25 design tips for killer logos. Whether you're a designer, or a business owner looking to brand your company, here's 25 top tips to designing a killer logo - the cornerstone of your brand. Learn what to do, not to do, what formats you'll need for a professional identity and more.

1. DevelopaTop-ShelfIdentityforYourCompany,ProductorService!
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2. ProTip#1ProTip#1
Time(ormoney)savingsolutions,areoftenneithertime
ormoneysaving.You'llonlyhavetoredoyourlogolater.
Thisalsoappliesto"template"&"ready-made"logos.
Time(ormoney)savingsolutions,areoftenneithertime
ormoneysaving.You'llonlyhavetoredoyourlogolater.
Thisalsoappliesto"template"&"ready-made"logos.
Shortcuts can be costly.
Start out right.

3. ProTip#2ProTip#2
Thelogodesignprocess
isn'talwaysfun.
Developingalogoforyourcompanycanactuallybe
frustrating&seemfruitless.Designisanorganic,iterative
process.Havepatience-youwillgetthere.
Developingalogoforyourcompanycanactuallybe
frustrating&seemfruitless.Designisanorganic,iterative
process.Havepatience-youwillgetthere.

4. ProTip#3ProTip#3
Do not copy anybody
else's logo.
EventhoughyoufoundagreatlogoonGoogle,that
doesn'tmeanyoucanuseitasyours.Logosare
protectedbycopyrightand/ortrademark.
EventhoughyoufoundagreatlogoonGoogle,that
doesn'tmeanyoucanuseitasyours.Logosare
protectedbycopyrightand/ortrademark.

5. ProTip#4ProTip#4
Avoid overused
trends & clichés.
Theeasiestanswerisoftenverycommon.Theseare
someofthemostoverused&clichedconceptsofalltime
(you'llfindalotoftheseinlogodesigncontests.)
Theeasiestanswerisoftenverycommon.Theseare
someofthemostoverused&clichedconceptsofalltime
(you'llfindalotoftheseinlogodesigncontests.)

6. ProTip#5ProTip#5
A logo should depict your
company personality.
Serious.Whimsical.Cutting-edge.Friendly.Yourlogo
needstographicallyportraytheessenceofyour
company.Amismatchcanbedisastrous.
Serious.Whimsical.Cutting-edge.Friendly.Yourlogo
needstographicallyportraytheessenceofyour
company.Amismatchcanbedisastrous.

7. ProTip#6ProTip#6
A logo doesn't have to
portray what you do.
It’softenbettertohaveamarkthatdoesn'tdepictyour
companyfunctionsliterally.Abstractandsymboliclogos
aremuchmoreadaptable&flexible.
It’softenbettertohaveamarkthatdoesn'tdepictyour
companyfunctionsliterally.Abstractandsymboliclogos
aremuchmoreadaptable&flexible.

8. ProTip#7ProTip#7
Your logo is for your
audience.
Sure,it'simportantthatyou"like"yourlogobutthat's
secondaryinimportance.Itmustappealtothe
customersyou'retryingtoattract.Yourlogoisforthem.
Sure,it'simportantthatyou"like"yourlogobutthat's
secondaryinimportance.Itmustappealtothe
customersyou'retryingtoattract.Yourlogoisforthem.

9. ProTip#8ProTip#8
Your logo needs to have
instant impact.
Nobodyisgoingtotakeminutestoadmirethesubtle
symbolismandintricaciesofyourlogo.Ithasafractionof
asecondtograbtheviewersattention.Bebold.
Nobodyisgoingtotakeminutestoadmirethesubtle
symbolismandintricaciesofyourlogo.Ithasafractionof
asecondtograbtheviewersattention.Bebold.

10. ProTip#9ProTip#9
Keep your logo
nice & simple.
Complexlogosarehardertoremember,
don'thaveinstantimpactandwon'treproducewell
whenusedatsmallsize.
Complexlogosarehardertoremember,
don'thaveinstantimpactandwon'treproducewell
whenusedatsmallsize.

11. ProTip#10ProTip#10
Size matters.
A lot.
Yourlogoneedstoberecognizableatawiderangeof
sizes.Socialmediaicons&avatarsareverysmall,so
there'snotalotofpixelsforextradetail.
Yourlogoneedstoberecognizableatawiderangeof
sizes.Socialmediaicons&avatarsareverysmall,so
there'snotalotofpixelsforextradetail.

12. ProTip#11ProTip#11
Select typefaces carefully.
Use two fonts max.
Fontstylescanbehighlysymbolicofthethemeofyour
business.Bonustip:usemorethantwodifferentfonts&
yourlogomaylooklikearansomnote.
Fontstylescanbehighlysymbolicofthethemeofyour
business.Bonustip:usemorethantwodifferentfonts&
yourlogomaylooklikearansomnote.

13. ProTip#12ProTip#12
A logo's shape,proportion
& footprint arecritical.
Formaximumadaptability,yourlogoshouldbesquare
orhorizontal.Afootprintisanimaginaryboxaround
yourentirelogo.Trailingelementscancauseproblems.
Formaximumadaptability,yourlogoshouldbesquare
orhorizontal.Afootprintisanimaginaryboxaround
yourentirelogo.Trailingelementscancauseproblems.
The
Golden
Ratio
Actual
'Footprint'

14. ProTip#13ProTip#13
Adetachableiconmakes
foraversatilelogo.
Adetachableiconcanbeusedwithorwithoutyour
companywordmark.Squareiconsareadaptableforuse
oneverythingfromsocialmediatobaseballcaps.
Adetachableiconcanbeusedwithorwithoutyour
companywordmark.Squareiconsareadaptableforuse
oneverythingfromsocialmediatobaseballcaps.

15. ProTip#14ProTip#14
Ifyouwanttouseatagline,
makeitoptional.
Ataglineisthedescriptionofacompanythatusuallysits
undertheirlogo.They'regreatandall,butcancause
problemswhenthelogoisreproducedatasmallsize.
Ataglineisthedescriptionofacompanythatusuallysits
undertheirlogo.They'regreatandall,butcancause
problemswhenthelogoisreproducedatasmallsize.

16. ProTip#15ProTip#15
Color is secondary in the
design of your logo.
Yourbrandcolorsareimportantintheuseofyourlogo
butnotinthedesignofit.Alogothat's"heldtogether"
bycolorisapoorone-itshould"work"inanycolor.
Yourbrandcolorsareimportantintheuseofyourlogo
butnotinthedesignofit.Alogothat's"heldtogether"
bycolorisapoorone-itshould"work"inanycolor.

17. ProTip#16ProTip#16
Select your brand
colors carefully.
Whenit'stimetopickcolorsforyourlogo,choosewisely.
Differentcolorsmeandifferentthings&colorshave
powerfulrelationshipswitheachother.
Whenit'stimetopickcolorsforyourlogo,choosewisely.
Differentcolorsmeandifferentthings&colorshave
powerfulrelationshipswitheachother.

18. ProTip#17ProTip#17
Coloriswonderfulbuttry
andkeepitdowntotwo.
Alogothatusesamaximumoftwocolorsisadaptableto
awiderangeofapplications.Bestpractices:yourlogo
shouldalsobeabletoworkusingonlyonecolor.
Alogothatusesamaximumoftwocolorsisadaptableto
awiderangeofapplications.Bestpractices:yourlogo
shouldalsobeabletoworkusingonlyonecolor.

19. ProTip#18ProTip#18
No glows,lens flares,drop
shadows or bevels.
Specialeffects&filtersareusuallyaddedtoalogowhen
it'sthoughttobe"missingsomething."Theseeyecandy
solutionsonlyleadtoreproductionheadaches.
Specialeffects&filtersareusuallyaddedtoalogowhen
it'sthoughttobe"missingsomething."Theseeyecandy
solutionsonlyleadtoreproductionheadaches.

20. ProTip#19ProTip#19
View your logo
from every angle.
Sometimesyourlogomaylooklikesomethingentirely
differentifviewedupsidedownorsideways.Betteryou
findthis"hidden"symbolthaneverybodyelse.
Sometimesyourlogomaylooklikesomethingentirely
differentifviewedupsidedownorsideways.Betteryou
findthis"hidden"symbolthaneverybodyelse.

21. ProTip#20ProTip#20
Just pick one
already.
We'reoftentemptedtocontinuetweakingalogo,long
aftersettlingonadesign.Ifwe'veutilizedsounddesign
rationaleallalong,thiscanbecounter-productive.
We'reoftentemptedtocontinuetweakingalogo,long
aftersettlingonadesign.Ifwe'veutilizedsounddesign
rationaleallalong,thiscanbecounter-productive.

22. ProTip#21ProTip#21
Makesureyourlogoisin
vectorformat.
Vectorsareoutlinedigitalfiletypesthatallowediting&
unlimitedscalingofyourlogo.Neveruseaphotograph
inyourlogobecausetheyarebitmaps,notvectors.
Vectorsareoutlinedigitalfiletypesthatallowediting&
unlimitedscalingofyourlogo.Neveruseaphotograph
inyourlogobecausetheyarebitmaps,notvectors.

23. ProTip#22ProTip#22
Makesureyouhave
professionalbrandassets.
Touseyourlogoeffectivelyinprint,ontheInternet&in
marketing,you'llrequirevariousfilesandformats.These
brandassetsarealsoimportantforconsistency.
Touseyourlogoeffectivelyinprint,ontheInternet&in
marketing,you'llrequirevariousfilesandformats.These
brandassetsarealsoimportantforconsistency.

24. ProTip#23ProTip#23
Repetition.Repetition.
Repetition.
Oftenagreatlogobecomesgreatjustbygetting
usedalot(thinkNike.)Useyours.Alot.
Oneverything!
Oftenagreatlogobecomesgreatjustbygetting
usedalot(thinkNike.)Useyours.Alot.
Oneverything!

25. ProTip#24ProTip#24
Don't change your logo.
(almost ever.)
Wheneveryougetboredofyourlogo,chancesareit's
juststartingtogettraction.
Onlychangeitforareallygoodreason.
Wheneveryougetboredofyourlogo,chancesareit's
juststartingtogettraction.
Onlychangeitforareallygoodreason.

26. ProTip#25ProTip#25
A logo is not
a brand.
Alogoisthecornerstoneofyourbrandbutitisn'tthe
entirepicture.Youcanbuildabrandwithacombination
ofconsistentvisuals,themes&colors.
Alogoisthecornerstoneofyourbrandbutitisn'tthe
entirepicture.Youcanbuildabrandwithacombination
ofconsistentvisuals,themes&colors.

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