How NOT to Design Your Logo: Common Mistakes in Branding

For most business owners, the prospect of undergoing a Logo Design is incredibly exciting. It’s the opportunity to have an image that truly represents who you are, to present yourself to the world professionally and authentically, and to grow your brand.

Especially when just starting out, many entrepreneurs will opt to DIY this process. While of course I always advocate for hiring a professional designer when possible, for a short-term solution this is completely understandable since custom Branding is a big investment.

Having a solid brand identity that truly represents who you are is valuable for your business because it helps you:

• Communicate with and attract your target customers

• Build brand recognition, which creates trust and loyalty for your business

• Clearly let people know who you are and what you stand for

• Look professional, put together, and serious about what you do

If you choose to DIY your logo, here are a handful of mistakes to avoid to ensure your logo works effectively:

1. Don’t just follow trends

It can be tempting to try to fit in with design styles that are beautiful and popular. But 99% of the time, looking just like everyone else is not a good strategy for your brand. If you want your business to get noticed, you want to stand out. Your branding should communicate what is unique about you. When you are simply aiming to mimic trending design styles, your brand lacks any authenticity or personal connection.

This is a huge issue I see not only with DIYing business owners, but with young and new designers, as well. Looking at inspiration is great, but it’s important to find a way to create a fresh take for your design so you don’t end up blending into the sea of sameness.

2. Don’t value style over legibility & functionality

Similarly, it’s important for design to strike the right balance between stylish and customer-friendly. You might be drawn to a gorgeous script font for your business name, but if no one can read it, it doesn’t serve you very well.

Lately I’ve been seeing a lot of thin, delicate line art in light colors on light-colored backgrounds. It’s very pretty, but that low contrast is very difficult to see, especially at small sizes. Keep these things in mind when you’re selecting design elements. Remember who your target customer is, and consider if your design is accessible to them.

3. Don’t have only one variation

With DIY design, a lot of people will create one logo design and be done with it. In actuality, your branding should include a full suite of logos. A logo suite includes variations for different sized spaces and different use cases.

For example, if your primary logo is vertical, it may not work well for things like a narrow web banner or a condensed social media profile image. Adjusting your logo design for flexibility helps ensure that it’s functional and legible no matter where you need to use it.

Primary logo, vertical

4. Don’t neglect black and white

Everyone loves seeing their logo in color looking fun, vibrant, and eye-catching. Most of the time, your logo will be in full color. That said, it’s incredibly important that your logo design does work in black and white, as well. Inevitably as your business grows, a situation will arise that requires you to use your logo in a single color. Embroidering or screen printing sometimes may require single color art, and collaborators or organizations you sponsor may request your logo in black and white.

If you remove all color from your logo, does the design still work? If any design elements meld together or become illegible, you need to rethink your design.

5. Don’t forget to root it in your values, mission, core message, target audience

The purpose of design is to communicate. Your logo and brand identity present the ultimate opportunity to communicate who you are to your target audience.

When digging into design, often we start by looking at inspiration and symbols that we find aesthetically pleasing. Just like following trends, when a logo design is based on what you think looks nice instead of what actually communicates the right message, that creates a disconnect with your customers. Every design element should intentionally support your business’s unique story and personality.

6. Don’t ask lots of people for their opinion

If you ask 10 different people what they think of your design, you’ll get 10 different opinions. Remember, you know your business the best. Only you truly know your values, goals, mission, audience, and other key business qualities. As we’ve covered, your logo design should be based on these things, not on subjective opinions of your friends / your family / the internet.

This is why during design projects I actually don’t allow anyone who was not involved in the initial discovery meeting to come to the design presentation meeting. A trusted friend who knows your business intimately may certainly be a helpful sounding board, but avoid crowdsourcing feedback, because everyone else does not know what you’re aiming to communicate through your design.

7. Don’t favor your personal preferences over what is best for your business and customers

Your business is an extension of you; it’s your lifeblood, and you’ve poured your all into it. It feels so near and dear to your heart, and for that reason it can be tempting to personalize your logo for what you love design-wise. But, as mentioned above, design is meant to communicate a message. Sometimes your favorite color or favorite symbol may not communicate the right thing about your business.

For example, a therapist probably wants their clients to feel calm, relaxed, and at peace when working with them. If the therapist’s favorite colors are bold red, orange, and bright yellow, those would be very jarring colors for their audience and could actually drive them away instead of draw them in, since they communicate high energy and loudness.

8. Don’t forget to think about the brand beyond the logo

One of the biggest things overlooked with DIY logo design is the full brand identity. Your logo is often the jumping-off point, but your branding doesn’t stop there. It’s extremely important to set yourself up for consistency across everything put out, creating a positive experience for your customers at all touchpoints—even beyond design.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed at the thought of DIYing your logo, or running into a lot of these mistakes yourself, I’d love to help you take the steps towards custom Branding. If you’re ready to start your journey, please don’t hesitate to reach out!

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Whether you’re curious to explore a collaboration, just have a few questions, or simply want to say hello, please get in touch!

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