When it comes to representing your business to potential and current clients, few things are more important than your company’s logo.

Your logo is responsible for a huge amount of your company’s branding, including elements like establishing recognition and trust with clients, as well as amping up your company’s financial value in general.

So, does it feel as though your company’s logo has been pulling its weight?

If not, it may have something to do with factors like how long it’s been since the logo was last update, or whether it was professionally designed in the first place.

Your logo could be detracting from your company’s success and relevance in clients’ minds–and if so, a fresh logo change may be just what you need to get back on top!

But how can you tell if your logo is due for a change? Here are 5 of the biggest signs it’s time to freshen that little guy up!

1. Your Logo Looks Out-of-Date

One of the easiest ways to tell you’re in desperate need of a new logo is to look at your current one with a critical eye and decide whether or not it looks…well…old. If your logo was super trendy at the time it was made, it’s likely it hasn’t withstood the test of time. If your logo looks cheesy or tacky on second glance…it’s time for a new logo.

Some logo designs are simple and classic enough that they’re really pretty timeless and aren’t easily subject to poor aging–but, unfortunately, logos like this are pretty few and far between. Your logo should always appear as cutting-edge and customer-based as your services are.

Sometimes, when it comes to logos that feel a little outdated, a simple-but-modern revision is enough to kick your design into gear again. Either way, though, if your logo has started to look old, something’s gotta change!

2. You’ve Evolved…But Your Logo Hasn’t

Businesses change. They become more complex, their missions become different, and the clients they serve evolve. As startups, Apple and Microsoft had no idea what they’d evolve into! But over time, as they did change, their logos changed along with them.

Chances are, if your company has been around for a while, it’s done some significant changing over the course of its existence. If your company is still sporting the same logo from its startup marketing materials, there’s a good chance it’s outgrown its logo.

This is a really important consideration to recognize, since you’ll want to be sure your clients know you’re staying flexible and on top of things, rather than getting lazy and set in out-of-date old ways.

3. Your Logo isn’t Attracting Clients

Your logo’s #1 responsibility is to represent your company and to attract new clients to your services. Current and potential clients should see your logo and immediately be interested in your services and what it is your company is about. If your logo isn’t managing this, it’s definitely time for a new one.

The reason your logo is failing when it comes to attracting new clients could be any number of things–an evolved audience or changed demographic–or just good old fashioned ugly logo design.

Whatever the exact reason may be, if your logo isn’t attracting traffic, it’s time for a change. A really sleek, cutting edge logo may be just what you need to drive the clients to your page! A logo is a small-but-mighty tool. Be sure to take full advantage of its potential power.

4. Your Logo Blends in with the Competition

One of the other main goals of a logo should be to help your company stand out against all other logos in the world, and against the logos of your company’s competition. If your logo is too cookie-cutter or trendy-driven to do that…you might just need a whole new logo!

Just because the services you offer are similar to other similar companies’ services doesn’t mean it’s alright to blend in when it comes to your company’s branding. Other companies offer similar services–but yours are the best, right? Your logo should help prove this.

If it’s not working to set your company apart from the rest, you logo isn’t working! A brand new logo may be the perfect refresh-button your company needs to make your services stand out from others. Plus, a fresh look can work wonders for sparking clients’ interest in your company for the first time or all over again!

5. Your Logo is Just…Well…Bad

Even if your logo is new and different, there’s a chance it’s still…uh…not great. If you have a hunch that your logo isn’t working as well as it should be, it’s probably not.

Good logo design is super hard to accomplish. The principles of good design and other marketing concepts are what ultimately determines the success of your logo. If your logo designer isn’t versed in these things or in the technologies used to make most logos, there’s a good chance your logo isn’t as good as it should be.

Your logo might have a poor color scheme or lack of balance. Maybe it doesn’t agree with the tone of your company, doesn’t look professional or polished enough, or just feels “off” somehow. It might be all-around too-busy or…well, ugly.

If it seems like your logo could benefit from enlisting some more professional logo design services, chances are, you should definitely, absolutely seek these out and nab a new logo as soon as possible!

So…Ready for a Logo Change?

The bottom line is that, if you’ve got a feeling you might maybe possibly be due for a logo change–you probably are.

Whether it’s been a while since your last update, or you’ve just got the feeling it’s time for a logo reset, go for it.

If you’ve determined that your logo is, in fact, a no-go, start your revamp with us! Check out our awesome online logo maker and other services to amp your logo up so it’s as awesome as everything else about your company.

There are almost 28 million small businesses in the United States. So as a small business owner, you’ve got a lot of competition out there.

Well, one of the best ways to make a lasting impression on your audience is through having a strong logo.

In fact, the best logos showcase your brand’s personality. But it can be hard to make that happen.

That’s why we created this guide to help you portray your brand personality through your logo. Read more below!

The Basics

Let’s start with the basics. What is a logo and why is important? Well, a logo is a brand element that gives a face to your brand.

In other words, it’s your visual identity. It’s a key way for your audience to recognize your company.

Since there is so much competition out there, it’s crucial that you stand out from the crowd. When someone sees your logo, they should understand a little bit about your brand’s personality.

In fact, in many cases your logo is the first impression someone receives about your company. What do you want people to think about you when they see your logo? Thinking through this question will help you develop a logo that correctly conveys your brand values.

It’s easy to wonder why corporations spend so much money on logo creation. Often, companies that have been around a while go through extensive logo updates. This is because industries and trends evolve and change.

Fashion changes over time and so does design. So you should be conscious that your logo is up to date so you don’t come off as outdated or behind the curve.

Next, let’s go over the key parts of your logo.

The Graphic

First, let’s start with the graphic element of your logo. This can be an illustration, an icon, or a pattern. If you think about logos you know, there’s a huge range of graphic elements used.

Apple uses a simple apple as their graphic. Burger King has a burger. Almost every sports team uses a little illustration of their mascot.

Some graphics are more conceptual and less concrete. This could be a pattern or a line.

A great example of this is the Nike swoosh. When taken out of context, the swoosh is just a simple curved line, but now through years of successful branding, the swoosh has come to represent Nike.

The Typography & Font

Fonts can say a lot about your business. Fonts themselves convey feelings and personalities.

For example, Times New Roman is known for being stoic, professional, but also a little boring. Comic Sans, on the other hand, is the classic font for more playful or youthful settings.

Think about your brand values and personality. What adjectives do you want people to use when they describe your company? These answers will help guide your typography choices.

In everything you do with fonts, make sure they’re legible. Also make them unique. Don’t just use a common font that anyone could find in Microsoft Word.

Instead, work to find a unique font that conveys your brand’s personality well.

The Colors

The third and final crucial element of your logo is your color palette. The colors you choose will also convey specific things about your company’s personality. You want to make sure they convey the right things.

Think about the emotions you want people to associate with your brand. It’s simply not enough to choose colors because you like them.

For example, in design blue is often used because it comes across as friendly, authoritative, peaceful, and trustworthy. But every shade of blue is a little different and can mean different things.

At the end of the day, the key here is that you think through your color choice and experiment with different options and combinations before making a final decision.

Need help with your logo design? Check out our online logo maker.

Choose a Design Style that Matches Your Brand Personality

Now that you’ve gone through deciding on graphic, typography, and color, it’s time to put it all together. The most important thing here is that your logo design style matches up with your brand personality.

But the truth is that while this is all great information, it can be hard to know how to move forward without seeing a few examples. So here are some common brand personality traits and brands that you can draw inspiration from.

Simple vs. Complex

Think about the McDonald’s logo. It’s just a simple M. But the key here is that it’s in a unique font that has turned into an iconic symbol.

Their M is so iconic that it even has it’s own name: the golden arches. But at the end of the day, it’s just a letter in a unique font.

On the other end of the spectrum is Unilever. Their logo is also a letter, this time a capital U. But it’s very complex.

Inside it has all types of illustrations and elaborate decorations. This is because Unilever is a large corporation with more than 400 different brands in all types of categories.

Playful vs. Serious

Do you want your brand to come off as playful and fun or serious and experienced? It totally depends on your industry and your brand positioning.

When it comes to playful, Toys R Us is a perfect example. They use a super fun font and bright colors that grab both kids’ and parents’ attention. They also utilize their friendly giraffe mascot often in their branding, which is the perfect graphic element for their lighthearted toy store brand.

Think about most law firms on the other hand. They typically use darker colors in a serif font. This portrays seriousness and expertise.

When you’re in need of a lawyer, you want someone you can trust who knows what they’re doing. You’re paying them a lot of money and you want them to win your case.

So in this case, straightforward, serious branding works perfectly.

Closing Thoughts

Now that you’ve read all about portraying brand personality through logo design, it’s time to try these tips out with your logo!

The photography industry is riding a wave of rapid growth fueled by an increase in entrepreneurs opening up shop who need quality photos to differentiate themselves from the competition. To that end, looking at the United States alone, photography is an 11 billion dollar a year industry.

Add to that total the amount of worth other countries add into the mix and the picture becomes clear – photography is a valuable trade that’s here to stay.

Whether you’re an established photographer or are looking to break into the industry, it’s important that you understand the value of creating an excellent photography logo.

Logos for photographers communicate information to consumers with just a few words or a single image.

What that information tells people will have a profound impact on your success.

Below, our team has put together seven photography logo ideas and concepts to help inspire your logo creation journey.

1. Incorporate Camera Related Elements

Your logo should be telling of who you are. Given that you’re a photographer, a good photographer’s logo should find a way to incorporate camera elements into its design.

By far the most popular element you might choose to lean on is a lens.

Incorporating camera elements into your photographer’s logo is better done subtly than dramatically. We recommend doing something like using a lens as the “dot” over an “i” or something else along those lines.

Here’s an example of subtle, interesting lens implementation.

2. Quality Matters

Quality in all logos matter but in photography logos, the importance of doing something that looks visually pleasing is additionally important.

Why?

Because photography is a visual medium, and so are logos.

If your logo is bad, consumers can infer that your poor design aesthetic extends to your photographs.

To make sure that doesn’t happen, go out of your way to really make your logo pleasing to the eye. If you struggle with basic graphic design, enlist the help of a more graphically inclined friend for help with your photographer’s logo.

3. Start in Black and White

Color is an incredibly important visual tool that helps add extra layers of meaning to any logo. Many inexperienced designers get too caught up in color and don’t spend enough time making sure their design works on a foundational level.

To ensure your logo is built on a strong foundation, make sure it works as a sketch before playing with colors.

Let color enhance your logo. Not make it.

You could also opt to just keep your photographer’s logo in black and white as is popular among many successful logos.

Here’s a great example of a black and white photography logo that really works.

4. Consider Leaning on Custom Fonts

Not every logo needs to be made up of an image. Logos can be equally effective by just leveraging fonts creatively (look no further than the Coca-Cola logo to understand what we’re talking about).

So, when creating your photographer’s logo, if you find yourself at a loss when playing with imagery, take a break and try spelling out your brand name in creative ways.

You may stumble onto something that’s simple, clean and effective like the logo used by Pixel Pix.

5. Simplicity, Simplicity, Simplicity

“Brevity is the soul of wit.”

That saying holds true not only in verbal and written communication but also with visuals. For that reason, no matter what your design is, make sure that you keep it simple.

Busy designs often confuse consumers and hurt their ability to retain information. A good logo strips away all of the bells and whistles and attempts to communicate one core idea in a catchy way that creates a branding anchor in people’s brains.

Here’s a logo idea for photography that we feel does exactly what we’re describing. There are a lens and a mountain which say “photographer that works in a mountain town” (Aspen in this photographer’s case).

6. Try an Active Logo

All logos are comprised of still imagery and therefore, are not active… right?

Wrong.

Through effective use of art, a logo can incorporate motion into its imagery that not only makes it more eye-catching but also communicates extra meaning to consumers.

Here’s an example of what we’re talking about. The whale in the logo is actively taking a picture and the bubbles are actively floating upwards.

While it’s not always appropriate to incorporate activity into your photographer’s logo, we definitely feel like it’s something you should try.

7. Make Sure Your Logo Says Something About You

We’ve touched on this point passively through a few of these points but really wanted to give this subject the attention it deserves since it’s probably the most important aspect of a logo.

Every facet of your photography logo should communicate something to consumers and that something should be a truth about who you are as a brand.

This concept may be hard for some readers to grasp so before designing your logo, take out a piece of paper and answer some important questions about yourself.

“What makes your photography brand different?” “What type of consumers would best appreciate your artistic style?” “Why do you love about photography?”

Once you’ve answered those questions, keep your answers close by as you start trying out different photography designs. Whenever you’re picking a color or element, ask yourself, “What does this color, element, etc. do to communicate what makes me different, what my passion is and what type of consumers love my work?”

Doing that will help guide your design decisions in a way that helps you create something truly unique.

Wrapping Up Photography Logo Tips and Ideas

When creating your photography logo, you’ll want to make sure that you’re inspired by ideas and concepts from successful logos that are already out there. Core concepts borrowed from the iconic simplicity of the Nike Swoosh to the text-only splendor of the Coca-Cola logo are great jumping-off points.

To take your photographer’s logo a step further, be sure to follow our tips above.

Concepts like making sure your brand define who you are as a photographer and incorporating camera elements into your imagery will help you make a logo that tells your brand story as a photographer effectively!

If you want to get started creating your photography logo now with one of the most powerful tools available, click here to get started with Online Logo Maker for free!

Take a walk around the city and let your eyes wander over the various brands and logos you see. The most effective logos are instantly recognizable. They are appealing, stand out from their competitors and invoke an immediate memory of the product they represent.

Maybe, if it’s really good, they make you want to buy a product right now.

Your logo needs to do that, too. The most effective logos deliver an image of your brand that people identify without hesitation. It’s instant and effective, a reminder that you do business in this town.

When people see your logo, they know who you are and what you do. And that is exactly what you want!

Effective Logos and Branding

If you want your business to thrive, you market it. To market well, an effective logo is a must.

The logo is a part of the total brand you’re building. It is your image. Consider what you want your brand to be before you even start.

You don’t want just any logo, you want an effective one! But, how do you design a logo that makes an instant impact? Well, you follow some basic rules.

Use the 5 Elements of Effective Logo Design

There are 5 elements that an effective logo must include. We’re not just making this up – it’s a well known a marketing strategy. The best and most famous logo designers swear by them and you should, too.

Keep Your Logo Simple

A simple logo is so much more attractive. It’s clean and designed to flow within the space it lives. You’re going for minimal text, well-chosen colors, and clean lines.

You want it to be recognizable, even if your customer only has seconds to glance at it.

Remember that your logo is printed on a variety of business products. Fine details get lost in smaller images, so just don’t include them. In this case, less really is more.

Like the look of an image that has too much detail? No problem! See if you can make the image more basic by blending the details together.

For example, a tree with many thin branches may be too busy to use as your logo. What might it look like if the branches were filled in and more solid? It’s nearly the same image with the same qualities but has a more clean, simplistic look.

Make The Design Memorable

What images come to mind when you think of certain words like coffee or french fries? Keep that in mind while designing your logo. Try to identify what it is that makes that brand’s logo memorable to you.

Those logos generally include simplicity and bold lines. They are memorable because they are easy to picture in our mind without even seeing them!

When you design an effective logo, it needs to be memorable. A customer sees your logo and they remember your product. It’s that simple.

Give it Timeless Qualities

Will your logo stand the test of time? Is it modern enough to appeal to a younger crowd, but equally appealing to the older generations? How will it hold up in the future?

These are the questions you need to ask in order to have a timelessly effective logo. The big factor to consider about timelessness is this: It costs money to redesign your logo. Not just a graphic designer, but to reprint on all of your marketing materials and products.

Redesigning can be done, but it’s not a simple or cheap task. It’s much better to get your logo right the first time. All you need to do is invest some thought and these 5 elements of effective logo design.

Be Certain It’s Versatile

Think about the size, shape, and color of your logo. Can you print it on a variety of products and materials? What about in gray-scale? Will you be able to blow it up large enough for a billboard or shrink it down for letterhead?

What about using your image on the web? You’ll need to think about your website theme and brand colors.

Versatility means you can use your logo anywhere you need it! Design your logo to be scalable and printable on a variety of materials. You may even consider having a few versions made to transfer between products.

Keep It Appropriate

Align your logo with your overall business brand by keeping it appropriate. This design element is not only about being professional but remembering your audience. Know what is appropriate to the people you are trying to reach.

Your logo will speak to a certain audience, so do some research about what they like and don’t like. Try to identify trends that are appealing within age groups, genders, and even interest groups. The best logo will reach more than one audience but won’t put off others.

Are you providing professional services to business owners? Hot colors and emojis won’t represent your business very well. It may even make you seem unprofessional.

Are you trying to reach children and their parents? Use colors and fonts that are childlike and fun.

Remember that your logo also reflects your organization’s core values and business practices. An effective logo can show strength, loyalty, effort, good ethics and more.

One Last Word of Advice

Be original. Don’t feel like you need to follow the crowd or model your logo after someone else’s image. Trends are good but they come and go. Effective logos are the ones that stand out from the crowd.

Make sure your logo reflects you, your business and your longterm goals. It should be one of a kind, and not just for trademark reasons. Design it to stand on its own, just like your business does.

Ready to Design an Effective Logo?

If you want to design an effective logo, our Logo Maker program is the only tool you’ll ever need. Learn more about how to use Logo Maker with our tutorial.

Now you can put your brand to work! Get started on your new logo, now.