45 Rules for Creating a Great Logo Design

-By freelance designer Tanner Christensen (you can check him out here); found it both funny and an informative reminder of some general tips.. Obviously, this isn’t a how-to on logo design, but some things to keep in mind and I personally find funny easier to remember. I’ll be bold enough to add that if you’re a good enough designer, you wouldn’t be breaking any of those rules anyway. Also, in the spirit of personalizing this post just a teeny bit more I've added my 2 cents (in red) to a few of the tips. Feel free to add what YOU have to say in the comments :)

1- Do not use more than three colors.

2- Get rid of everything that is not absolutely necessary.

3- Type must be easy enough for your grandma to read.

4- The logo must be recognizable.

5- Create a unique shape or layout for the logo.

6- Completely ignore what your parents and/or spouse think about the design.

7- Confirm that the logo looks appealing to more than just three (3) individuals.

8- Do not combine elements from popular logos and claim it as original work.

9- Do not use clip art under any circumstances.

10- The logo should look good in black and white.

11- Make sure that the logo is recognizable when inverted.

12- Make sure that the logo is recognizable when resized. A helpful 'rule' of thumb is to be able to have a functioning recognizable and legible logo even when scaled down to one inch in size.

13- If the logo contains an icon or symbol, as well as text, place each so that they complement one another.

14- Avoid recent logo design trends. Instead, make the logo look timeless.

15- Do not use special effects (including, but not limited to: gradients, drop shadows,
reflections, and light bursts).

16- Fit the logo into a square layout if possible, avoid obscure layouts.

17- Avoid intricate details.

18- Consider the different places and ways that the logo will be presented. Depending on the company, think of the various media presentations the logo will be displayed on or through. From print to web... to large scale banners in some cases.

19- Invoke feelings of being bold and confident, never dull and weak.

20- Realize that you will not create a perfect logo. Dali will be the first to tell you: do not fear perfection, for you will never reach it.

21- Use sharp lines for sharp businesses, smooth lines for smooth businesses.

22- The logo must have some connection to what it is representing.

23- A photo does not make a logo.

24- You must surprise customers with presentation.

25- Do not use more than two fonts.

26- Each element of the logo needs to be aligned. Left, center, right, top, or bottom.

27- The logo should look solid, with no trailing elements.

28- Know who is going to be looking at the logo before you think of ideas for it. As always, target audience/consumer is key. Your client's job depends on pleasing them, and pleasing them therefore pleases your client. It's done deal right there.

29- Always choose function over innovation. But don't compromise.. Just remember that the priority is always a strong mark.

30- If the brand name is memorable, the brand name should be the logo.

31- The logo should be recognizable when mirrored. Interestingly enough, I'd like to add that this is a good test to know if the logo is/will be memorable. Gotta love the human brain.

32- Even large companies need small logos.

33- Everyone should like the logo design, not just the business that will use it.

34- Create variations. The more variations, the more likely you are to get it right.

35- The logo must look consistent across multiple platforms.

36- The logo must be easy to describe.

37- Do not use taglines in the logo.

38- Sketch out ideas using paper and pencil before working on a computer. TRUST ME ON THIS TOO! I get an initial designer block roughly 80% percent of the time if I head to the computer first.

39- Keep the design simple.

40- Do not use any “swoosh” or “globe”symbols.

41- The logo should not be distracting.

42- It should be honest in its representation.

43- The logo should be balanced visually.

44- Avoid bright, neon colors and dark, dull colors.

45- The logo must not break any of the above rules. :)