Every business, no matter how small, should have their own logo.

A logo is often people’s first impression of your company. It’s like an online dating picture. You’re trying to stand out and attract people to check out your profile.

But, having a professional design your logo can get pretty expensive. For a small business, every penny counts.

Luckily, you can design a logo yourself.

That might sound intimidating. However, there are some universal rules to logo design that you can learn. This will make the design process much easier.

One of the foundational steps for every new business is creating a logo. If you’re in the process of branding, don’t miss this post on how to design a logo.

Who is Your Logo For?

Learning how to design a logo starts with doing some thinking.

Now is the time to consider who your target consumer is. Get as specific as possible.

Knowing exactly who you’re selling to will change how you design your logo.

For example, the demographic you’re catering to might be men ages 18-34. That’s not enough information.

Maybe your company buys and sells used sports equipment. That might mean your clients are active men and women who are tight on cash. They could be millennials who are more attracted to modern branding.

DIY Sports Logos for these kinds of businesses should speak to that customer. A logo for a golf store catering to wealthy young men would probably look different.

Instead of an edgier design, you might want something more preppy. The logo should exude wealth and class.

After you’ve clearly defined your audience, you can start gathering inspiration.

Get Inspiration From Other Logos

Now you can find other logos of companies that have the same customers. How do those businesses use their logo to attract people?

Checking out other logos will help you learn what makes a good or bad logo.

Compile a list of all the logos that you like. What about them made them so successful? What parts of it jumped out at you?

Then study some logos you don’t like. Ask yourself what you would have done differently. Was the color scheme wrong or the lettering hard to read?

Taking the time to put some awareness towards these details will help your design process.

Now take that inspiration and throw it all out! You need a one-of-a-kind logo.

Make Your Logo Completely Unique

It’s great to learn how to design a logo by checking out other examples. Just be careful not to copy them.

A logo must perfectly represent your brand. Not someone else’s!

The whole point of a logo is to create visual recognition for your company. You want people to think of your business the second they see the logo. You can’t do that if your logo reminds people of another company’s.

It doesn’t matter if the logo you’re copying isn’t from a competing brand.

Sure, your business might not be a coffee shop. You still shouldn’t use the exact shades of pink and orange from Dunkin’ Donuts.

When people look at your logo they’ll be thinking about that company. Or, they’ll wonder why those colors seem so familiar. Either way, they won’t be thinking about your business.

Another lesson in how to design a logo is to understand passive and active graphics and fonts.

Active vs. Passive Designs

You’re probably wondering how something that doesn’t move could possibly be active.

Logos should always give the feeling of movement. You can achieve this in both graphics and logos with just lettering.

For graphics, your picture should appear as if it’s in motion.

The Taco Bell logo is a bell that’s ringing. The Nike swish looks like it’s being propelled forward.

A piece of fruit doesn’t seem like something that could move. But, the Apple logo has a bite taken out of it. Someone has been actively interacting with it.

For logos that only use lettering, you can still avoid being passive.

The fonts you choose can include upward flicks or swirls. You can play with different sizing for different words.

When you’re making your logo active, be careful not to overdo the details.

Simple is Always Best

When you were looking at other logos for inspiration, did you notice something that most had in common? Well, the good ones at least.

They’re all simple.

Adding extra details and flare might make you feel like you’re making it more unique. In fact, you’re probably making it look amateurish.

All of the biggest brands have simple logos. Usually using 2-3 colors, and just a graphic or text.

Don’t be afraid to edit yourself. If you’re feeling like you’ve done too much, take something away.

When there’s too much going on in your logo it takes away its timelessness and versatility.

Logos Should Be Versatile

You’ll probably be using your logo across a lot of different marketing materials. Storefronts, packaging, trade show booths, flyers, business cards, and more!

Your logo should be able to work on all of them.

When you’re designing your logo, imagine how it would look at different sizes. What you have in mind might look great on a big display. Will it retain that look when it’s shrunk down for a business card?

Details that might look great in a large size might look unrecognizable when they’re small, and vice-versa.

Versatility also means that your logo should be timeless. Stay away from anything too trendy.

What’s cool now could look outdated in a couple years.

Then you’ll have to design another logo.

Learning How to Design a Logo is Easy

Now it’s time to start brainstorming ideas. If you follow these tips, you’ll end up with a great logo that accurately represents your company.

Looking to learn more about owning your own business? Then check out this article, “What Makes a Successful Entrepreneur?“