The popularity of escape rooms is exploding nationwide.

Escape rooms combine the rush of adrenaline from a ticking clock with the patience and brain power of finding clues and solving puzzles. It’s great fun for families, friends, and even groups of co-workers.

As interest in escape rooms grow, more of these adventure companies are popping up across the US.

For entrepreneurs and business owners looking to capitalize on the craze, one of the first marketing tasks for escape rooms is designing a great logo.

So how do you make a memorable escape room logo? Read on for 6 design tips.

Match Your Industry

To start designing your escape room logo, you first need to consider your industry.

Your logo should tell people things about your company. Ideally, people should be able to figure out your logo is for an escape room without needing to see the words “Escape Room” directly included.

Trying to match your logo to your industry should give you a good base to build on.

It might be helpful to scan your environment for inspiration. Take a look at logos used by other escape room companies.

Odds are you’ll discover certain trends and design motifs that span throughout your industry.

These trends can manifest in a number of forms:

Logo Types

Logos generally break down into three different types:

• Wordmarks
• Icons
• Combination

Wordmarks are stylized versions of the written-out company name. The most well-known wordmark is Google.

Icons are pictures or symbols used to represent a company. Apple, McDonald’s, and Target are among the many large corporations that use icons.

Combination marks combine an icon with a wordmark. Walmart and Taco Bell are great examples.

Depending on your industry, a type of logo may be more common. For example, law firms typically have a wordmark or combination mark due to the importance of the names of the lawyers.

Escape rooms are a relatively new and niche type of business. A logo or a wordmark might not say enough on their own, so a combination mark like the one used at http://www.goescapeartist.com might be a good choice.

Typography

The typography used in logos and signage depends significantly on your industry.

Different industries tend to have a certain outward vibe and ideal perception.

Law firms, government organizations, and other suit-and-tie businesses usually use a classic serif font to present a sense of formality and professionalism.

Sports teams, car companies, and tattoo parlors may prefer to use bolder, sharper fonts to show aggressiveness.

Organizations involving children or animals might have more happy, whimsical lettering.

Escape rooms are for people seeking thrills and adventure. An appropriate typeface might be something bold and sans-serif, and perhaps in all-caps.

Symbols

Symbols or objects related to an industry may appear in logos.

Rela estate companies usually include a house or building in their logo. Law firms may use a gavel or scales to represent the legal system.

For an escape room, symbols such as a lock, a key, or a door may be appropriate symbols to include in a logo.

Match Your Personality

Once you build a logo foundation around your industry, you can start to add your own twists to make it fit the personality of your individual escape room.

What is the theme of your escape room?

Some escape rooms involve aliens, or pirates, or cowboys. Some are based on American history. Some are for adults, and others are for children.

If there’s a special theme to your escape room, try to represent that in your logo.

Another way to personalize your logo is to represent your location. Escape rooms in Florida or California may use palm trees, the sun, and water in their logos. A room in Colorado might use mountains or snowboarders in their designs.

Use Colors Effectively

Part of personalizing your logo relies upon your use of color.

While not an exact science, the psychology of color is a popular area of study for marketers and psychologists.

Red portrays excitement. Blue evokes feelings of trust. Green indicates health and freshness.

Color is more about what looks cool on a design. It’s about what subconscious emotions you want to tap into.

Take some time to research color and find out how you can most effectively use it.

Stand the Test of Time

A logo should be timeless.

Ideally, your logo today should work as your logo in 40 years.

It’s not smart to constantly change or update your escape room logo every few years. A lack of continuity is like pulling up the roots of a young tree — it will never grow.

And if your brand is lucky enough to become popular, changing your logo could lead to a major backlash from your fans.

Avoid the need to change your logo frequently by staying away from “trendy” design ideas that will only be in style for a limited amount of time.

Put in the time and effort to create a high-quality timeless logo the first time. It will save you from more pain down the road.

Scalability and Versatility

You will use your logo in many ways. Keep that in mind when designing it.

Here’s just a small list of ways you might use your logo:

• Websites and social media
• Printed documents
• Store signage
• Billboards
• Small trinkets like pens and buttons
• Clothing (including screen printing and sewn patches)

Design your logo to be scalable, both to small and massive sizes.

A highly detailed logo may look great in some situations, but the detail will be lost or muddied on small scales.

Your escape room logo should be versatile and usable for any purpose without losing any of its elements.

Back it Up

A logo’s purpose is to make your company recognizable. It represents who you are and what you do.

The key word there is “represents.” A logo isn’t actually who you are and what you do.

Your escape room logo could be the most aesthetically pleasing and iconic logo in the country. But that would mean nothing if your company was poorly run or had bad service.

A logo is your most powerful marketing tool, but it isn’t the only piece to your puzzle. Make sure that your logo is representing a great company.

Create Your Escape Room Logo

Armed with this knowledge, it’s time to start designing your escape room logo.

Online Logo Maker gives you great design tips plus the digital tools to create your own logo for free. Start building your brand today!