5 Stereotypes That Make Your Logos Look Bad

Before ordering a logo, make sure you forget about these cliches. This is brought to you by Ilya Lavrov from Turbologo.com.

There are plenty of materials online covering the right ways to make logos. But only a few mention what one should not do. In this article, we’ll try to figure out what mistakes are most often made in the complex field of logo design.

Mistake 1: A logo shouldn’t be too simple

Minimalism is not always a good idea, but it’s even worse to have a logo overwhelmed with details which turns it into an amateur illustrator’s work. Don’t make it too complicated! Many elements may confuse your potential client, which is why the logo will not be adequately perceived visually. Leave only one idea in, and that’ll be enough.

Mistake 2: Wordmarks, as easy as ABC. Too easy

There’s nothing wrong with a logo that is just a wordmark, with a certain font used. But it gets scary when the word is accompanied by irrelevant “nice and dimensional” details. The less, the better. Remember that each and every font has its own unique characteristics: a certain width of its lines, the shapes of its ascenders and descenders, ligatures, etc. Sometimes it’s better to spend some time searching for a suitable font than add extra elements to a boring one.

Mistake 3: A logo must show what the company does

“How are people going to understand what we do?” — a relevant question which we often hear from clients. However, you would probably not want your logo to look like a poster, puzzle, or an IKEA kitchen assembly instruction. A logo is, first of all, a visual image that should stay in your client’s memory. And nobody likes to memorize complex structures.

Mistake 4: Let’s play with fonts!

By today, everyone, even if their knowledge of design is very superficial, has heard (and laughed at) this expression. But there are still clients that insist on using several fonts in their brand logo. Well, sometimes it makes sense, but it is usually enough to use one which will add the necessary entirety and uniformity. Look at most major brands and their logos – their experience will tell you a lot.

Mistake 5: How about more colors?

Choosing the right color is not an easy task. Each color or shade triggers different associations and has its own psychological impact. A rainbow-like ornament or bright acid color might not look great to everyone. But a monochrome logo of the right shape will always be a good fit for any purpose.

Conclusion: Your product is the main thing

It is important to create a great logo. But it’s best if you primarily focus on the products and services you offer. If the product is truly valuable, unique, and useful, you’re going to find buyers even not have any logo at all.

Ilya Lavrov

I’m a product and graphic designer with 10-years background. Writing about branding, logo creation and business.