For every piece of good logo design there is out there, there are multiple more that could be considered poor. Join us as we dive into what factors can lead to a bad logo and what we suggest as fixes.
Can you read it?
We’ll start with the easy one. Not being able to read a company name puts you in a tough spot.
The 4C Fix:
Evaluate the font, contrast, icon to text ratio, and sizing of the logo.
Is it appropriate?
Being appropriate is a big deal. If you walk into a family comedy show and the foul language pops off every 2 seconds…you might have an issue with the establishment now. It leaves a bad impression.
Music is labeled with advisories and movies come with ratings. Why? Because it serves as a warning to what you are about to listen too, watch, and/or process.
Logos are like that. They must give the viewer a sense of the organization they could be dealing with. A bad logo design might make your company look risky and when money is involved risk does not always equate to reward.
As a bonus, always have others take a look to see if something might be odd within the confines of the logo design – that could be a hidden symbol or meaning, or something that just looks completely offensive.
The 4C Fix:
Typically, the fix for inappropriate logos is to completely rebrand and rebuild. In the process of evaluation there may be an element or two that might be salvageable (a color for instance).
Is it too detailed?
Logos need to be scalable. Often if something is too ornate, the smaller details can get easily lost.
The 4C Fix:
There are actually a few potential fixes for logos that may have too much detail. A common industry that falls victim to having logos that have an overload of details are breweries.
Simplify as much as possible
Focus on what it would take to simplify the design. Remove anything unnecessary or ancillary and see if that is all that’s needed. refining to focus on a few details.
This could be achieved by removing all elements but retaining the name of the company in a font
Create secondary marks
Or the alternate route would be to create several supportive secondary marks for different uses.
Create something new entirely
There are some noisy logos out there that have a lot going on. If the logo evolves into a badge, it could be well designed, but really doesn’t help the brand recognition.
Is it too reliant on color?
Ever wiped all color from a logo and have no idea what is left? This can be a problem for logos that need to have gradients and/or use more than 2 colors to be successful.
4C Fix:
A fix for this could be to remove gradients and see if the interesting shapes still retain recognition. If not, you may need to go a bit deeper and consider a rebrand.
The black and white (1 color) test is also a great option. Remove all color from the logo to determine if it can be understood.
Is it Relevant & Relatable?
Logos that have been around the block, but never changed can be picked out quickly from a batch.
Is it cropped in an odd way on social media? Does it also have the readability and detail issues noted above? Is the font an incredible byproduct of the time (can you hear the 80’s music behind the logo just by looking at it)?
If there is imagery that immediately creates an unintentional disconnect, then the logo may be bad because there isn’t a relationship with your products, services, and/or mission.
Consider the evolution of the Apple logo design – the very original logo didn’t last long and was replaced by one of the more memorable marks of all time!
The 4C Fix:
We suggest taking a hard look at the company. Often dated logos can fall into no longer representing the company. When a logo and brand no longer reflect the company goals and values, it no longer matches the products or services it currently provides, and/or there is a drastic change in ownership… well, that is more than just a call for a visual change. It becomes more of a cultural change!
A culture change is a big deal but is often accompanied by a complete brand change and a new logo design as a result.
It was on the “dollar menu”
While sometimes cheap can be good, with the advent of being able to get an inexpensive logo through online purchasing, the sins of bad design are plenty!
Often these inexpensive logos are designed by novices that haven’t honed their craft, don’t and/or can’t supply the range of support that professional organizations need to grow, and haven’t run through the considerations. What these designs can lead to is a logo that doesn’t connect with the intended audience, is indistinguishable from competition (more of the same), or even leaves the completely wrong impression of the company that it is trying to represent.
4C Fixes:
This is a complex topic, so we will start with large companies. Large companies spend millions on their brand perception. Some of these logos are dead simple! Why were they expensive? The companies that value their brand have more to lose through public opinion or even shareholders.
So, design firms must be insanely thorough with the usability of the logo. Often this leads to branding guidelines that are used as mandated documents that define how to use the logos and graphic assets, down to what the stationery looks like, or even photography that should be used. These firms are also often retained for a multi-year period in which they provide EVERYTHING for that big business.
This creates consistency over time and prevents any mixed messages, slogans, one-offs, or anything that may be inappropriate. Even still, there are no guarantees that it will be a success!
Not every company is a large multi-million-dollar organization. We get that. However, the concept of what they are attempting should be emulated. Having multiple design firms work on different pieces can create a mess. One of the hallmarks we strive for is to grow with our clients and form a relationship.
Do you need a brochure or flyer? Have an event and need tradeshow support? The website is a mess, and it needs to be salvaged? We live for being reliable to our clients and help them promote their brand consistency in all environments.
Considering taking a harder look at your company branding and logo situation?
These factors of readability, appropriateness, detail, relevance, reliability, and costs are all weighed and decided upon when creating a company brand. If they haven’t been, chances are you may be suffering from a bad logo design.
We are happy to strike up a conversation and see how we can be of service to help you reach your business goals through branding, corporate identity, and logo design. Contact us today to learn more.