What image comes to your mind when you think of a happy meal? In most cases, you'll probably see two golden arches that form the letter 'm'. The McDonald's logo is an indelible part of American culture, which shows you how powerful good branding can be. Once people can recognize your business just from seeing the logo, it's not only a marker of success, but it also means that your audience knows who you are, what you do, and what you stand for. Designing the perfect logo for your company doesn't have to be intimidating. Read on to find out how to make your logo and the tips and tools you can use.
1. Pick a Platform To Create On
The first step to creating your business's logo is to pick a platform to create on. With so much technology to choose from, this step might be your last if you need more preparation. Before you get lost in the search results, you should make a list of your priorities when it comes to building your logo from scratch. Here are some criteria that can help you hone in on the right platform:
Capabilities - what can the platform do?
Pricing - what are the free and paid options like?
User experience - how intuitive is the interface?
Skill level - is the platform for beginners or designers?
Automation - does the platform offer AI logo generation?
Image quality - will your logo image hold up online?
When choosing a design platform, you should ensure it fits your needs. If you want more control over your logo art and have at least some design experience, choose a platform with better capabilities and more customization options. On the other hand, if you know that design is not your strongest skill and you only have a little time, you can choose a platform that automatically generates a logo based on a few key inputs about your business. Some of the top platforms for creating logos are:
Canva
VistaCreate
Hatchful
Adobe Express
2. Create a Story
Now that you know how to make your logo for free using an online platform, you can begin your journey by creating a story your logo will symbolize. This story is all about your brand. It might include how you came up with your business idea, your inspiration, the growth of your company, and your champion products and services. You probably already have some of these ideas as you've been developing your brand. But before you create a logo, you should work on finalizing your brand story.
Without a story to anchor it, your logo might not have the impact you hope it will. For a logo to connect with customers and clients, it has to make sense within its industry, and it has to communicate the essence of what your business is all about.
3. Sketch Ideas
Before you jump on your computer and start designing, grab a pencil and paper and sketch some ideas for your logo. Whether you already have a handful of great concepts waiting to jump onto paper or haven't been able to think of a single design, putting your ideas down on paper will help you hone your vision. You might come up with something that hits all the right buttons or draws options you know won't work. Either way, sketching is a vital part of the process, so you won't want to skip it.
4. Choose a Font & Color Options
As your logo starts to come together, you should put a lot of thought into your font and color options. These two aspects of design communicate more than you might think. Choosing a too-serious font might impact your image while picking one that doesn't match your industry expertise will leave you with lower credibility.
Similarly to fonts, colors evoke specific emotions and moods. Investigate the ideas behind color theory before settling on your logo's final hue. By researching ahead of time, you can ensure that your font and colors match industry standards.
5. Ensure Scalability
The last step in making your business logo is simple yet crucial, and it has to do with making sure that you can scale your logo without losing image quality. Scalability is not guaranteed on every platform. Check to see if there are downloading restrictions before you finalize your logo. You want to end up with an image with a high pixel count to enlarge your logo for posters and promotions without risking a fuzzy or blurry image.
Once you have a unique logo, you can put it anywhere. Learn how to use your business logo to create a virtual background for remote work meetings with Custom Virtual Office.