Do You Need a Logo?
A good logo can give you a more professional look, make you stand out from your competitors, and help your customers and clients remember you. Well designed, your logo conveys the image you want to present to your target market.
If you operate as an individual such as a psychologist, a tutor or interior designer, and you use your own name rather than a business name, you may not need a logo. You may, however, want to choose a distinctive font and color to use for your name on your business cards, website and other marketing materials.
There are thousands of fonts to choose from. To see the variety, check out fontscape. The font you choose should reflect the image you want to convey to potential clients. An attorney or CPA, for example, would choose a strong, serious-looking font and color such as deep blue, gray or black. A party planner or comedian could use a whimsical font in a warm color, while a massage therapist might choose an elegant font in a cool calming color.
A word of caution: What's important here is that the font you use be very readable even when it's printed in 9 or 10 point size. And remember that if you're going to use a fancy font on your website, it will have to be created as a graphic element for that purpose.
Basics of a Good Logo
OK, so you've decided you want a logo. It can be as simple as a distinctive font/color as described above, or it can include graphic elements that represent your business.
If you think about the most recognizable logos, you'll realize just how simple they are. Google, for example, is simply a plain font with each letter being a different color. FedEx uses two strong colors.
 You can create an attractive design with the placement/size of the words in your logo. This is effective if the name of your business or product has several words. My logo for my new product, The Art of Affirmation, is an example of how this can work. Sometimes placing the text asymmetrically works such as in the Home Depot logo.
Can you come up with a simple picture that represents your business? One mistake many people make is to try to include a graphic that has too much detail. If there was ever a situation where simpler is better, this is it. A good designer will create the logo in its smallest form (think business card). Can you tell what the graphic is? How does it display?
If you want to incorporate a graphic element in your logo, think about something that would represent what your business does (think of the simple house design on the Century 21 logo or the black "fingers walking" design of the Yellow Pages logo). If your business name lends itself to a graphic, choose something that will help people remember it--Target's logo is the classic example here, think also of Shell's simple yellow scallop shell design.
Used distinctively and for a long period of time, a unique element can represent a business even without words. Think of the Nike swoosh (used alone on most of their current products) or the NBC peacock. If you use a distinctive squiggle or swirl in your logo, you can also use it independently as a graphic element in your marketing materials--nice touch!
Color
I think it's wise to use no more than two colors in a logo, and one of those could be black or white. Black and white logos can be classy too. You might want to choose a combination of warm and cool colors. The colors should be a reflection of who you are and what you do.
Your logo should also work well in one color (black only). There will be occasions when you will want to place a print ad or be included in a directory that is only going to be printed in black and white. You should have both a color and a black and white version of your logo.
Second Opinions
Once you have a draft of your logo or preferably drafts of a few different logos, ask others their opinions before you finalize it. Pick people in your target market, maybe even some of your best customers or clients, and avoid people who won't give you an honest opinion.
Tag Lines
If it seems appropriate and helps get your message or image across, consider using a tag line. This has been used effectively by companies like Ford "Quality is Job One" and even the U.S. Army "Be All You Can Be." Tag lines can be changed. Logos should be considered permanent. As with your logo, you'll want opinions about whether your tag line works.
How many versions of your logo do you need?
Once you have your logo down tight, you'll want a jpeg format in several sizes to pop into flyers, stationery, invoices or other marketing materials. You'll also want formats that are suitable for the web. In addition, it's a good idea to have a couple of sizes in black and white, even if your logo is in color.
Summing It Up
A good logo is simple, bold, distinctive and works well in all sizes. It represents you and your business well, conveying the image that you want your clients and customers to have about you. Because it's one of the most important parts of your brand, it's well worth the time, money and effort to create a logo you'll be proud of.
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