The logo you choose for your company is a representation of your company brand. It is used to differentiate who you are and symbolize what your brand stands for to your audience. A logo has the capacity to take on various forms over the years, but one element should hold true and that is to inspire those who see it to take action.

Whether I am working with a client on a re-brand or building a new logo from scratch, there’s important steps I take before reaching a final product. The designer or team you are working with should listen to what you want in a logo, and if possible, to see images that inspire you. Your brand story is just as important to hear. This is the explanation for how you will come to arrive at the colors, shapes, and symbolism in a logo.

If you’re in the process of discussing the design of a new logo for your new or existing business, here are a few tips to get you started.

1. Create a cohesive look. Your logo should be able to stand alone from other company collateral and your business name. Your audience should be able to see the color palette and elements of your logo and easily identify who it belongs to because it goes with your company style guide.

2. Tell A Story – Your Story. While you won’t be able to tell your entire company history with a logo, you can tell a story. Use this as an opportunity to gather a key group of individuals from your business to list off what each person values about the company. Various brainstorming sessions and conversations may lead to a unified answer.

3. Don’t Rush It. The creative process for anything is important, but especially this one. Companies often rush this step to check one more thing off a to-do list. You should be mindful of the time and effort put into creating the logo. After all, it is something that hopefully you use for many years to come.

4. Hire A Professional. There are many tools available to go it on your own to create a logo and brand identity. Working with a trained designer will open your thought process and lead you to designs you may not have explored. They know the right questions to ask and how to take your vision and words to create a logo that is uniquely your own.

5. Play Tag(line). Consider your company values and the message you want someone to grasp from seeing your logo. How can you add depth and information to it with a tagline? The tagline is an opportunity to use a few words to captivate your customer and explain your company.

Author: Christine Melaas, SMS

Christine Melaas is a 2009 Loras College graduate with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Public Relations. In both her personal and professional life, Christine has always had a passion for connecting with people. In her role as Director of Social Media & Brand Communication at Fourge Social, Christine is able to do just that.  As one of the co-founders of Fourge Social, Christine has been able to connect businesses and their customers using social media management. She and her team are the first social media agency in Iowa to become certified social media strategists through the National Institute for Social Media. Additionally, Christine is certified through Hootsuite and Syracuse University in Advanced Social Media Strategy.  To give back to her community, Christine is a Make-A-Wish Dubuque volunteer, member of Young Professionals Dubuque, and Women’s Leadership Network of Dubuque member which she was a 2018 Woman of Achievement nominee for the Tri-State Area. When she is not busy exercising her passion for social media marketing, Christine and her husband. Kyle, are spending every moment together with their first child, Clara, whom they welcomed into the world in June 2018. She loves to spend time with their dogs, traveling and being outdoors.