What is a strong logo for your business?

Gro Vik

What does it take for your company to get a logo that works?

Here are some tips:

A logo should identify a company

The logo is the face of the company and should communicate the essence of the company's personality. It's the icing on the cake of everything that makes up the profile.

Give the designer a proper foundation

A good foundation is a prerequisite for a good result. A good brief must contain up-to-date information about, among other things, the target group(s), the product, the competition, the vision, the strategy and the point of contact with the customer. With this as a basis, the designer can start sketching with much greater accuracy.

Be unique

A good logo stands out from the crowd and won't be confused with others - it's unique. By creating a strong brand identity, your target audience will recognize you and have an idea of who you are and what you want.

Think visibility

Visibility means that the logo is easy to see and notice. Colors are important here. That's why designers often work in black and white until the shape is right, before they start working with color. But strong colors can never compensate for a weak shape. The channels where the logo will be used are relevant to the level of detail.

Think flexibility

Think big - and think small. A Hennig-Olsen ice cream stick illustrates the point: You peel off the paper, lick the ice cream, and poof - there's a tiny logo burned into the wooden stick. The same logo is printed in giant format on the trailer rumbling past. One is tiny and in black and white, the other large and colorful. But it's the same logo - no doubt about it.
Think about where the logo should be exposed. Will it work as an app icon on your phone? As a favicon in the browser? Can it be embroidered, cast or embossed? Can it be seen at speed? Cut in foil or milled in concrete? Can it be animated? Bonus points for that.

Be remembered

Most of us can probably recall something similar to the logos of Apple, Nike, McDonald's or Coca-Cola from memory. Of course, it's because we've seen these logos many times, but that's not the whole explanation. In their own way, these logos have interesting, simple and distinctive features that stick in the mind, appeal to us and create recognition. One clear feature, one strong shape, one strong focus.

Trendy versus timeless

Sure, you need a modern logo for your business, but maybe you want it to last a few years? The hottest colors, the most super-cool fonts and flashy effects might be just what you need, but not necessarily.
Make sure the logo you create today doesn't risk becoming "soooo twenty-three" before you can say twenty-five. Minimalism is the art of saying more by saying less. Effects, frills and embellishments can never be the core of good design. Look at Apple and IKEA. Two modern, strong brands with fairly conservative logos. The IKEA logo has remained virtually unchanged for around fifty years without the brand seeming to suffer.

Keep it simple

A company logo isn't something we spend a lot of time reading or studying on a daily basis. It's something quick and fleeting, something we either notice or we don't. Logos that try to convey many different messages at once are overlooked and forgotten. That's how brutal it is.

Let the designer play

Gravity has never been good design's best friend. Logo design is no exception.

A good creative process requires us to go in all directions, including the unexpected. Expect the unexpected and dare to let it mature in your head. If you get what you expect, it's probably not unique.

Conclusion:

No logo works in a vacuum. It is the visual anchor of a holistic profile system that includes colors, typography, layout, verbal and visual style and tone.

Are you considering doing something with your logo? Contact our consultants at for a no-obligation chat!