{"id":2022,"date":"2015-03-11T10:00:00","date_gmt":"2015-03-11T18:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/thinkapps.com\/blog\/?p=2022"},"modified":"2015-03-11T14:22:38","modified_gmt":"2015-03-11T22:22:38","slug":"how-to-create-your-startup-logo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thinkapps.com\/blog\/design\/how-to-create-your-startup-logo\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Create Your Startup Logo"},"content":{"rendered":"

Your startup\u2019s identity is one of the most important assets of your business. The visual personality behind your startup should represent your core mission. And you know what they say …\u00a0first impressions count.<\/i><\/p>\n

It’s especially important if your business is in a highly competitive market, in which case\u00a0you\u2019ll probably need to put as much attention into boosting your brand equity as you do your core product.<\/p>\n

Creating a visual identity can be a somewhat time-consuming process, as there are a number of elements you\u00a0need to take into consideration, including symbolism,\u00a0typography<\/i><\/b>, and color combination<\/i><\/b>.<\/p>\n

For this post,\u00a0I will use a recent example of a brand called Student Acuity.<\/em>\u00a0Unfortunately, the startup is now dormant. Nevertheless, it\u00a0was an awesome project to work on and a perfect example for this area of discussion.<\/p>\n

The Logo<\/h2>\n

Of course, one of the most important assets of your identity is\u00a0your logo.<\/p>\n

The logo will likely be one of the most time-intensive aspects\u00a0of your complete identity. However once you\u2019ve nailed it, the rest should\u00a0fall into place fairly seamlessly.<\/p>\n

I usually start the logo creation process by researching the company’s\u00a0competitors. In my case, Student Acuity was a product intended to help students in high school\u00a0to pursue their future with the help of teachers and parents.\u00a0Their\u00a0core product was to measure what the student was currently attaining in their grades verses what they should be achieving.<\/p>\n

It’s OK\u00a0to be inspired by competitors, but keep in\u00a0mind\u200a that they are your competition, after all, so you should try not to be influenced too<\/em> much.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Once I\u2019ve done my research and have a good grasp of the company’s mission, I begin to sketch some rough shapes and ideas.<\/p>\n

\"Student<\/a><\/p>\n

I always identify three types of logo that\u00a0can be pursued: Illustrative<\/i><\/b>, Typographic<\/i><\/b>, and<\/i>\u00a0Iconic<\/i><\/b>.<\/p>\n

After having multiple discussions with the client and looking at my ideas in the\u00a0initial sketches, I decided to take the logo in the direction of an Iconic approach<\/b>.<\/p>\n

I came to this conclusion as I personally felt the name \u201cStudent Acuity\u201d would not be significant enough to be a Typography logo. I just\u00a0was\u2019t convinced the name would be rememberable enough on its own.<\/p>\n

I also excluded an Illustrative approach because I believe there should be a decent ratio balance between the company name and the accompanying graphic.<\/p>\n

Logo Symbology<\/h2>\n

Once I decided I was going to take the logo in an Iconic direction, I began to mockup some symbology. I carefully chose a few words that\u00a0were strongly associated with Student Acuity\u2019s mission and personality, which were Performance, Direction, Goal, Ambition, Communication, and Vision.<\/p>\n

It’s important to note down some words that\u00a0truly represent your company’s objectives and mission\u00a0to help with this process.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

If you\u2019re a single founder,\u00a0it might be a breeze to do this exercise on your own. However, if you\u00a0have cofounders,\u00a0it might be hard to pinpoint specific words on which you all agree.\u200a \u200aIn my experience, if you have cofounders, you should probably\u00a0budget a fair bit of time for\u00a0this exercise.<\/p>\n

I replicated the selected words for Student Acuity by using common symbology\u00a0that is strongly associated with each one. At this point, I began\u00a0to start thinking more geometrically<\/b> about making a logo that would hold the core elements in a seamless, balanced, and compelling manner.<\/p>\n

\"Student<\/a><\/p>\n

After completing\u00a0this exercise and identifying the core symbology,\u00a0I began to establish three different directions in\u00a0which the\u00a0final design could go.<\/p>\n

I did so by combining different elements from the icons above\u00a0in order to create\u00a0somewhat abstract but balanced\u00a0designs that\u00a0portray a combination of the various\u00a0concepts within one symbol.<\/p>\n

Here’s a small collection of the digital mockups<\/h3>\n

\"Student<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n

As you can see, at this point I chose three designs to conceptualize further.<\/p>\n

Typography<\/h2>\n

Up to this point,\u00a0I have simply focused on a graphical icon that\u00a0will sit next to the words \u201cStudent Acuity.\u201d\u00a0So now\u00a0it’s time to begin thinking\u00a0about the most important element of the logo<\/b>, which is typography.<\/p>\n

The typography used in your logo will set the complete tone of your identity, not just within the logo itself but across all branded elements.<\/p>\n

You don\u2019t want to use more than one or two typographical styles in your logo. If you use more than that, it will likely clutter and defuse the tone of the message you\u2019re trying to communicate to your target audience. And for obvious reasons, the typography has to be legible from a distance.<\/p>\n

You can edit popular fonts to suit your logo\u2019s requirements. For example, you have an array of different options available when adjusting the kerning<\/a> and leading<\/a> of a particular font.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t underestimate the power of increasing or decreasing the leading of a typeface;\u00a0it can be a powerful editing property when implemented effectively.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Also, there are an array of free font\u00a0websites<\/a> to help you find the best font suitable for the\u00a0tone of your message.<\/p>\n

\"Student<\/a><\/p>\n

Choosing the Best Design<\/h2>\n

Choosing the best <\/i>design of the three logo concepts is almost\u00a0always one of the most painful parts of the whole process.<\/p>\n

To help with the decision, I of course\u00a0talk with the startup founders. Subsequently, I ask for an array of opinions from the actual target audience<\/a> who will most likely engage with the brand.\u00a0Also, being a designer, I always ask fellow colleagues and friends to give me their critique. Based upon all of this feedback, I make a decision.<\/p>\n

In this case, here\u00a0was the logo that\u00a0made the final cut:<\/p>\n

\"Student<\/a><\/p>\n

Color<\/h2>\n

Once the logo itself is set, it’s time to think about an effective color scheme\u00a0that\u00a0will entice the target audience while also communicating the overall message of the company.\u00a0<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n

There is a hell of a lot of physiology in colors, so I advise you to check out\u00a0this website<\/a> before choosing a\u00a0color combination for your startup. There are a complete array of subliminal messages that colors communicate to the human brain, so be sure to\u00a0choose wisely!<\/strong><\/p>\n

I decided to pursue a green color palette for Startup Acuity. Green represents life, renewal, nature, and energy and\u00a0is associated with growth, harmony, freshness, safety, fertility, and the environment. It was the\u00a0perfect color\u00a0to\u00a0represent the mission and personality of this particular startup.<\/p>\n

\"Student<\/a><\/p>\n

Finalized Logo<\/h2>\n

After defining the symbology, typography and color of the logo, I was able to put\u00a0together the final result. I used a combination of the symbology from the word exercise to\u00a0create a compelling, balanced and effective symbol that truly represented the core of Student Acuity\u2019s mission.\u00a0<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Student<\/a><\/p>\n

Making Your Identity Consistent<\/h2>\n

Not only was I commissioned to design the logo of Startup Acuity\u00a0but also\u00a0the core product, which follows the same identity principles. I even\u00a0went as far as designing their graphs, following a consistent style that\u00a0is incorporated across the platform.<\/p>\n

I can\u2019t stress enough how important it is to incorporate your visual identity consistently across all aspects of your startup, whether\u00a0that be marketing material, website banners, or something as small as email signatures.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The best brands always maintain\u00a0a coherent style across their entire business. Visual identity, content style, photography, iconography, etc \u200a\u2014\u200a every element of your identity needs to incorporate a sense of personality that is\u00a0communicated to\u00a0your target audience.<\/p>\n

\"Student<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

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