Logo Refresher: Three Major Indicators of a New Logo Design
Nashville, TN (PRWEB) February 26, 2014 -- Local web development and design agency, Horton Group, has always prided themselves on helping businesses in Nashville and across the country develop and grow. A company’s logo is part of its identity and is one of the most important assets it owns. Making sure that logo does not turn stale is an important part of maintaining the effectiveness of a company’s brand.
"Not only is a company’s logo the face of that company, it is a very important part of the relationship between a company and its customers," said Corey Lamp, in-house graphic designer at Horton Group. "It conveys a feeling of trust and emotion with the customer that causes them to choose one company over the other."
How does a company know if its logo is out of date? Here are three indicators that a logo might be in need of a redesign.
Out of Date: Graphic Design is like fashion design - what’s “in” one season/year/decade, isn’t “in” the next. When a logo has an extremely strong drop shadow, uses a heavy texture, lots of bevel/emboss effects, or just in general looks digitally heavy handed - it can be a sign of an aging logo. When photoshop first came out, it was “cool” to have lots of drop shadows - if only because you couldn’t easily before. Same goes with textures, fonts, colors, shapes, etc. - if you haven’t seen aspects of the logo reflected on anything created else in the last two years - it’s probably time for a refresh. Some will think that a logo that’s obviously from the 1970’s means the company is established and trustworthy. Others will see a company not interested in innovating/refreshing their brand - therefor not innovating in their business, and stuck in the past.
Confusing: If a logo uses a mixed message/metaphor - i.e., a law firm called “Legal Doctor” that’s got a picture of a stethoscope in the logo — it doesn’t give an honest, accurate representation of the brand. At first glance, it’s a doctor’s office. At second glance, it’s a law firm for doctors only. Neither of which are accurate descriptions of the firm. Some will see a logo for “Legal Doctor” with a stethoscope and think “That’s so cute!” or “how clever.” Others will either be confused, or will see it as a marketing gimmick (not a sign of a serious business) and move on. Other times, the fonts themselves can lead to confusion. If Comic Sans is used, for say, a funeral home, it gives the wrong impression of the brand, the company, and may even come off as offensive for the subject matter at hand.
Poorly Executed: This is probably the hardest to describe in words. If a logo’s letters don’t have good spacing, it makes the words harder to read when small or at a distance. If the colors aren’t chosen well - you can have vibrating or clashing colors. Poorly crafted icons can also be a problem, leading to a very clip art looking logo. The fonts can also not fit well, thematically, with the icon chosen. Some people won’t know what a quality logo looks like, as they haven’t seen enough to compare it to, or they haven’t seen the trends in major brands (KFC, Wendy’s, Burger King, for instance). Either way, their ignorance is nothing to bank on. As the younger generations of America are further inundated with national, expertly designed advertising, through both print and digital mediums - citizens of this country are becoming more and more used to a level of visual quality that businesses must meet. They are raising the bar. Businesses may get away with the same old logo for another 10 years, but sooner or later we will reach a tipping point. For better or worse, each individual’s eyes are the judge of these three characteristics. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder — the trick is appealing to the majority of beholders.
The entire purpose of a logo is to create an identity for a company. If the logo has gone bad, the company name might be in jeopardy of going bad as well. To begin your logo design or refresher, call a Horton Group sales associate today today at (615) 292-8642.
About Horton Group
Since 1996 Horton Group has been offering effective marketing and advertising solutions for clients in and around the Nashville area. The Horton team strives to provide clients with the attention and dedication of a boutique agency and the professional expertise, service and innovation of a national web development firm. Located in the heart of downtown Nashville, Horton Group supplies an expansive catalog of services including social media marketing, mobile marketing, search engine optimization and web development solutions. For more information, contact (615) 292-8642 or email info(at)hortongroup(dot)com.
Emily Fordice, Horton Group, +1 615-292-8642, [email protected]
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