The Importance of Audience Appeal
Designing a logo that speaks clearly to your target audience and meets their desired expectations is paramount. Audience appeal is probably the greatest factor in quality logo design.
Rather than simply having a logo that “represents” your brand, you should strive to create a logo that engages your audience…and one that they can also identify with.
This can be accomplished through various elements of your branding, but ultimately…it all comes down to a single, memorable icon…your logo.
What Makes a Logo Appealing?
There are several considerations that designers start with when creating a logo. For me, some of the most important have been the following: messaging, color, contrast, shape and symbolism. Combined, these design elements can help you to immediately communicate an important part of your brand’s story to your audience without words.
A good designer knows that the visual parts of your brand are often the most important for making a powerful first impression. Don’t waste that opportunity. Instead, you can create a logo that communicates exactly what you want it to, which reaches your target audience on an unconscious level. Here are a few considerations that can help you to do just that…
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5 Considerations When Designing Your Next Logo
1: Messaging
Before you even think about what your logo will look like, you may want to consider what you want your logo to “say” to your audience. Describe your target audience. Think about how you want them to feel when they see your logo. What adjectives come to mind? Think about what makes your brand unique and different. How can you convey that value in your logo? Messaging is the first step to creating a symbolic and recognizable logo. See the related articles below for more on creating your own brand message.
Related: Brand Storytelling, Creating a Brand Message, Discover your Voice Values
2: Color
All kinds of research has been done to demonstrate the link between psychology and color. From the paintings of Kandinsky to modern day color emotion guides, we’ve learned that color makes people FEEL a certain way about a brand. The colors you choose can build trust or inspire optimism, so look into them before you decide. Don’t underestimate the power of using color psychology in your logo design. Read on below.
Related: Psychology of Color, Color Psychology Guide, Color in Marketing
3: Contrast
Contrast is one of the biggest elements that can bring strength and depth to your logo. Designers often use contrast to create visually striking logos that catch a website visitors’ eye. Contrast can also be used to create balance or convey a specific mood or feeling. Designers look for contrast in several places, such as: size, color, shape and typography. Read below to learn more about the important role of contrast in design.
Related: 7 Typographical Contrasts, Color Contrast, Importance of Contrast in Design
4: Shape
Like color or contrast, shape can help designers to add unconscious messaging to a logo. Using lines, curves, corners, straight edges, angles, and abstract shapes, allows us to express a variety of emotions or ideas to our audience. Read more at the links below.
Related: Psychology of Shape in Design, Shape in Art, Personality Characteristics of Shapes
5: Symbolism
Symbolism is defined as an “indirect suggestion to express mystical ideas, emotions, and states of mind.” When designing a logo, symbolism is one of the most important considerations. It can be expressed in a number of ways, but the overarching goal is to express a concept that your audience can connect with subconsciously. If a designer chooses, they can use symbolism to add layers of meaning to a design so that it has a greater affect on the target audience.
Related: Symbols in Design, Logos with Hidden Meanings, Logos with Hidden Messages
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