Do Not Fall into These Logo Design Traps

Logos can be tricky to create because they must represent a company and look good on everything from business card printing to billboards. To create logos that will look good for a long time, avoid the following design traps.

Complex Designs
Complex logos are difficult to read, and people tend to forget them quickly. Logos need to be instantly recognizable and memorable, so keep them simple. Simple designs also translate well from small to large sizes.

Very Wide or Tall Logos
Overly wide or tall logos do not work well on many print mediums like business card printing, labels, and signage. It is usually best to stick to a ratio of 2 units by 3 units, which also has the advantage of being pleasing to the eye.

Thin Lines
Thin lines do not stand out. They can even disappear when copied or reprinted. When your client faxes a letter to someone, you want the logo to still look good, so use bold lines to create a logo that gets noticed and looks strong.

Clipart
Avoid using clipart. People will recognize it as such and view the logo as amateurish. Even worse, they transfer those feeling to the company the logo represents as well. Create an original design that looks professional and generates respect for the company. The logo will often be the first impression people have of a company because it is used on business card printing, ads, and billboards.

Trendy Designs
Stay away from overly trendy designs or fonts. The trend will fade, and the logo will look out of date. Find a design that looks classic and will last a long time.    

Photoshop Designing
Do not design logos in Photoshop because they will be distorted when you change the size for different uses. Instead, use a vector program like Illustrator or Corel Draw. Vector designs keep their proportions when you change their size, and you never have to worry about resolution.

Illegible Logos
Logos must be legible or they fail as a marketing tool. Do not create logos that are difficult to read, so check legibility at small, medium, and large sizes. If your logo is easy to read at all three sizes, you are good to go!

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