Corporate Identity, Logos, and You

... From Biz2Biz NWA April 2009

By Shan Pesaru / Sharp Hue / Springdale

When you look at a wall of business cards like this, it’s obvious very few of them will stand out and catch a viewer’s attention. When you hand your card out at networking meetings, conferences, and sales calls, will it stand out from the pack? Does your web site, flyer, e-mail, conference presentation, or letterhead bring your company to mind immediately? One solution will make all these elements of your corporate identity memorable: a well-designed custom logo.

Consistent use of a well-designed logo identifies your brand, establishes trust and recognition, and attracts attention. A well-designed logo makes your clients and customers open that envelope, read that e-mail, and save that flyer, because they know right away that it comes from someone they’re happy to hear from: you.

What is a well-designed logo?

• The basic principles of design apply to logos as with all other designs. Simplicity, unity, balance, repetition, and intentional use of color and theme are essential. With logos, less is definitely more. You want an immediate impact on your first-time viewer, and immediate recognition after that. A professional logo design is a worthwhile investment.

• A logo should be meaningful. When your logo creates the emotional and visual impact, your brand benefits. Your designer will work simultaneously with font, slogan, icon, and color.

• A logo is more than great design on paper. To get the maximum from your design investment, you’ll want to use your logo on all the visible products of your company. You’ll need your design in formats that will work for online, screen, and print applications. It’s also useful to make certain your logo is invertible – that it looks good on both light and dark backgrounds. This level of versatility maximizes the return on your investment.

When is it time to change your logo?

• When your original logo doesn’t capture the image of your organization adequately. In this case, the sooner you change to a better logo, the sooner you’ll see better results.

• When your original logo needs modernization. For example, UPS has redesigned their logo several times over the years, as have many Fortune 500 companies. The basic UPS shield remains and the color scheme is similar, so they won’t give up recognizability, but the new look is sleeker and more modern in appearance.

• When your business has changed. If you have expanded your market, increased your offerings, or changed your delivery systems in exciting ways, it might be time to show those changes in new visual elements.

Author/ expert Shan Pesaru has more than 12 years of web development experience. He is founder of Sharp Hue, a web design, web hosting, web marketing company working to stay ahead of the industry curve, and to continuously revolutionize the industry. You can reach him at shan@sharphue.com.