9 Signs You Need Help With Logo Design
A logo is your brand's public face.
It is a portrayal of who and what you are, and what you represent.
As a brand, you want a professional logo design that's instantly identifiable — think of the Mcdonald's arch or the Nike swoosh.
You want a logo that can be instantly recalled; because the easier it is for your audience to think of you, the more they actually will.
In other words, as the key to your brand identity, your logo will be the first thing that comes to your user's minds when they think of you.
The thing is, as time goes by and trends come and go, you may start to realise that the logo you once knew and loved is now looking a bit shabby.
That's the last thing you want.
What you want is a strong logo that conveys precisely what you want to be communicated.
Thankfully, that's what a logo redesign can do.
A few tweaks here, a couple of changes there, and you're sitting on a brand new logo design that can do wonders for your business.
Keep in mind that a redesign or rebrand takes a lot of time and effort, so before you discard your current logo and opt for a new one, take the time to decide whether you need it or not.
For example, if any of these nine signs speak truly of your brand, you may need help with logo design.
1: Your Logo Has Never Changed
If you have the same logo today as the day you started out, it may be time for a change.
Sure, some brands may have logos that haven't changed much over the years, but you'll be hard-pressed to find one that still uses its original logo.
With the changing times, come changing tastes and trends that necessitate updated logos, and sticking with the first one you attached to your brand can send signals to your audience that you're neither good with change nor are up-to-date with the current environment.
2: Your Logo Is Outdated
Similar to the point above, if your logo has gathered some dust over the years, you need help with logo design.
Look at it from your user's perspective — would you trust someone with a logo that looks as if it came out of the 80s, 90s or early 2000s magazine?
Probably not.
While it is essential to stick with your roots and pay homage to your heritage, this does not mean that you have to hold with the same logo throughout the years.
For example, your original logo may have been created at a time when the go-to browsing device wasn't the smartphone.
If this is the case, it's probably not compatible with smaller screens that require sized down and minimalistic logos that can be turned into icons.
3: Your Logo Is Not Unique
One of the most frustrating aspects of creating a logo is coming up with a stellar design, only to later realise it's very similar to one, two, three or more logos out there — especially if you're in the same industry.
If your logo does resemble another one enough that it's unlikely to be coincidental, you'll have to go back to the drawing board and find another emblem that can differentiate you from the rest.
To this end, an easy way of figuring out if your logo is unique is with a simple Google reverse image search (just make sure to use a solid background and isolate the icon from the typeface).
4: Your Logo Has Too Many Elements
A growing trend in logo design is geared toward simplification and minimalism.
It used to be the case that logos were designed with physical storefronts or large newspaper ads in mind, but the same can't be said anymore.
For example, while an older logo had many elements and colours that showcased the different things the brand did, a visual identity today will utilise up to three shades and speak more about what the brand is, rather than what it does.
In a similar vein, logos tend to get simplified as the brand grows and becomes more recognisable.
For example, take a look at Starbucks' logo above.
As it grew and became a household name across the planet, it lost elements along the way until it became the logo we all know today.
5: Your Logo is DIY or Low Quality
If either you, a family member or a friend created your logo, it may be time to get in touch with a creative branding agency and give it a professional touch up.
When you first launched your brand, you had other things to worry about, and of course, resources in this stage are always limited, but now that you've grown and are more established it will be better to go to someone with actual experience in logo design.
After all, users can usually tell if a logo was done by a professional, and you definitely do not want to be the butt of their poor design-based jokes.
6: Your Logo Isn't as appealing as the Competition's
You want to be at the top of the food chain in whatever industry you reside.
For this reason, if you're seeing that your competitor's logo is more appealing than yours, you need help with logo design.
Don't copy them, though — that's the worst thing you can do in this situation.
Instead, look at their logo and figure out what makes it unique.
Is it the colour scheme?
Is it the how the elements come together?
Treat it like a math formula and use the same equation, but with different variables.
7: Your Logo Doesn't Represent Your Brand's Current Offerings
As your business grows, it will inevitably evolve and diversify into something that your original logo does not capture.
Because you want your logo to be representative of your brand's goals and mission, you need a logo that captures everything your brand is.
In fact, whenever your business shifts directions, use that as an opportunity to evaluate whether your current logo still fits your brand's offerings.
For example, let's say from selling luxury shoes you've now branched out into other luxury items like handbags and belts.
In this case, you don't want your logo to pigeonhole you as a strictly a shoe-selling brand.
8: Your Brand Has a New Audience
If you're trying to reach a new audience, for example, a younger generation that values brighter colours and smoother designs, a good idea will be to revamp your logo to appeal to their taste.
If you do this, make sure to play it right and don't do anything too drastic, otherwise, you risk losing your existing audience as you try to connect with the new one.
9: Your Brand Has a New Name
Finally, if your brand has a new name, you definitely need help with a logo design that complements it.
No matter the reason for the new name, starting with a clean slate means precisely that: starting with a clean slate.
You want a new logo that speaks to what the rebranding was all about, not the same, old one that was dropped for a reason.
For example, the company we now know as IBM was founded in 1911 as the Computing-Tabulating-Recording Company (CTR) through a merger of the Tabulating Machine Company, the International Time Recording Company and the Computing Scale Company.
The name was eventually changed to “International Business Machines,” and the new logos throughout the years show as much.
Let's Take a Second Look
Logo redesigns can be risky, but if it's needed, it's needed.
Before you start making any changes, make sure that you fall into this category by checking over the nine signs you need help with logo design we covered today:
- Your Logo Has Never Changed
- Your Logo Is Outdated
- Your Logo Is Not Unique
- Your Logo Has Too Many Elements
- Your Logo is DIY or Low Quality
- Your Logo Isn't as Appealing as the Competition's
- Your Logo Doesn't Represent Your Brand's Current Offerings
- Your Brand Has a New Audience
- Your Brand Has a New Name
If you're thinking of redesigning your logo or need help with logo design, feel free to get in touch with us and tell us more about what you're looking for.
Best of luck!
