Featured Story

Business Identity: Creating an effective logo
by Kerri Kugler

Any successful business on the market today advertises to increase revenue. Whether promoting via website, billboard, magazine or mailer there is always an element that remains consistent, the logo.

A logo is the consumer’s first impression of your company, so it is important that you send out the right message in your design. Below are a few tips in developing an effective yet visually stimulating logo.

• Research your industry. Do some investigating as to what other companies are doing in your industry. Researching your competitors enables you to see the current standard. That in turn, can help you exceed by enhancing what is already out there.
   
• Develop an appropriate look. It is important that your logo reflects the message your are trying to portray. If you decide to go with more of a corporate look select an image accordingly.
   
• Keep it consistent. Once you have developed an identity you think will be beneficial to your company, keep your logo, tagline and other marketing materials consistent. Repeating the same elements will help the consumer to remember who you are and what you do.
   
• Color contrast. Although it is important for the color scheme to work well, it is also important to keep in mind that color value may have to be converted to black and white. When creating your logo, make sure that all elements will have the same effect if converted.
   
• Create in a Vector Based Format. A professional logo NEVER has a bitmap image incorporated into it. Every logo needs to be created in vector format to allow size manipulation. Your graphic designer should be aware of this. If not, it maybe time to look for someone else.
   
• Keep it Simple. Use nothing more than an image and company name. Your logo should be easy to recognize and easy to read no matter the size. Remember this tip: if your logo has both words and image(s), either emphasize the image or the words, never emphasize both!
   
• Use Quality Materials. You may have developed a killer logo, but what good is it when it is presented on poor quality materials? Spending the extra dollar will give a professional appearance and show that you have a keen eye for detail.