Chapter 14: Avoiding Common Logo Design Mistakes

In the previous chapters, I’ve outlined the steps to take when designing a logo, and what you need to do in order for your logo to be successful. Not all logo designers follow the same process, but the final product is the same: a logo.

In this chapter, I summarize some common mistakes that logo designers make. Before you get started designing a logo, review this chapter to remind yourself what not to do. After you finish your logo, review this chapter again and assess whether you were successful in side-stepping these potential pitfalls.

Using Raster Graphics

The standard practice when designing a logo is to use vector graphics software, such as Adobe Illustrator or Corel Draw. A vector graphic is made up of mathematically precise points and provides visual consistency at multiple sizes. On the other hand, a raster graphic (or bitmap as they’re commonly called), made with raster graphic software such as Adobe Photoshop, consists of pixels.

The use of raster images in logos can cause problems for reproduction (see Figure 14-1). You can create a high-resolution raster graphic logo, but you don’t know for sure how large that logo will need to be reproduced. If you zoom in on a raster graphic, it will eventually appear pixilated, rendering it impractical. A logo must look the same at all sizes to maintain visual recognition.

Figure 14-1: An example of how raster graphics can limit reproduction. On the left is a vector graphic; on the right, a raster graphic.

Vector graphics can be scaled at any size without losing quality and can be applied to other design media easier than raster images can. Plus, vector graphics make editing the logo at a later stage a much easier process.

Using Stock Art

This mistake is often made by business owners trying to design their own logos or by amateur designers who aren’t aware of copyright laws. Downloading stock vector imagery from websites is not a crime, but it can get you into a lot of trouble if you decide to implement it into a logo.

A logo should be unique and original, with the license agreement being exclusive to the client. Using stock art breaks this rule. Plus, chances are, if you use a stock vector graphic, it’s being used somewhere else in the world, so the logo won’t be unique. You can easily spot a stock vector graphic in a logo—they’re often familiar shapes such as globes or silhouettes (see Figure 14-2).

Figure 14-2: Using stock vector graphics in a logo can put your client at risk.

Designing for Yourself rather than the Client

I can spot this design sin a mile off. It’s usually the result of the designer having an enormous ego. If there’s a cool new font that you love and you can’t wait to use it in your design, well, don’t. Is that font really appropriate for your client’s business? Your idea for a great modern typographic solution probably isn’t suitable for a serious business such as solicitors (see Figure 14-3).

Figure 14-3: You should never input your own personality into a client’s work.

Some designers also make the mistake of including their “recognizable style” in their work. You should be proud of your work, but putting your own personality into a logo is wrong. Stay focused on the client’s requirements by sticking to the brief.

Relying on Trends

Trends come and go, and they ultimately end up as clichés. A well-designed logo should be timeless. You can achieve this timelessness by ignoring the latest design trick or gimmick.

The most common cliché in logo design is the dreaded “corporate swoosh” (see Figure 14-4), which is the ultimate way to play it safe.

Figure 14-4: Focusing on current logo trends puts a sell-by date on a logo.

As a logo designer, your job is to create a unique identity for your client, so you should completely ignore logo design trends. Not sure what the latest trends are? Go to LogoLounge (www.logolounge.com) and click on Trend Reports at the bottom of the page. You’ll find a report on the current logo design trends, updated annually. As a designer, you need to be aware of the latest craze . . . so that you can avoid it at all costs.

Being Too Complex

Take a look at your finger—you’ll notice that you can see the detail of your fingerprint only when it’s really close to your face. If you move your finger away, you can no longer see the fingerprint. The same rule applies to highly detailed logo designs.

When printed, a complex design will lose detail at smaller sizes, and in some cases, it may look like a smudge or a mistake (see Figure 14-5). When a logo is more detailed, there is more information for the viewer to acknowledge. A great logo should be memorable, and the best way to achieve this is to keep things simple. Take a look at the corporate identities of Nike, McDonald’s, and Apple—they’re simple icons, easily reproduced at any size, and very memorable.

Figure 14-5: Highly detailed designs are unlikely to scale well when printed or viewed at smaller sizes.

Failing to Provide a Solution in the Absence of Color

Some designers can’t wait to start adding color to a design, and some logos even rely on color completely. Choosing color should be the last decision—you’re always better off starting your work in black and white.

In some situations, a logo will need to be reproduced in one color, so you should be sure to test your design to see if this affects the identity. If color helps to identify certain elements of the design, it will look completely different in one tone (see Figure 14-6). Always provide a version of the design in one color to avoid future reproduction complications.

Figure 14-6: In the absence of color, your great design might lose it’s identity.

Choosing the Wrong Typeface

When it comes to executing a logo concept, choosing the right font is the most important decision a designer can make. More often than not, a logo will be let down by a poor font choice (see Figure 14-7).

Figure 14-7: Typeface choices can make or break a logo.

Finding the perfect font for your design is all about matching the style of the icon, but this can be tricky. If the match is too good, the mark and font compete with each other for visual attention. If it doesn’t match at all, then the viewer won’t know where to focus. The key is achieving the right balance. Each typeface has a personality; if the font you choose doesn’t reflect the characteristics of the mark, then the brand message won’t be communicated effectively.

Designers tend to choose the wrong font when they don’t take the decision seriously enough. Some designers simply throw the type in as an afterthought. (For much more on choosing a font, turn to Chapter 8.)

Using Too Many Fonts

Using too many fonts is like trying to show someone a whole photo album all at once. Each typeface looks different, and the viewer needs time to recognize each one—seeing too many all at once can cause confusion (see Figure 14-8).

It’s standard practice to use a maximum of two fonts or two weights. Restricting the amount of fonts in a logo design can greatly improve the legibility and increase brand recognition.

Figure 14-8: The number of fonts on the left makes the logo harder to read.

Plagiarizing

Plagiarizing is the biggest logo design mistake of all, and, unfortunately, it’s becoming more and more common. The main purpose of a logo is to identify a business. If a company’s logo looks the same as another company’s logo, the logo fails. Copying someone else does nobody any favors—including the designer.