Your business logo is one of the smallest elements in your brand identity arsenal, yet it carries the most tremendous marketing weight. It’s like an ant hard at work in the ecosystem, tirelessly conveying far more than its share, because the most effective logo is …
Small in Size, Big on Impact
Ant species range in size from .08 to 1 inch, being among the smallest life forms on the planet. The best logo is equally small, relatively speaking, from the tiny favicon that precedes your URL to the logo itself. Your logo should be as effective and visually crisp at one inch as it is in a larger size. So many logos now depend on unnecessary detail and trendy special effects that get lost or lose clarity when the logo size is reduced.
Your logo should be a well-conceived and professionally designed symbol that encapsulates your brand identity and mission in a nutshell, with as little extraneous detail as possible. Take a look at My Blog Guest’s logo revision. It’s timeless and unified with other icons on the site. Here’s a very interesting article that deconstructs the development of a logo, in particular, the careful design strategy of the logos for Apple and Twitter. As you can see, simplicity is quite ffective. The best Fortune 500 logos also have a …
Long Life Span
Ants have a relatively long life span compared to many insects. Though some species live for only a few months, others can live for up to 7 years, and some queen ants can reign up to 15 years! Likewise, a logo should be able to stand the test of time; the best design will prove to be relevant years from its inception. Designs that succumb to short-lived trends will soon look outdated and have to be replaced.
Moreover, consider that constantly changing your logo with every new trend can subtly indicate instability in your business – unless the logo changes constantly to serve a deliberate, creative purpose. Otherwise, continually revising your brand identity gives the impression that you aren’t sure who you are or what you’re doing. Additionally, your logo should be able to do the …
Heavy Lifting
An ant can carry up to 20 times its own weight. Likewise, your very small logo has the enormou
s task of representing your brand identity, making it recognizable at a glance. You’ve surely seen many a small ant scuttling along with a huge weight on its back, working nonstop to get the job done.
Your logo should be working that hard for you too, going far beyond existing as a small presence in your daily routine; it should be a timeless icon that is seen and recognized everywhere, nonstop in carrying your brand message to all parts of the world. Finally, your logo should work with your brand in …
Fluid Harmony
Take a look at this video; it shows an interesting lesson that ants have taught the world of science. Notice how the ants fluidly cling together to form a cohesive unit that can neither be broken apart nor pushed beneath the water’s surface.
That’s exactly how your logo should work for your business, taking the lead in creating unified harmony with other parts of your brand to create a message that can’t be taken apart by discerning viewers nor taken under by your competition. Many businesses and organizations fail to recognize the importance of a cohesive brand built upon interrelated components that complement and support each other. Your brand should be made up of fluid parts working together as one.
Vital Components
The mighty little logo stands at the helm of brand identity, working as tirelessly as an ant, in the everyday business of marketing. To carry that substantial responsibility, your logo should be carefully developed to:
- Work in black and white as well as it does in color. It should not rely solely on color, special effects, or large size to be effective.
- Use no more than two typefaces. The selected typeface should have the right “personality” for your type of business.
- Be more symbol than illustration, in other words, presented visually in the simplest form possible. It should be able to work in many formats, from print to web, and even on fabric – such as logos embroidered on promotional items like company polo shirts.
Most importantly, your logo should tell an interesting story the viewer can read, striking that elusive perfect balance between simplicity and complexity. Just imagine the stories an ant could tell! Careful thought and strategic planning should go into development of your logo so that it tells your story.
Developing an effective logo is not a do-it-yourself proposition, nor should it be a random selection from a logo mill. Every component included should be a significant part of your business story. Like an ant, your logo should keep working for you as long as there is work to be done.
Ant image license: Creative Commons image source
- Lessons You Can Learn About Your Logo From An Ant - December 9, 2013
Thanks for this informative post. Logo is one of the most important part of our business website so we can’t ignore this. It represent the pictorial view of our business. It should be someting unique from other. Your website logo is a symbol that can provide consumers with instant brand recognition of your business and the services or products that you offer.