It’s Time to Take a Hard Look at your Outdated Logo
At some point, every logo becomes outdated and your audience will recognize that, likely before you're willing to admit it.
But before I dig into that… Let me shed some light on the difference between and brand, and identity and a logo.
A Brand (or Branding) refers to the perceived image and subsequent emotional response to a company, its products and services. It also represents the conversation that customers are having with each other about the company, and how that spreads. A brand is the set of expectations, memories, stories and relationships that, taken together, account for a consumer’s decision to choose one product or service over another. If the consumer (whether it’s a business, a buyer, a voter or a donor) doesn’t pay a premium, make a selection or spread the word, then no brand value exists for that consumer.
An Identity describes the visual devices used to represent the company. Identity systems are a visual components package that is paired with style guidelines and used as a framework to ensure the corporate image is cohesive and consistent. Some of the visual devices that leverage the brand elements and style guidelines are as follows: stationery, marketing collateral, packaging, signage, messaging, and digital projects, among others.
A Logo is the central, identifiable visual element that helps customers discover, share and remember a company’s brand. Usually it’s in the form of an icon (mark or symbol), logotype, or combination of the two.
The Logo design (or redesign) process
Some people wonder what’s so difficult about creating a good logo. They’re usually simple looking so they must be inexpensive and easy to make, right? When you only see the result of a designer’s efforts, the logo creation can look like it was a simple task. But it’s not. A logo takes thought, creativity, experience and a full understanding of the client to make a good one. When creating a logo, professional designers follow a process that ensures the final design meets the needs of the clients. Below is an illustrated overview of that process and if you want to learn more about the Spin350 process in general, you can view that here.
When it comes to logo design and branding, the fact is that most people do “judge the book by its cover”. First impression is everything. As an expert in the field of identity and branding, when people ask me “what do you do?” I feel as though I often have trouble answering it in a concise way because every client has different needs for their branding. Therefore, I often tailor the answer to the person asking, but I will attempt to answer it generally here:
“I work with companies that need help in achieving a professional polished appearance to their customers and audience.”
Over the past 2 decades, I’ve helped companies large and small with their branding challenges. Sometimes that means a complete overhaul to the logo, marketing collateral, website, etc. and other times, it’s a design of a new logo for a start-up. Every project is different and every logo design is very unique and specific to the clients needs. There are no “off-the-shelf” options. A lot goes into a logo project and I have a tried and true process that I always follow. Over the years, I’ve designed hundreds of logos for companies, organizations, products, non-profits and even individuals, but in the portfolio are a few examples of some recent ones that show that sometimes it’s a small “refresh” that you may need and sometimes it’s a drastic change. Spin350 is a top logo design company based in Boston and lead by award-winning Creative Director Joe Lyons.