When I first started my business journey, I had no cash to spend and I created my business logo myself, choosing an elephant head and the colour pink for no reason other than that I liked the way they looked.
Which is a classic case of what NOT to do!
Because your logo isn’t about what YOU like, it’s about the feelings that people associate with your logo based on interactions with your business.
So my best advice would be to work with a talented Graphic Designer.
In fact, Joel Katz, (a very talented American designer) put it best: “The designer is the medium between the client and the audience. A mark should embody and imply the client’s business goals and positioning, and address the end user’s needs and wants”.
In essence – you’re not going to be the best person to design your own logo!
But there are some steps you’ll want your designer to undertake.
Firstly, before you even get to the colours, you’ll need to discuss what your business is, what product or services it provides, what relationship you want to have with your clients and the messages you want to convey.
Next your designer will have a look at your competition to spot any trends. You can then decide whether you want to stick to similar themes or create something that stands out from the crowd.
Finally, your designer will create their ideas for you logo.
As part of this process, colour is very important. Colours express emotions about a company and what it does. It’s also important to recognise that colours represent different meanings for different cultures – so the research is key to ensure you’re saying what you want to say!
But it is only one part of a design process that is far more nuanced than whether you personally like the colour – or not.
If you’d like recommendations for fabulous Graphic Designers who can help you with your brand identity, I’ll be more than happy to give you some great names – just get in touch!