When it comes to logo designs for law firms, designers immediately go to certain images. Over time, these images begin to look generic and cheesy.

Designing a logo for a law firm should include the name of the firm and its attorneys. A company’s logo is part of their introduction.

Here are 5 tips to raise the bar on a law firm logo.

Move away from standard symbols

When people are searching for a lawyer, they are likely to look for the words “law firm.”  Not a scale of justice, a gravel, or goose quill pens.

Once they click on your website, they want to see a presentation that reflects a professional firm. The feeling should be, “We are a firm you can trust.”

Take the firm Nagle & Associates as an example. Their logo is crisp and clean with no symbols. It says who they are and what they do. It’s direct and informative — no bells and whistles to clutter up the design.

Avoid being a copycat

Your logo should reflect your business and also be unique. The last thing a logo should be is a carbon copy of another firm’s logo.

Unfortunately, this happens far too frequently. To avoid replicating someone else’s logo, do a thorough search to see what’s already out there.

You may want to enlist the help of a branding specialist if things get too complicated.

Your logo should reflect your brand

Your logo is not your brand but it should reflect what your brand stands for. A great brand deserves a great logo.

Business cards and website headers are only the beginning of where your logo will be seen. It needs to work on letterhead, signage, brochures, and other marketing products.

Logos are the face of your brand.

Color makes good first impressions

The color scheme used for your firm’s brand sets the tone for your business. It should also roll over into your firm’s logo, or at least be compatible with it.

Take a look at the logo of the law firm we mentioned above. Their logo is gold and white. The backdrop for their website is black. This color contrasts well with their logo, giving it a dramatic effect.

Gold is the color of wealth, status and success.  White stands for wholeness and completion.

Who wouldn’t want an attorney that is successful and gets the job done!

Avoid visual effects in a law firm logo

Law firms should reflect dignity and class.  You want your law firm logo to be taken seriously.

Gradient, reflectors, and shadows should be left off of your logo design.  They may be cute but not for a law firm.

Also, consider how well these effects will transfer to the multiple surfaces that your logo will appear.  Ask yourself if visual effects will force a change to the overall look and feel of your brand.

Sometimes it’s best to keep things simple.

With these 5 tips, you can create the perfect logo for your firm.  Think style, reputation, and first impressions when it comes to raising the bar on logo designs.

It’s likely a person can recall with precision what car company logos look like by just hearing the name of the manufacturer, or riff the names of auto companies by looking solely at their emblems.

Such is the power of having a great logo.

Car companies seem particularly good at creating memorable symbols for their products. The truth is, many of them follow a simple set of rules that help make their logos iconic. These rules can be applied to any company looking to elevate its brand with a sleek new logo.

Here are a few key elements of car company logos that make them so iconic.

Make it relevant

The logo a company uses must fit the business for which it’s associated. It must get the point across, while also being tasteful. A funeral home, for example, doesn’t want a fun and fluffy logo.

Mercedes-Benz does an excellent job of this. The three-pointed star represents the company’s goal of dominance over land, air, and sea. The colors black and silver represent style, creativity, and perfection.

Incorporate tradition

Trends are fleeting, and the last thing a company wants when designing a new logo is for it to appear dated seemingly overnight. It’s best to go with something that is held up by history and tradition.

Ford, the company that built the first affordable cars and opened travel to millions of Americans in the early 20th century, hasn’t changed its logo much since that time. It’s proud of the history it made and has kept that spirit alive by maintaining the same basic logo design that’s adorned its cars since the beginning.

Go for distinction

Focus on a design that is distinct and recognizable. Try to make it so that even just the outline gives it away.

Honda’s logo, for example, is simple and easy to identify. It also reflects the company’s philosophy toward manufacturing. Anybody who walks by, for example, a Honda Odyssey service sign will see that wide and thick ‘H’ and associate it with durability and reliability.

Make it memorable

Often a person will only take a quick glance at something before moving on. By making a logo memorable, that one moment is enough to make a positive impression.

BMW’s logo design is simple yet eye-catching. The thick black circle outlined in silver with the company’s name contrasts with the blue and white center in a way that pops off the car. It’s hard to not notice when a BMW passes by.

Focus on one thing

The simplest logos are the best logos. Putting the attention on one aspect of the design is enough for it to stand out. There’s no need to divide one’s attention.

Volkswagen has kept things neat with its logo. The ‘VW’ represents the company name, while the blue background represents class and the white letters stand for purity.

Car company logos made easy

Looking to create the next iconic logo? Online Logo Maker has some great design tips available. Check out the free online logomaker to help you get started in no time.

What’s in a logo?

Quite a lot, actually. A real estate logo design not only has to pack a visual punch but also communicate volumes without using words.

Read on for some expert tips!

Six Ways To Create A Successful Real Estate Logo Design

Make Tried and True Symbols Your Own

Look up real estate logos on Google Images and you will be bombarded by houses. And buildings. And keys. And slanting rooflines.

There’s nothing wrong with any of these designs; in fact, they’re used so frequently because viewers can see exactly what the business is at a glance.

Yet in order to stand out from your competition, you need a fresh approach. Instead of the same old peaked-roofline silhouette, try a logo that incorporates an opening door. A welcome mat. A pineapple, the symbol of hospitality. Even a porch swing or a sheltering tree blended seamlessly into that slanted roof, can be enough to set your design apart.

Capitalize On Your Name

A real estate agent’s name is often his or her brand. If you choose to use your name in your logo, do something besides plunking it inside a house shape. Maybe one of your initials can morph into that key, or your name, written in script, can represent a winding driveway.

Or what about a welcome mat that substitutes the agency name for the word “Welcome”?

Use Specialization To Your Advantage

If you primarily deal in commercial property in a bustling downtown, a skyline is a versatile element for your logo design.

Investment properties that buyers are considering as part of a 1031 exchange timeline need a different approach than beachfront condominiums or quaint Cape Cod bungalows.

Say your properties’ main appeal is historic charm. A Victorian script, a Colonial-style shutter design, or Doric columns might work well for your logo.

Do you sell beachfront homes to retirees? Brainstorm ideas around seagulls, shells, waves, beach umbrellas, or sunsets. These communicate a sense of location and of culture, both of which are crucial in real estate.

Skip the Symbol Altogether

Bold typography is a design trend that works well for real estate logo design. Use your company’s name, your own name, or your initials in a unique font. Try a background with a subtle repeating pattern, or gradient color for a modern punch.

One design element that’s been emerging in the past few years is the use of geometric shapes. Your real estate logo doesn’t have to be square. Combined with color and font, shape choices make a big impact.

Don’t Forget About Color

The colors used in logos can have an enormous psychological impact. A little research into the impact of color on marketing can help you the hues to use for your real estate logo design.

Lastly, Ask the Experts

We’re not talking about designers, although their input is also valuable. We’re talking about customers.

If it’s a redesign for an existing real estate company, don’t be afraid to poll your clients to ask their opinion (spoiler alert: people love sharing their opinions).

You can even run a social media contest engineered around your logo change and offer a prize to one voter, chosen at random from among the entries.

Starting a new company? It may be worth your while to organize a focus group to get feedback from real people about your real estate logo design.

Designing your own logo may seem daunting, but if you consider a few key elements, you can create a logo that reflects the company’s mission and its passion.

A picture says a thousand words.

Maybe your logo isn’t saying the right ones. A logo redesign could be in the future.

So how does a business know when it’s that time?

What should a logo say about a business?

Here are some answers and tips that should help anyone who’s thinking it might be time for a new logo.

Logo Redesign And the Company Brand

Businesses, at least ones that plan on sticking around for a while, don’t stay the same over the course of decades.

They evolve.

Their brands, mission, and products change for the better. Their logo should be no different.

Just like the rest of a business, the logo should still maintain a similar integrity of the previous one. What are the best parts of the old logo?

Keeping them as part of the new one shows that even during a rebrand, a company knows to remember the best parts of its old self.

What does the company brand represent?

KISS the New Logo Hello

Keep the logo simple and to the point.

However, that doesn’t mean that this is going to be easy. There are several things to consider.

The color and font should speak clearly to the target demographic. For a B2B business logo, go for something that is both classy and bold. Use colors like black and blues as they symbolize sophistication and success.

A business such as this would probably go with a square logo to symbolize professionalism and security.

The font of this type of business should be clear and straightforward. No calligraphy or other wispy fonts.

This is just one example of factors that should be taken into account for a logo redesign.

How to Know When It’s Time

If a company is on the fence about a possible logo redesign, there’s plenty of questions that need to be answered.

1. Does the company have a new audience or are they looking to bring in a younger one? Every generation has things they like and don’t like in a logo.
2. How has the business changed? Larger? Greener? Say this in the logo. Be proud of everything that the company has become.
3. How old is the current logo? Companies like Pepsi and At&T have both updated their archaic designs in the last several years. If these corporate giants are doing it, then there’s definitely something behind the move. Companies like this don’t make these kinds of changes for no reason.

Is the business ready for the future?

A new logo says just that, so it’s imperative that it’s the type of design that will keep everyone happy for years to come.

This small picture is a company’s number one promotional and marketing tool. It has to say everything that needs to be said.

In business, more than anywhere else, the first impression is everything. While some businesses have in-house graphic designers that can handle a logo redesign, most don’t and would rather leave this work up to professionals.

Contact us today to find out how we can help get you started with a new logo.