Why does your business need a good logo?

Whether it’s fair or not, first impressions last. With all the noise on the web today, a well-designed logo can help your business immediately establish a relationship with your customers.A great logo helps customers identify with your brand and your identity. A relevant logo design is memorable, recognizable and raises your brand awareness.

Here are four tips to consider when developing your logo.

#1 What Should Your Logo Say About You?

Ask yourself these questions.

• Is your logo relevant to what your business provides to customers?
• Does it convey your brand identity and how you want to be perceived?

If your company has long, proud history, does the logo incorporate this tradition?

Consider the evolution of Ford’s blue oval against this logo concept proposed by Paul Rand, the famous logo designers responsible for IBM and Westinghouse.

Playboy logo is instantly recognisable

Evolution of Ford Logo

Proposed Ford logo 1986, Paul Rand

#2 What Makes Your Company Logo "Sticky"?

Famous logos have many similar attributes. Your logo should too:

• Try to avoid trends and create a logo that is unique and distinctive
• Try to develop a new logo design which is recognizable from all perspectives – on different medium, from afar and up close, in black/white or colour
• Don’t have too many elements in the logo design competing for attention – keep it simple

Ask yourself this question when reviewing logo designs: “Will my customers instinctively understand the logo and how it represents my business?”

Iconic logo design by DesignCrowd designers

Evolution of the Pepsi logo

#3 How to Find a Great Logo Designer on DesignCrowd

There are numerous ways to find the right designer(s) on DesignCrowd who will develop your logo for you.

1. Browse our logo designer directory and find designer portfolios that you identify with the most.
2. Browse through recently completed public logo design contests.
3. Get DesignCrowd’s customer service team to hand-pick some of our top designers to work on your project with the “Top Designers” upgrade.

Harvard Business School Logo Design Contest

#4 How To Write a Great Logo Design Brief Knowledge is power – the more informed your designers are, the better the outcome and the more time you save from sifting through irrelevant designs. Word association – in a perfect world, what words would you want associated with your brand? Use these words in your brief! Company Background – how long has it been around? Who are the customers? Who are your competitors? Do you have a website?Does it convey your brand identity and how you want to be perceived? Why do you need a new logo? Is the old logo outdated? Has a competitor just rebranded? Give your designers the real reason for developing a new logo Tell designers what you don’t want! Still not sure, check out our guide: 10 steps to the perfect design brief; or you might enjoy another post, 4 tips to get great designs. Describe what you want in your logo design Conclusion You'll get an awesome, memorable logo if ou know why you need the new logo, what it should express about what your company, avoid short-term trend-driven thinking, write a concise design brief and hire a great designer (take your pick from our 130,000 available immediately). Looking for a custom company logo design?

Written by Jo Sabin on Thursday, August 1, 2013

Jo Sabin is Head of Designer Community at DesignCrowd. She's led the company's public relations and social media programs since 2012. With more than ten years' experience working with Australian and international tech startups in the creative industries, Jo has been instrumental in meeting DesignCrowd's objectives in Australia and abroad. Get in touch via Twitter.