5 Sins of Bad Logos!

I see a lot of logos in my business. Most of them are great -- easy to read, elegant, simple, clever. But we see a few bad logos, too -- messy, complex, ugly, confusing and on and on.

Even a good logo can be made bad by mishandling them.

Here are 5 of the most common "sins" we see around logos and how they are managed....

1. UNPROFESSIONAL DESIGN! Often people bring us logos that their daughter, nephew or hair dresser made in their spare time in Photoshop, or worse, Word. Now, for many endeavors a polished, professional logo isn't necessary. Starting a kickball team? Let your daughter make the logo! Starting a business from which you hope to make a living? Hire professional help!! Have a solid, well designed logo will be an investment, but one that will pay you back for years to come.

2. WEAK MANAGEMENT! If you have a logo, be true to it! Would our beloved American flag have the same power if occasionnally there were 46 stars and checkers instead of stripes? When you have it made, ask for several file formats so you can whatever is needed to whoever needs it. The print firm making your business cards needs one logo. The website developer might need another. And trust me, your sign company needs something else entirely!! Have several formats available so folks don't have to rebuild it, and possibly create a slightly different version.

3. OVERUSE or UNDERUSE! I've seen clients stick their logo EVERYWHERE! On the other hand, some never use it to brand anything. Your logo is your MARK, like a signature for your business. It should be used where relevant to help promote and protect your product, whether that's YOU, your writing, or a can of peas. Use your logo with an eye toward reinforcing what your product is about, but resist the urge to put it on every wall and surface, which weakens it.

4. CHANGING IT! Have you seen the early McDonald's arches? They aren't much different from today's version! Nearly every logo undergoes 'tweaks' and updates, but resist the urge to drop your logo when you are bored with it. You may be bored with it, but its like a good spouse... sometimes boring, but mostly reliable and recognized. You can lose the value of a brand you have built up if you simply dump a long time logo altogether and try to introduce something all new.

5. NOT HAVING ONE!! We've had to create logos out of thin air for clients who don't have one, even though they've been in business for years. Not that we mind -- we are happy to do it! However, we want to encourage every business owner out there tempted to stick a "clip art" pyramid onto your businss card... GET A LOGO! Success in a business relies on having a unique and memorable message in the marketplace. Clip art is neither!

Interested in having a logo or brand developed? We'd love to help you locate some great resources and help.. and then we'd love to spread the word of your brand through signage and graphics!