7 Basic Characteristics of a Logo

Have you ever wondered why some logos look remarkably attractive, while some look mediocre?

Why some logos are shine bright, while others are just passable?

There are certain characteristics that go into making a great logo. Every entrepreneur and brand manager must know and understand these characteristics and make sure that they are included while designing their logos. As a logo is the basic identity of every business enterprise, it is their duty to make sure this identity stands out among their audience. 

While most graphic designers (who design logos) know this fact, some may overlook them to save time or bend to the pressure of their client’s (sometimes irrelevant) ideas. Here are the seven basic characteristics that every logo must have. When these are incorporated, the logo will not only look attractive and premium, but will also be easily identified and remembered by the customers. 

1. Simple: The most important characteristic of a great logo is its simplicity. The simple your logo looks, the stronger it is registered in your customers’ minds. Well, one tends to think – “why should I spend more just to get a simple looking logo.”  Look at the logos of big companies like Tata, Mahindra, Flipkart , Asian Paints, etc. Their present logos look much simpler when compared to their past versions. Big multinationals have known this secret all along and hence, spend huge money to make their logos look simpler. 

2. Versatile: A good logo must be versatile. It should look good wherever it is printed. Logos usually are printed on a variety of surfaces intended for different purposes – like letterheads, business cards, print advertisements, promotional items like t-shirts, mugs, etc. In addition to this, logos appear on websites and social media pages. Wherever it appears it should look great.

3. Unique: Why does some logos are easily remembered while others are not? It is because of their unique look compared to others. The logos of Tata, Hindustan Petroleum, L&T, Kwality Walls ice cream and Airtel among others are some examples of unique looking logos. It is their uniqueness that make them easy to be remembered by their customers. Again, simple looking logos stand out for their uniqueness. 

4. Scalable: Another important characteristic is being scalable. The logo must look sharp and crisp when it is used one a mobile screen or printed on a big banner. Irrespective of the size, the logo must not show all its features and must not get blurred. 

5. Appealing: Make sure your logo looks appealing to your customers. An important tip here is that simple looking logos usually appeal to customers. The classic example for this is Apple Computers. Its initial days logo was very complex having tree and apples. However, when the company changed its logo to just an apple (of course, bitten on the side), it looks much more simple, elegant and appealing. 

6. Memorable: Companies world over spend millions in marketing campaigns just to imprint their brands in their customers’ minds. The logo is always central to such campaigns. If the logo is simple and appealing, it can create positive vibes among its customers and therefore, becomes memorable. A company can have better brand recall if its logo is imprinted strongly in their minds.

Reflective: Many companies try to showcase their nature of business in their logos. For example, Dabur has its roots in producing natural and herbal-based products that have close links to Ayurveda. Therefore, their logo represents their business in the form of a tree (as it represents nature). Similarly, automotive companies like BMW and Mercedes have rounded logos representing the wheels. While it is not necessary to represent your nature of business in your logo, it is always good to do so (as it becomes easy for customers to identify and remember the logo).