5 Branding and Logo Best Practices

Are you embarking on a brand identity journey? Or have you decided it's time to change directions and rethink your whole image?

Whatever your reasons for focusing on branding and logo design, understand that there’s so much more to it than reaching for your sketchpad, doodling designs, and deciding which one is your favorite. It takes careful planning, research, and strategy to differentiate yourself from the competition.   
Create a powerful and memorable brand identity that communicates effectively with your target market by focusing on the visual and emotional elements. Here are five branding and logo best practices to help you move through the branding and logo design process:

1. Simplicity is Key
For your logo to have the most impact, you shouldn’t overwhelm it with too many elements. A complex concept may confuse your audience and keep them from understanding your brand’s core message. Simpler logos are also more scalable and flexible, making them easier to apply across all your marketing collateral.
Aim for simplicity by using fewer words; tight taglines are also much easier to remember. However, don’t strive to be so simple that you end up becoming forgettable. Yes, there is beauty in brevity, but creativity and distinction are also crucial.

2. Decide Your Design Direction
Trendy or Timeless? You may like the old-school charm of vintage fonts or prefer something bolder and more modern. But does your logo preference reflect the nature or your business or company culture? Each business has a unique personality; their branding and logo should honor that.
Understand the different styles, fonts, and graphics. Learn about the psychology of colors. With so many existing, successful logos out there, it’s impossible not to be able to name a few that have captivated you. The goal isn’t to replicate but to gain inspiration.

3. Consistency
Avoid confusing your audience by keeping all your marketing collateral consistent. Everything from your images to font colors to graphics should complement your logo. Your logo has a specific color scheme and moving away from that palette when designing your marketing materials will only puzzle people. It will make them question who you are and what your brand represents.

4. Research and Strategy
Apart from knowing what you like, you also need to know what to avoid. Do your research before sitting down with a designer and going straight into the discussion on typography, colors, and symbols.
Start by compiling the logos of all your competitors and ensure you don’t end up creating one based on what you thought came to you in a dream – only to realize later you had seen it before. The last thing you want is being accused of copying someone else’s work or looking like an existing brand knock-off.

​5. Dig Deep
The secret to developing a memorable logo and branding is knowing who you are, what you stand for, and whose attention you want to attract. Define what makes you different and what you value most.
Your logo doesn’t necessarily need a symbol that represents what you do. An abstract image works just as well and may even leave a more lasting impression. However, whatever shape or color you decide for your logo, it needs to be something that captures who you are as a brand and conveys the message you want to share with the world.
At NUEX Creative, we believe that design and strategy matter, and that they should never be an afterthought. We offer a branding strategy and logo creation services.
Let us help you tell your story. Get a Free Consultation.

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