What makes a good logo?

The experts get paid big bucks to make logos for brands and companies, so there are some trade secrets and perhaps even special sauce that won't be revealed here. But there are some general principles that make for good logos that we'll dive into.

A wealth of information about logo design is available at the end of a Google search, but these are foundational starting points:

Story

Logos that tie in a story are often memorable, they stick out or they convey something that resonates with people. Check out these 5 brands with memorable logos and the stories behind them. 

Colour

Colour can evoke emotion and link ideas together, especially when pairing the right colour with the right industry or field. Take a moment to read this Color Psychology article for more ideas on how to use colour effectively in logos and branding.

Versatility

A logo design for an imaginary company as part of the 30 Days of Logo challenge. The logo consists of text reading retro prints, where retro appears in all caps on an upward angle, and prints appears in script, level underneath the right side of retro.

Good logos are designed with their intended use in mind. Sometimes logos are printed at a small size, such as on a clothing label or business card. Logos that look great on a computer screen don't always look great on a poster. Find out how the logo will be used primarily, and consider making simpler alternates—like an outline or monochrome version—for other applications.

30 Days of Logos

Looking for logo ideas? Check out my 30 Days of Logos portfolio on Behance.net.

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