I should lead this off with a disclaimer; I am not an expert. Good design and branding mean different things to different people, and there is no monolithic correct way to go about it. However, I have spent the past year totally revamping Burk, especially its online presence, so I do have experience and a track record of satisfaction. I have also designed websites for multiple clients of ours, and they also seem happy with my work, so I think there's some good knowledge I have that I can pass on.
Keep it Simple
A unifying trend across nearly every modern brand is how simple they are today. The days of super complicated or textured logos has past (at least for now), so simple, matte colors are the way to go. Pick 2-4 colors to use across all of your branding, in addition to black and white. Different shades are fine as well; we frequently use a darker shade of Burk blue to contrast with the normal shade. These colors that you choose should contrast well with each other, and you need to be mindful of what other businesses of your type are using.
Often, businesses in the same verticals use similar branding, as branding, after all, is just a way to sell your business, and if business are selling the same thing, they likely sell in similar ways. It can be tempting to try and stand out by going in a completely different direction, but verticals use certain colors for a reason. Below is a picture from Small Business Marketing Tools, showing the mental association with certain colors. What are you trying to convey about your business? What of these values are most important to you and your company? Keep those things in mind as you try to build your brand.
As for the actual design of a logo, avoid complex shapes and gradients. One of the greatest tests you can have for a logo, is to try and draw it from memory. Good logos are ones that you can draw from memory and it still be recognizable. Also, I know this is hypocritical considering Burk's logo (in my defense I didn't design it), but you should avoid using too many words. A logo can integrate into the full name of the company, but there should at least be a version that goes without the full company name. Think of the "G" from Google or the "F" from Facebook. Granted, some companies do use their full name in the logo, but these companies have short, succinct names, and likely, they have at least an alternate logo without words.
You may already be thinking of very successful brands that don't use some aspects of these guidelines, but there are exceptions to every rule. Most brands that have seemingly outdated branding use that as a mechanism to advertise longevity and/or tradition.
Keep it Consistent
The most important aspect of branding is consistency. Once you have a color concept and a logo you like, everything MUST follow that color scheme and use that logo. If you want your brand to be recognizable, you have to use the same thing over and over again to build association. This should extend into the design of your marketing materials.
Find a font family you like and use that across everything you can. Make sure it's not too niche, that way it's available on third party applications, websites, and any other design resource you may use. Plus, you never want the font to be distracting. The font being unique to you is not important; rather, it is an opportunity to show consistency and attention to detail.
Find simple, non-distracting ways to brand your materials. If you pay attention to Burk branded materials, nearly everything shares the design element of two, parallel, diagonal stripes with contrasting thickness, usually in orange. I originally added them as a method to add a splash of orange, as it seemed underused in our branding. The owners liked it, and it stuck. It is not a part of the logo, but it is another recognizable aspect of the Burk brand that builds recognition over time.
The most important take from this post should be that you cannot build brand recognition if you 1. make the brand too complex for anyone to remember, and 2. do not consistently use the same design elements. Find your colors, make a simple but unique logo, and try and find a simple design element to include across all your content.
Comments