A picture says a thousand words, and your business logo is the very first thing you ‘say’ to customers, clients and business partners, so it’s vital to make a good first impression with a logo that suits your business.

For a small or new business, your first major graphic design project will likely be the logo and brand guide, which can dictate the image of your business for years to come.

However, picking a logo can be quite simple when you know what personality you want your business to have.

After all, design is mainly about personality and how you present that to your consumers.

Cleartwo Design Agency is an approachable consultancy company dealing with everything from IT support to design and printing aimed at SEM’s.

We wanted our logo to be simple, relatable and professional, and we constantly came back to those principles to create a logo true to our brand identity.

Once you have a good idea of what your company is about (or wants to focus on), it’s time to pick a font and colour.

Finding your font

Typography (the art of printed text) is an essential aspect of designing your logo.

The font in your logo is responsible for communicating the name of your company and its personality. While many larger companies present their logo without text (think Nike’s ‘tick’ and McDonalds’ ‘golden arches’), it is vital to communicate the name of your company first and foremost.

There are three main types of font to choose from, and each have their own strengths and weaknesses.

Serif fonts (with lines attached to the end of a stroke in a letter or symbol) are considered classic and reputable, if sometimes old-fashioned. 

If you’re aiming for a professional and traditional vibe for your company, a serif font is ideal.

However, serif fonts can appear outdated as more companies adopt sans-serif fonts for publications, etc. Here is just one example of a serif font logo:

Sans serif fonts are commonplace amongst online businesses, and many studies show they are easier to read from a screen, though serif fonts are still perfectly functional. With fewer flourishes, sans serif fonts are clean, modern and easy to read (even in small type). 

If you want a clean-cut and contemporary logo, sans serifs are the way to go! However, sans serif fonts are extremely common, and make it difficult to set your business apart from the competition.

Here’s one example of sans serif font in a logo:

Asian Image:

Script fonts (think elaborate hand-writing) have a lot of potential, but need to be used carefully, as they can be much harder to read than serif or sans serif fonts. 

This type of font is excellent for a creative, elegant or informal logo, and can evoke a strong style or theme if used well.

Take the logo below for an example – the colour scheme and star shape allude to the Americana style popularly adopted from 1950s American diners:

Choosing your colours

Colours have a lot of personality, and many psychologists believe that colours can even affect our emotional state and perceptions of sight, smell, taste and so on.

Neutral colours like green and brown can be calming, but are more likely to be overlooked. Red is exciting and youthful, but can seem aggressive. Blue is cold, evoking rationality and calm, while yellow is bright, enthusiastic and potentially glaring.

While these connotations can change based on the shade and designs used, they are good to use as a general rule. Consider the three logos above and how the colours, fonts and designs work together:

The Morgan Carter blue (closer to teal) is light and cool, hinting at a cool, calm and dignified legal organisation.

The Carpet Land logo has a royal blue hue, pointing towards considered style and refinement.

Asian Image:

The All Stars logo has bright red, navy blue and white to allude to the American flag whilst giving off a fun yet stylish vibe.

Asian Image:

If you want to combine multiple colours in your logo or brand, make sure to use complimentary combinations (think blue and purple) in similar hues.

Alternatively, use a contrasting colour as an accent to add contrast, like red and blue, black and white, green and red, etc.

Whatever colour and font you end up choosing, it’s vital to think about your company, your values, and your audience.

Whether you already have a few ideas for your logo or want some advice and assistance from the professionals, Cleartwo’s graphic design services are perfect for small businesses.