Renowned designer Milton Glaser talks about the necessity for good design. “To design is to communicate clearly, by whatever means you can control or master,” says Glaser.

This is as true of medical logo design as any other branded asset.

Medical logo design is incredibly important to help your brand stand out from the competition. It’s a sign of originality and authenticity, which are two of the most significant factors in helping your business to stand out.

There’s no such thing as a plug-and-play graphic design. Every medical logo design is going to be different. That’s because every medical practice is different.

There are some universal design principles that you can apply to your brand’s visual identity, however.

Here are 5 ideas for your medical logo design to get you started.

5 Ideas For Your Medical Logo Design

The rules of design change as fast as the industries they represent. There will always be a new fad or gimmick to chase. Spending your time on time-honored designed principles is a better use of your energy and resources, as a result.

Here are a few classic design principles to help you find the best medical logo design for your practice or medical product.

Idea #1: Develop A Business Plan

It goes without saying, but you should spend a bit of time doing a classic business analysis before launching your even thinking about your medical logo. Your intended audience will greatly impact your medical logo design. So will your niche or industry.

Working in a highly technological field? Think about incorporating a pixelated logo to convey your technical savvy. Going into holistic health? Perhaps you might want to use the color green and some naturalistic imagery.

Idea #2: Investigate The Competition

Clarifying your brand identity should give you an idea of which direction your design is headed. Now it’s time to do some market research. After all, there are lots of medical logos in the marketplace.

The pharmaceutical industry in the United States alone is worth $450 billion annually. That’s a lot of competition.

One of the main reasons for market research is to make your brand unique. You can learn from your competition, as well. Spend some time researching the most common colors and typefaces for medical logos. These will serve as your building blocks to spin into your own custom medical logo.

Tip #3: Define Your Mood

Your logo is the first chance to broadcast the feeling you’re trying to associate with your brand. Do you want that to be calming? Or are you looking for more of an exciting image?

Think of the way things are often branded to market them towards men. Men tend to be reluctant towards anything soft or introspective. They also gravitate towards action-based aesthetics that help them feel confident and in control.

If you were designing a medical logo for a men’s product, a cotton candy pink logo with lots of flowers might not be your best bet. A little firecracker burst to give a pyrotechnic pop to your branding might be just the ticket, though.

The goal would be a little different if you’re designing a logo for a medical publication, as another example. This medical logo would need to convey authority and trust. Perhaps a pen crossed with a stethoscope might fit the bill?

A familiarity with symbolism in visual culture will serve you well when designing your logo. Visual elements are loaded with meaning. Make sure that you do some research that the symbolism is the same in other cultures if you’re working internationally, however.

Tip #4: Simplify

Your design is coming along and now it is time to refine your efforts. You likely have some ideas for typography and color design after doing your market research. You also have some design elements to convey the feeling of your brand.

Now it’s time to break these down into a memorable, iconic form. A great logo is unforgettable. It will stick with the audience from first glance and linger with them for years.

Think of the Nike Swoosh, for instance. It’s one of the most recognizable logos of the last 100 years. It’s also a glorified checkmark.

Or think about the iconic Apple logo? The first Macintosh’s featured a rainbow-hued Apple icon. Later iterations simplified the logo down to a single, solid color.

Simpler designs are easier to remember. They also convey the most important aspects of your medical practice, quickly and efficiently. Look at the colorful, stylized M of Muse Treatment‘s logo, as an example

Idea #5: Perform Market Testing

The greatest graphic design wasn’t created overnight. Nor was it created in a vacuum. Major corporations tend to have extensive marketing departments and overflowing budgets to test their designs.

You might be obsessed with your new medical logo but that doesn’t mean your customers will be. You’ve got to test the waters. Your visual branding is for the public, after all.

That’s not to say you need to spend a mint on market testing. Even running your medical logo by a few trusted friends with good taste and some design knowledge can be a major added bonus.

Market testing can actually save you money in the long run. Imagine if you had a bunch of merchandise printed with a logo nobody likes? That money would be down the drain.

You could possibly use your social media networks for some informal market testing, as well.

You could host a competition for your social media followers asking them to give you feedback on different logos. The hashtag campaign could make for some free publicity as one more additional benefit!

Ready To Design A Logo For Your Medical Business?

The rules for design are always changing. So are the tools that we have at our disposal. It’s possible for independent business owners to make world-class logos for their medical businesses if you know what you’re doing.

Your brand is unique. You have the vision to share with the world. Your logo will let the rest of the world what that vision is.

Get started with our free online logo maker today!