Your logo should have meaning. A story. Not one you have rehearsed in your head, but one you know in your heart. Sure, it can sound a little mushy, but if you don't believe in your logo, who will? Moreover, why put it on your business card, letterhead, in your email and have it frosted on your office door if it holds no meaning?
A logo is far more complicated than a collection of slanted type, a color palette and an orbital swoosh - that's a "mark". A "logo" needs to be an honest reflection of you, your values and offer a visual sense of the personality of your company. Are you bold? Are you time-tested? Are you artistic? Are you scientific? Write down ten key qualities about your company, then look at your logo.
Do the words you wrote match your mark? Does your mark give you and your employees a heightened sense of what your company does better than anyone else, or is it lacking? And now the hieroglyphic test: If they found your logo painted on a cave wall 1,000 years from now, would your company logo stand out and say something honest about you? Companies like XM, Acura and Target all have strong logos. As do the Rolling Stones, FedEx and the University of Texas. All strong, unique, and successful logos.
It's hard coming up with a truly successful logo. One that works both big and small. One that translates well in print, online, on a business card and as an email sign off. But when you have a logo you know is solid, that has real heart, real meaning and can be used as a conversation starter, you'll discover the power of a great logo. After all, it's your introduction. It's your sign off. It's on everything your company touches.
Brian Grossman is the owner of Wonderhouse Design in Cincinnati, Ohio, a design studio committed to authentic interaction between client and audience, as much as possible, making it really cool.
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