Designing a logo can be an exciting step for business owners, as it’s often the first area they are able to flex their creative juices. While many entrepreneurs choose to invest in professional designers to create logos that will beautifully and accurately represent their business, those who already have some design know-how will likely want to save money by creating a business logo themselves. If you’re designing your own logo as a part of your business’s branding, watch out for these common logo design pitfalls, which can do more harm than good.
Raster images
A raster image is an image that is made up of pixels. When enlarged, the image becomes grainy; additionally, their larger file sizes can slow down your computer. Make sure you create your logo in a design program that uses vectors, such as Adobe Illustrator. A vector graphic uses math formulas to create lines and shapes, and as a result the image is infinitely scalable.
Stock images
Your logo should be unique to your business. If you have purchased an image or graphic from somewhere online, chances are that someone else out there is using the same one. Since the whole purpose of a logo is to create an association with your brand, it is counterproductive to use an image or graphic that other entrepreneurs and business owners could be using.
Busy or complex designs
Aside from scaling issues, a busy logo creates visual dissonance for viewers and will likely result in negative associations with your brand. Keep your design clean and simple, with only a few key elements. Overwhelming shoppers with a design that doesn’t make sense or clashes with your site is distracting and a quick way to increase your site’s bounce rate.
Hard-to-read fonts
Many logos are so visually distinct that they do not use text at all; however, if a logo contains text, it should be easy to read and complimentary to the overall design. A font that dominates or competes for attention will take away from a logo, and at small sizes, an ornate font becomes increasingly difficult to read. Avoid using too many fonts as well so as not to generate unrest.
Clichés
Avoid imagery that is used ubiquitously, like swooshes to represent innovation, gears for technology, or blue smoke for e-cigs. Create a concept that is unique to your business and won’t make it blend in with your competition. This is where hiring a professional can really be beneficial, as they are trained to think outside the box and to create a unique concept.
Final Thoughts
A logo gives your brand an identity, but also does so much more for your business. Acting as an extension of who you are and what you care about, a logo gives your customers a way to connect with your business, something to support and rally around. It behooves you as an entrepreneur to take logo design seriously and develop a logo that reflects your spirit as an individual and as a company.