Your identity (logo and branding elements)
Consult a professional
Print shops and publications may offer to typeset your business name or design your logo for free when you place an order.
However… they are not in the business of graphic design (and, unless you are a graphic designer, neither are you).
Your business deserves the commercial insight, artistic judgment, and independent counsel that you can get only from an experienced marketing professional.
It is well worth hiring one.
Know your customers
Know who they are, where they come from, what they need, and how your business fills that need. Know what motivates them. Your graphic identity should answer the question every potential customer asks himself or herself: “what’s in it for me?”
Look ahead
Consider local sign regulations, future expansion of your business (both geographical areas and business areas), and other long-term issues. Changing your graphic identity will cost you time, money, and momentum.
Look around
First, consider your competition’s existing graphic identities. Second, consider the graphic identities of other businesses with names similar to yours. Third, consider the graphic identities of all businesses advertising in the media in which your ads may appear. Fourth, consider the editorial “look” of any publication in which your ad may appear. All this research helps you avoid typefaces or graphic treatments that are over-used or trite.
Make sure people can read your business name
Using ultra-fancy typefaces or all capital letters (LIKE THIS) reduces readability. Also, some typefaces are perfectly readable when large but unreadable when small (or vice-versa). Your business name may need to be legible on anything from business cards to billboards.
Keep it simple
Your logo is not an illustration of what you do… its an image that conveys the business personality and promise of the level and quality of what you are offering the market.
Communicate your competitive edge
Graphic communication is business communication. Use your graphic identity to communicate to your customers. Think visually, using instantly recognized icons or type styles to represent your competitive edge. This is especially important if you have a relatively generic name like “R&S Engineering.”
Dare to be different
Your graphic identity must be uniquely yours. In order to attract customers, you must stand out.
Be consistent
Your graphic identity is more than just a logo. It’s your brand. So make sure the colours and typefaces you use on your signs, printed materials, or website complement your logo. If you’re in doubt, leave it to your design and marketing team. Coordinate everything: your ads, your signs, your menus, your website, your work vehicles.
