Your logo is the first introduction to your business. They are perhaps one of the most important parts of the business. Because of their importance, it makes sense that they need a little extra tender love, and care every now and then. In any company, things can change over time like any other aspect of branding and business identity. Company mission statements change, trends come and go. Plus, long-term goals and a change of hands may set your company in a new direction.
Here are a few signs it may be time to update or design a new logo for your business.
Your Logo is Outdated
We aren’t talking about a trendy vintage logo, which can be a depending on your business and brand may be the right fit. This is a situation where the logo design is looking abandoned and well-worn you can see the dust on it. What was popular ten or twenty years ago may not fit in well with today’s aesthetics.
Businesses that are successful invest in branding and upgrading their logos. It gives you a chance to make sure the logo fits the company’s personality and keeps the design look fresh and new. Plus, it allows the logo to fit in with the company’s current mission statement.
Your Logo No Longer Fits Your Brand
Your logo is representative of your brand. It’s usually the first contact that any client will have with you. It shows who you are and what you offer.
Let’s say you are trying to project a brand “personality” that is a suave, professional company, then a logo with a sweet hand-drawn picture of a teddy bear with flowers and your brand name in Comic Sans is not the ideal choice.
This is why it’s imperative to choose a logo that fits your brand enabling connectivity with the intended audience. If the expectation is a formal, slightly more hands-off client experience, but the logo shows your company as being something different, it makes the link to your potential client and company more difficult.
Remember, it is truly about the message you are trying to communicate.
Your Logo Doesn’t Say Your Message
Lack of communication is a dilemma for any business, and communication must happen on all levels spanning across all touchpoints.
Many brands follow logo design trends as soon as they come out. This is only an issue if your logo is something completely unrelated to what you do. Sometimes, a business upgrade may leave your logo mismatched.
The message your logo sends to the viewer is:
- Who you are
- What you offer
- Why they should choose your services over others
All other contact is a chance to sell yourself.
If your logo doesn’t communicate the right message or falls flat, that opportunity is lost. Font choice, color choice, and other logo elements are critical factors.
The Font on Your Logo is Difficult to Read
Maybe you don’t have a font choice for your logo, simply because it’s just a graphic. But many logos are wordmarks, letter marks, and combination marks that include some kind of typeface.
And if that typeface is difficult to read, questionable enough that it can be multiple letters or words, or impossible to read, then it isn’t doing your logo any justice. It’s important to follow the principles of letter logo design to create the ideal word art for your brand.
Ask for feedback on your current logo and find out if it is readable. Just because you can read it doesn’t mean others can. After all, you designed it and know what it says. If it seems to take longer than it should to read what your logo says, pick a more user-friendly font. Time is a key factor when it comes to logos.
You Chose an Awkward Logo Shape
The logo shapes can also be a problem. This is the external shape, or the overall shape of the logo itself, as well as the internal elements, such as graphics and color blocks within the logo.
The basic shape of any logo can be modified to fit the personality of your brand and create a memorable logo. Take circles, for example, some of the most revered brands use them and they are usually seen as more inviting than logos with sharp edges like squares and triangles.
Triangles, for example, are used to express a sense of motion and movement, generating momentum for a logo. Some shapes can also stifle a logo unfairly, making it feel crowded and not user-friendly. Examine your logo and ask yourself these questions.
- Does the shape make it the easy focus of the logo?
- Are the shapes both internal and external, fitting the overall feeling and mood you are trying to convey?
No, maybe it’s time for a change?
The Logo is Not a Memorable One
Your logo’s purpose is to make a connection between your brand and your possible customers, so they will be influenced to attempt a further relationship with you.
Of course, this may be easier said than done if your logo is boring, flat, dull, and unmemorable. Don’t think that this means you should create a complex logo. Less is more when it comes to logo design.
But your logo should evoke some kind of emotion. Even a simple wordmark or lettermark should incorporate font, color, and spacing choices that make it stand out from the crowd.
If your logo is lackluster, you owe it to yourself and your business to look at a redesign.
Is Your Logo Too Complicated?
Be careful in the design phase of your logo of making it so complicated that it prevents your clients from processing the relevant information contained within like who exactly the logo belongs to.
And it happens. Sometimes the viewer is so engrossed in the graphic design, for example, that they view it simply as a work of art. Instead of it being a calling card for the business it is representing.
With logo design removing elements is almost always a better option than adding to it. Removing elements can help make your logo more memorable and help differentiate you from your competition.
Your Logo Resembles Another Logo
This is a very common problem for many brands. Perhaps it is because of the predominance of specific logo trends, like design elements, fonts, and color choices. And certain markets have more of a problem with this than others.
If there’s a high possibility that your logo will be mistaken for another company logo near you, you should strongly consider changing or upgrading it. Especially if your logo resembles another brand in your particular market.
You may not need a complete rebrand per se. It may just mean you need a few tweaks to the design, like a font color change or removing certain elements.
Whatever direction you choose, be sure your logo helps your brand stand out from the crowd. Following current trends is okay, just make sure you can still tell the difference between your logo and everyone else’s.
The Takeaway
If you have looked at your logo and feel it needs a refresher, you may not need a complete redesign. But if you started your business ten years ago and have the same logo, a complete overhaul may not be a bad idea either.
You may be attached to your logo, you used it to build up your business and set the tone and personality of who you are. However, there may come a time the right moment comes along to make a change. Attention to the detail of your logo and making the right changes may mean the success of your business.