What really makes a striking logo? The whole act of creating a logo for your brand, your company, or your product seems like it is based on our customers’ perceived subjective preferences. So, how does one state the essential characteristics of an impressive logo when the preferences of our customers are so subjective and divergent at the same time?
The fact remains: the subjective preferences of people don’t appear out of thin air. There’s always a pattern that can be pinned down. When we understand the underlying pattern in public preference, we can clearly define what the characteristics of an impressive logo are.
Distinctiveness
In a sea of a million logos, for your logo to stand out and make a striking impact in the mind of the casual observer, your logo must be distinctive enough. To achieve this distinction, you must ensure your logo is not commonplace and has at least one or two aspects unique to it.
Example: Apple did justice to this essential criterion through its simplicity with the added twist (or the added bite).
Sophistication
If you’re walking by on a random street and come across two shops selling identical goods, you’re going to walk into the one with the classier logo. Bad taste doesn’t inspire too much confidence from its customers and sophistication is the way to move forward.
Example: One can’t but notice how sophisticated the logo for BMW or Skoda is; it truly does justice to the products they offer.
Relevance
A well-rounded logo might have more than one primary visual element to communicate the nature of the brands’ essence. The key challenge here is ensuring that the additional visual element is relevant to what the brand has to offer to the world.
Example: A palm tree as a part of the logo for a beach resort, or a snow-capped mountain as a part of a logo for a ski resort does qualify as extremely relevant visual information that communicates information without the need for words.
Visually Pleasing
Another key ingredient of what makes a superlative brand logo is its visual attractiveness. Granted, attractiveness is a subjective preference, but there are certain brand logos that are universally admired for their visual attractiveness. A visually pleasing logo needs clever design, good taste, and the proper use of shapes and colors.
Example: Starbucks has a universally loved brand logo and that has played a significant role in the popularity it enjoys today. A visually pleasing logo is the triumph of effective branding.
Yes, creating the perfect brand logo is hardly rocket science, but it still remains a difficult task to ensure the above criterion are fulfilled. Also, it’s important to remember that the essential characteristics of an impressive brand logo are the foundation of impressive promotional products your marketing department relies on. Contact us for any input you need in order to ensure you’re creating an appealing and appropriate logo.