10 Basic Logo Design Rules for a Clean, Professional Logo

Apple, Nike, Google, HBO, Ray-Ban, Microsoft, Facebook, or Twitter — what’s the one common thing that you notice?

Unquestionably, your answer would be none other than their super clean and simple logo design. Their logo may appear simple on the outside, but a lot of brainstorming, practice and time have gone into the creation that we don’t know about.

Following these brands’ footsteps and coming up with a clean, professional logo is not about stripping away elements from a design willy-nilly. But it needs to enhance the overall effectiveness.

We have rounded up 10 logo design tips to help you acquire “less is more” approach in your logo design.

1. Identify your brand’s personality

The first step in design guidelines for a simple logo begins with knowing your brand’s personality. Try to understand the nature and goal of the business. Don’t hesitate from getting into the shoes of your audience and think like them. Once you’re crystal-clear about what makes the brand unique and what it is all about, it will be easy for you to choose the right design concepts.

2. Analyse the competition

Analyzing competition around doesn’t mean stealing others ideas but taking inspiration from them. Keep an eye on competitors’ logos and determine what works well with prospects and what design mistakes your competitors made that you should avoid. Think of the aspects that make them different from your brand. Don’t copy their style; instead, try to set yourself apart from them. For example, if businesses in your niche are going with monochrome logos, you should opt for a colorful or textured version to stand out.

3. Consider color combination carefully

The word ‘careful’ is already in the title. That means considering color for a simple logo design is very crucial. Being a designer, you should take it seriously because colors can make or break the overall look of your logo. Every color carries a different meaning; therefore, designers should know color psychology before creating a logo.

Take an example of the color “blue” that is known for conveying strength, dependability, and peace of mind. Brands like IBM, Dell, Intel, Ford, or Facebook have taken advantage of this message and created their logo in the shades of blue.

4. Use the power of grid

Grids come handy when creating a simple and timeless logo design. Once you have a design concept in mind, you can fine-tune it to achieve visual perfection. A grid is a geometric design system that when included precisely in your design project can help you transform your brand’s visual identity. As a simple a logo doesn’t have many elements attached to it, grid system enables you to focus on its alignment.

There are many brands out there that have trusted in the power of the grid system. Take an example of Shell’s logo that has evolved over the years but still sticks to the basic design rules.

5. Tell a story

Who says a simple logo design doesn’t have the power of storytelling? Every logo has a tale to tell; some have obvious ones, some have hidden ones. Look at the clean and straightforward logo of Amazon— the online marketplace. Their logo has a yellow arrow that starts from the letter ‘a’ with ending at the letter ‘z.’ This simply reveals that the site sells everything from ‘a’ to ‘z’ products. The arrow also stands for smile indicating the happiness shoppers feel when they shop from this site.

Even if the logo is simple, it showcases the brand’s meticulous ideology and mission.

6. Choose the right typography

Choosing the right typeface is very important for your design to be impactful. Take your time in researching various fonts that you can use in your project. Make a list first and then filter it out. Check to see how each font looks with your logo. If needed, purchase a font, create your own, or modify one that you think would look great with your design. You can even stick to four basic font styles such as Serif fonts, Sans-serif fonts, Script fonts, and Display fonts for a minimalist design.

7. Bind the design elements together

As you know there are different elements in a logo; you need to make sure they complement each other. Bind them together in a way that is balancing and creates a cohesive vibe.

8. Bring in the versatility factor

Consider the versatility factor when designing a logo. It’s not only cost-effective but saves you time and money as you need not create different logos for different channels. Begin with few color choices like black and white in case the logo has to be printed. Using more colors will shoot up your printing cost later.

9. Instil timelessness

A logo should not only endure the test of time, but it should be future-proof. And, to do that, you need to stick to the fundamental rules. Sticking to trends and fads may bring you momentary success, but it will destroy the longevity of the logo. For that matter, let’s talk about Disney’s logo. It’s an excellent example of timelessness. Designed decades ago, the logo is still put up. They didn’t go with a trendy color or font but chose a classic neutral (black) shade.

10. Use online tools and resources

There is an exhaustive list of tools and resources for those who need inspiration or assistance, to begin with, logo design. Designhill offers an AI-based logo maker tool that helps designers like you to create a clean and simple logo easily. You can also participate in their online contest and create stunning logos to grab the attention of the customers.

Conclusion

Designing a simple logo may seem easy at first; but in reality, it isn’t that simple. However, you can create a clean, attractive, versatile and timeless logo by following the above tips. Let us know if we have missed some other pointers.