Logos and branding are not just about looking “good”. They rely on a considered strategy that leads towards a particular goal and direction. Every choice you make should align with how you want your brand to “speak”, look and be perceived.

If your brand were a person, how would you describe them? And would you trust them based on their persona enough to buy from them?

As a business owner, this can all sound a little daunting, right? You’ve realised that this is a job for the professionals, so you’ve hired a graphic designer to create your logo and branding.

You’ve had your briefing with them, waited patiently while they toiled away at the creative magic, and they’ve just sent over the first round of logo concepts for you to review and choose from (2-4 concepts is a good amount, any more and I’d say your designer is unsure of their work…). But, where do you start?

They all look so good! How do you know which logo is the right one?

Firstly, you need to be super clear on your foundations and the reasonings behind your brand and what you do. Make sure you:

1. Know what your brand stands for

Your logo is the identifying mark for your brand, while it doesn’t need to describe what you do (try avoid being too literal), it needs to signify and align with what your brand stands for ( e.g. are you all about being organic, playful, creative, trustworthy etc).

2. Know your brand’s key characteristics and quirks (its personality)

Know who you are as a brand, then let the logo with its fonts and colours capture the personality of your brand*,* and not necessarily what you do (that’s a job for the branding). What feelings and first impressions do you want your logo to give off? E.g. Toys R Us’ logo is fun, child-like and colourful and uses no actual toy icons but is clearly for children. Cadbury’s logo uses a rich and decadent purple in a font that looks like pouring chocolate. If you’re an accountant, free-flowing and whimsical is probably not going to instil trust in customers looking for someone to manage their finances.

3. Know who you are targeting

Who are they? What do they like? What will resonate with your ideal client? Keep them and their general preferences in mind when reviewing your logo concepts. E.g. Mercedes-Benz knows it’s not targeting students looking for their first car. Instead, they use a stately serif font with their iconic sharp-3-spoked, circle-contained logo to appeal to its high-end car buyers.

4. Know your competitors and their logos

Know what your industry contemporaries’ logos look like for research purposes, then make sure your designs stand apart from them. While it’s often good to keep a subtle similarity in the feeling of the general industry, make sure your logos are differentiated from your competition. We don’t need two McDonalds - be unique.

Now, keep these points in mind when you consider each of the logo options:

5. Consider the originality

Do some detective work. Use Google images (by uploading each of your logo options into www.images.google.com) to double-check that they aren’t closely similar to another logo on the internet (it happens...). No one likes a copycat, make sure you’ve done your own investigating before choosing a logo.

6. Imagine your logo in situ

Consider where you’ll be using it. Embroidered shirts? Your logo needs to be simple. Website banners? Your logo needs to be legible on screen at a small size and probably horizontal to fit the narrow space. Are the logo options versatile? Will they work well small, as well as big? Are they too detailed? Do they have horizontal and vertical variations for different settings? How will it look on a letterhead or invoice template?

7. Is it too on-trend?

Are the design concepts too “trendy” (you know, like that curly whimsical font you see everywhere this year) or are they quite “timeless” (will last a good 5-10 years before you need a little facelift e.g. Have you seen IKEA’s slight update?)

8. Is it memorable?

As mentioned earlier, your logo is the identifying mark for your brand. In order for it to be identifiable, it also has to be memorable. Which of the logos would stick in people’s minds the easiest? Look at the logo option, then look away - how would you describe it to someone who has never seen it? Often, simplicity is key.

9. Get a second opinion

Ask a few people who would fall into your target audience (and not just your husband wife or second cousin who studied design) which concept they gravitate towards and why (always get the “why”!). Make sure to give them your business’s back story, your vision and your brand values for proper context.

10. Which is your favourite?

You are your business and you have to like the logo you choose too. By this point, you’ve solidified your brand’s who, what, why and for whom and done all the other research to make sure the concepts you’ve been presented with are original, versatile and timeless. So using all of this, which one do YOU like most? And why? Is there anything you’d like to see done differently? Or do you love it as is? Awesome! So what’s next?

It’s time to build out your branding - the extended visuals, brand fonts, illustrations, colours and tone of voice, your stationery, website and your overall brand’s personality and how it communicates with the world. Choosing the right logo was just the first step! The fun is just beginning...

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