Five Reasons You Might Need a New Logo

Starting a business is tough. But what can be even harder is coming up with a logo and visual experience for your customer. A logo is often the first thing a customer sees when they experience your brand. You want to make a good impression and convey what your business does, but you also want to invoke feelings of confidence and positive vibes from the get-go. So how do you know when it’s time to design a new logo for your business? (Or even just to update and modernize.)

Here are five of the top reasons it’s time to freshen up:

1. Your Logo is Dated.

Is your logo stuck in the 80s or 90s? If your customers can tell at first glance by the fonts, style, colors, etc that you’ve had the same logo for a long time, it’s probably time to rethink your design. Unless you sell vintage clothing or are purposely wanting to send retro vibes, looking outdated is an immediate turn-off. A redesign, even if only minor, can keep the brand from feeling stale and out of touch. There a fine line between classic and dated. And a talented, professional designer can help you make sure you are on the right side of that line.

2. Your Logo Isn’t Legible.

When you design a logo, it’s important to pay attention to scale. For example, if your logo only looks good on a computer screen, but becomes unreadable when it’s shrunk onto a business card or on your company apparel, that doesn’t do much good. The last thing you want is to have your logo elements run together into an inky blob when it matters most. Instead, you may need a new design or an alternate design for small scale purposes. Be sure to talk with your designer about where you plan to use your logo so they can take the scale into account when planning what will look best.

3. Your Logo is Too Busy.

Simplicity is usually better when it comes to logo design. If your logo is too complex, not only will it be harder to use for advertising or apparel, but it will also just look too busy. A logo should consist of no more than 3 colors, and should be able to stand on its own with only 1 color when necessary. For example, when you print your logo on promotional products, you might just want it solid black. A good logo will be able to print as one color and still look good. Also, if the design is too busy, it won’t read when it’s scaled to the tiny size. Remember the KISS rule… “keep it simple, stupid.”

4. Your Logo is Generic

Your logo needs to be memorable. Give your customers a look into who you are! And we don’t just mean a literal example of what you sell or what services you offer. For example, the Nike swoosh. When you see that swoosh, you exactly what brand that is, what they do, and who they represent. It’s almost a status symbol in its own right. A professional designer can help you think outside the box. For example, instead of a real estate agent using the same old house outline in their logo, we might play with your initials to create something one of a kind. On the flip side of the coin, you want to make sure to balance making a unique statement with keeping it in line with your industry and your potential customers’ expectations.

5. Your Logo is Ugly.

Sorry to say, but sometimes, logos can follow a few of the rules we’ve outlined and still end up ugly. So much of good design just comes down to design, which all relies on having “the eye” for it. Hiring a professional graphic designer and showing them examples of logos and colors that you like can help you get the most out of your design fee. Designers use many years of experience and have resources available to them to create concepts you might not be able to visualize. When you hire a professional, you’re not just paying for a service, you’re paying for talent, skills, and expertise.

Overall, these are all mistakes that can be avoided. If you’re reading this and realizing that it might be time to do an audit on your business’ logo, make sure to hire a professional (like us) and keep an open mind. As a rule of thumb, good brands freshen up their logos every few years. For example, McDonald’s has had more than 30 different variations on their logo in the 60+ years they’ve been in business. Not every redesign has to be a major overhaul involving expensive replacement of signage, apparel, etc. Sometimes, just freshening things up can make a big difference at helping your brand evolve well over time.