step foot in it.

Start with a Rough Draft

It’s important to keep in mind that when you sit down to design your logo, you don’t have to finish it before getting back up. Take some time to just come up with a rough first sketch of your design so that you can just get a sense as to what it’s going to look like overall. Don’t pressure yourself into creating the perfect logo within the first 15 or 20 minutes of sitting down at your computer. Keep in mind that it also might be a good idea to sketch out your design on paper before going digital.

Research Free Logo Design Websites

There are lots of different websites that you can visit for free logo design services, and it’s crucial that you take enough time to explore some of them. The more time you devote to doing this, the better your chances are going to be of creating a logo that will really benefit your business in a very big way. Some of these websites are better and more useful than others, which is all the more reason to do this research.

Logofury is definitely one of the best places on the web to go when you want to design a new logo for your business without spending a penny. There are plenty of useful tools and resources on this website that you can use to your advantage.

Selecting the right Imagery

Your logo doesn’t necessarily have to feature a literal image of what your company does/offers, but if you are planning on going this route it is important that you select the right image. Take some time to browse the web for the kinds of images that you are interested in putting in your logo. You can also sketch out your own version of this image to make it more unique. Literal imagery in company logos has become more common, so you will need to keep this particular option in mind.

Don’t rush the Design Process

One of the best pieces of advice you will ever get when it comes to designing your own logo is to not rush the process. There is nothing wrong with taking a few days or even a week to design your logo, simply because of how important to your business it is going to be. The last thing you want to do is rush this process and as a result have a sub-par logo that won’t really benefit your business in any real way.

Different types of Logos

There are numerous types of logos, and it is important that you find out what some of them are before deciding what you want to do with your own. By taking the time to get this information, you will most likely have an easier time when it comes to creating the right logo for your business.

Text-based: A lot of business’s logos are text-based, which means that they feature minimal to zero graphics. While this might seem a little strange, it is an option that you will want to consider.
Symbolic: Using a certain image to symbolize what your business is all about can be a great idea. This particular option will give you the opportunity to be a little bit creative. If you are going to create a symbolic logo, make sure that the image you use for it is closely associated with the type of business you are running.
Combined: Many logos combine text and imagery, and it’s certainly something else that you will want to think about doing. Make sure that you focus on using the right font and graphics so that your design is aesthetically appealing and effective.

Conclusion

These days lots of business owners are designing their own logos because it allows them to save money while staying in complete control of what their logo is going to look like. If you want to make sure that your logo is absolutely perfect, it is important that you make a point of considering all of the things that are mentioned in this article. The more time you take to design your logo properly, the better it will turn out. Since your logo will have such a huge impact on your business as a whole, it is essential that you give the design process lots of thought and attention.

Redesigning your Logo: What you need to know

Sometimes it is necessary to redesign your business’s logo, and it is important that you know when to do this. A lot of businesses just continue using the same logo years after it has become outdated and ineffective. If you want your logo to work for your business instead of against it, it is crucial that you get this information.

When it’s time to Redesign your logo

Your logo has an old look to it

If the logo that you are currently using for your business makes people feel like they have stepped back in time, it’s important a good idea to at least think about redesigning it. The fact is that trends and tastes don’t usually last very long, and if yours is based on one of those then you will most likely need to update it at some point. The last thing you want is for people to not be able to relate or connect with your logo because it’s so outdated.

You have outgrown your Logo

Sometimes a business grows and evolves to the point where their logo no longer reflects what they are all about. If your business has undergone a lot of drastic changes since you came up with your design, you will definitely want to think about giving it a makeover. You will need your logo to accurately represent your business as it currently is instead of what it used to be. Many businesses forget to do this, and as a result they suffer the consequences.

It no longer syncs up with your rebranding

Your business itself might not have changed at all over the years, but maybe its overall image or brand has. If your business has undergone some major rebranding since you first started using your logo, you will need to consider the many benefits associated with updating it. You will need to make sure that your logo reflects the current brand image of your business so that it syncs up perfectly without any conflict.

Tips for Redesigning your Logo

It is important that you follow some basic yet effective tips when it comes to redesigning your logo so that you can make it look perfect. If you really want your logo to work for your business, you will need to keep these things in mind during the design process.

Keep it Simple

You will need to remember to keep your logo design as simple as possible so that it doesn’t end up becoming overly complicated. A simple logo design will serve your business far better than complex one that people struggle to understand or interpret when they see it. This is a very basic yet effective tip that you will want to keep in mind as you go about designing your new logo.

Test it outside

It’s also a good idea to get outside input on the new logo that you have come up with so that you can get some fresh perspective and feedback. The fact is that you are definitely going to be biased about your own logo, which is why you will need to make a point of finding out what others think about it. You should certainly spend some time asking others who work in the same industry as you so you can get valuable information. This feedback will help you to tweak and improve your logo until it is perfect.

Compare it against your old logo

You should also make a point of comparing the new logo that you have come up with against your old one to make sure that they don’t look similar. The last thing you want to do is to create a logo that is basically the same as the one you are trying to replace. A lot of people who go about updating their business’s logo subconsciously implement some of the same elements from their old one, and that is something you will want to avoid altogether.

Use a good Free Logo Design Website

There are tons of different websites that you can visit to create a new logo for your business without spending any money whatsoever. Take the time to visit some of these sites so that you can get a better idea as to which one you should use. You might just be surprised when it comes to how comprehensive certain free logo design websites are. When you take the time to do this research, you should be able to find the right place on the web to design your logo for free.

Why update your business’s logo?

Revitalize your Brand

One of the best reasons to consider updating your business’s outdated logo is that doing so can effective revitalize your brand, which is incredibly important. If you want people to be impressed with your logo, you will certainly want to think about updating it. This is one of the best things that you can do to breathe new life into your brand.

Make a good first impression

By updating your logo to something that is more attractive and/or relevant, you will be able to make a good first impression on those who see it. You should think of your logo as being your business’s handshake. A lot of people judge businesses based on their logos alone, so you will want to keep that in mind.

Bring in more customers

If you have been finding it difficult to get new customers for your business lately, updating your logo could be exactly what you need to bring in new ones on a regular basis. A lot of businesses underestimate the power of a quality logo, and that is something that you will need to avoid completely.

If you feel as though your business’s current logo is outdated and needs changing, do not hesitate to do so right away. The sooner you update your logo, the sooner you will be able to start improving your business and meeting your long term goals, whatever they happen to be.

Common Logo Design Mistakes to Avoid

There are some big mistakes that you will want to avoid when you are going about designing your new business’s logo. When you start learning about what some of these mistakes are, you will be in a much better position to avoid them altogether. If you want your logo to really say something positive about your business and help you bring in new customers, you will definitely have to avoid the following mistakes.

Typographic Mistakes

Typography is a very important aspect of coming up with the right logo for your business, but there are a lot of mistakes that you can make that are important to avoid. Your logo’s overall design should be as simple as possible, because there is no reason to over-complicate things. Stay away from using too many fonts or weights, because otherwise your logo could get seriously cluttered very quickly. The last thing you want is for there to be too much going on in one small space.

Choosing the wrong Font

Another big mistake that people make when it comes to designing their business’s logo is choosing the wrong font. A poor font choice could completely ruin your logo, so you will need to keep that in mind when trying to select the right one. You will definitely need to take the time to select the right font for your logo so that it will look professional and appropriate. Keep in mind that the font you use on your logo can be used across your the entire brand identity with other fonts and images.

Making it too complex

You will also need to avoid making your logo too complex and confusing. The last thing you want to do is to make your logo difficult to understand or interpret for those who see it. It’s always good to keep in mind that you should try to keep your design as simple as possible. While it might be tempting to come up with a fancy and convoluted design to impress people, it will end up having the opposite effect. Your logo should have a nice clean look that people can easily understand right away.

Relying too heavily on special effects

There is nothing wrong with using color and special effects with your logo, but you don’t want to overdo it. A lot of people who design their own logos get carried away and end up going over the top with these things. Make sure that you use color and special effects conservatively and in a subtle yet clever way. You don’t want your logo to come off as being garish or too flashy. Most people are very turned off by logos that are bogged down with special effects. Try to avoid using things like drop shadows and embossing, simply because it will only take away from the overall effectiveness of your logo.

Using raster images

Raster images are made out of pixels and cannot be scaled to any size, which is a huge problem for business logos for obvious reasons. You will need to make sure that your logo uses vector images, which can be easily scaled to any size. Keep in mind that you will most likely be using your logo at a wide range of sizes for things like banners, business cards, promotional items and much more. Adobe Illustrator is a great program to use when designing your logo, as it will allow you to create one that can be scaled to any medium and size that you need.

Settling for a monogram

These days too many people who design their own business logos are using monograms out of their business’s initials. This might sound like a good decision at first, but the fact is that doing so will make it that much harder to build credibility or get your overall message across. Make sure that you use your business’s full and proper name for your logo so that you can build your brand as quickly and easily as possible. People should be able to easily associate your business name with the logo.

Cliché Images

You should also remember to avoid using any cliché images in your business logo, such as a light bulb to represent an idea. Make sure that you are as creative as possible when it comes to the visual aspects of your logo so that it stands out from all the others. If you really want people to take notice of your business and logo, you will need to make sure that you come up with a unique design. Take the time to come up with an image that is relevant to your business but still unique and different.

Stealing another design

While there is absolutely nothing wrong with borrowing ideas from other business’s logos, you will definitely want to avoid outright stealing. Not only is this a bad idea because it will cause a lot of confusion for those who see it, but you could also face legal action from the company you stole from. One of the best ways to make sure that your logo stands out from all of the other companies in your industry is to come up with a wholly original idea. You can spend some time looking at other company’s logos to get general ideas for yours, but don’t take it too far.

Conclusion

When you keep all of the mistakes mentioned in this article in mind when designing your logo, you instantly increase your chances of creating one that is both unique and highly effective. There are a lot of mistakes that one can make when creating a new logo for their business, and it is absolutely imperative that you make a conscious effort to avoid all of them. The more original you are with your approach, the better your logo is going to be. Don’t let one or two simple mistakes ruin your logo, because you will definitely end up regretting it in a number of ways.

10 of the best Expert Logo Design Tips

When you are trying to design the perfect and most attractive logo for your new business, it is important that you follow certain tips. You will find that the tips in this article will help you to create a great logo that will effectively promote your business and reinforce your brand.

1: Understand your Competition

It is crucial that you take the time to do some research into your competition before you even get started with the logo design process. You will also need to gain a full understanding of your target demographic, as this will help you in creating the most effective logo possible. Your logo design should be created to appeal to the people you are trying to get through to, so you will need to remember that. The more of this research you do, the better your chances will be of creating the best possible logo for your business.

2: Stay Flexible

You will also need to make sure that you remain as flexible as possible. You don’t want to be too stringent when designing your logo, as it is a creative process. Keep an open mind so that you can come up with the very best design for your business’s logo. Just because you have come up with a strategy for designing your logo doesn’t mean that you have to strictly adhere to it every step of the way. Instead you should make a point of staying open to different thoughts and ideas that might pop into your head.

3: Keep it Simple

Keeping it simple is a common piece of advice that is given to those who are designing a company logo, but it cannot be reinforced enough. A lot of people end up creating complicated and over-the-top logos because they think they look fancy or impressive. The truth is that a logo doesn’t need to have a complex design to impress people. Make sure that you focus on coming up with a clean design that isn’t too busy, because you don’t want people to get a headache just from looking at your logo.

4: Select the best Typeface

The font that you use for your logo will have a huge impact on how it looks as a whole, so you will therefore want to make a point of selecting the right one overall. A lot of people forget to focus on this aspect of their logo when designing it because it seems unimportant, but the fact is that it’s one of the most crucial elements. Take the time to find a font that people are actually going to take seriously, and one that will compliment the logo as a whole.

5: Don’t be afraid to tweak and refine your logo

It’s always a good idea to keep refining and tweaking your logo so that you can make it perfect. While you may be tempted to declare victory early on, make sure that you spend some time improving on some of the finer details so that nothing is neglected. If you want your logo to be absolutely perfect, you will need to make sure that you do this.

6: Make it Timeless

We also highly recommend that you remember to come up with a design for your logo that is absolutely timeless. The last thing you want is to have to design your logo years from now, so make sure that you create a logo that is still going to look good decades later. One of the biggest mistakes that people tend to make when designing a logo is to create one based on current design trends.

7: Take a look at Logos of Similar Businesses

You should also take some time to look at logos from other businesses like yours. Chances are you are going to find at least a few logos that you like. While you certainly don’t want to copy another company’s logo, there is absolutely nothing wrong with drawing inspiration from some of them. There might be certain general elements of other logos that you will want to use with yours. Never be afraid to let yourself get inspired from other business’s logos, because it can be of great help.

8: Understand the Psychology of Shapes

There is a certain psychology behind shapes and colors that you will want to understand before getting started with designing your logo. The more you learn about this kind of psychology, the easier it will be to come up with an effective logo for your business that will entice those who see it. You can use this psychology to your benefit.

9: Utilize Negative Space Properly

Make sure that you use negative space in a creative and effective way, because the last thing you want is a significant amount of blank negative space in your logo. The NBC News logo is a great example of a creative use of negative space. The better your become at doing this, the better your logo is going to look overall. Take the time to come up with clever ways to use the negative space in your logo.

10: Don’t be afraid to be playful

Despite what you might have been told by others, your company’s logo doesn’t need to be completely serious. You definitely shouldn’t be afraid to get playful and have a sense of humor when you are designing your logo, because it’s something that people will almost certainly appreciate. It is important that you are clever about the humor that you use with your logo so that you’ll actually be able to pull it off. The Amazon.com logo is a great example of clever use of humor and wit.

Conclusion

It is extremely important that you take the time to consider all of the tips listed in this article so that you can design the best possible logo for your business. If you want a logo that is going to get your business noticed in a truly positive way, you will need to keep all of these things in mind.