...and Image is Everything...

I ran across an article in an online magazine recently that said exactly everything I've been saying for years concerning logo/branding design errors. It pains me to see these mistakes made by those calling themselves "graphic designers" and it pains me even more to see business owners become the victims of designer ignorance/ineptitude. A part of me wanted to use examples from local businesses that have unknowingly taken part in these mistakes (as I know of more than a few perfect candidates), but I just couldn't make myself do it. It is unfair. A business owner doesn't have the training that a designer should. It is not their job. Their job is to make and sell widgets. So, I will post the main points and a link to the article in the hopes that the businesses that use logos that make these easily avoidable mistakes will call Crop Marks for a consultation or a quote and we can rectify the "logo mistake."

Please click the link and read the whole thing.

{/caveat}

10 Common Mistakes In Logo Design

1. Designed By An Amateur

A professional business should look professional. New business owners often invest a lot of time and money in property and equipment, but do not often match it by investing suitably in their logo.

2. Relies On Trends

Trends (whether swooshes, glows or bevels) come and go and ultimately turn into cliches. A well-designed logo should be timeless, and this can be achieved by ignoring the latest design tricks and gimmicks.

3. Uses Raster (pixel) Images

Using raster images for logos is not advisable because it can cause problems with reproduction. While Photoshop is capable of creating very large logos, you never know for sure how large you will have to reproduce your logo at some point.

4. Contains Stock Art

A logo should be unique and original, and the licensing agreement should be exclusive to the client: using stock art breaks both of these rules.

5. Designing For Yourself (the designer) Rather Than The Client

You can often spot this logo design sin a mile away; the cause is usually a designer’s enormous ego.

6. Overly Complex

When printed in small sizes, a complex design will lose detail and in some cases will look like a smudge or, worse, a mistake.

7. Relies On Color For Its Effect

Every business owner will need to display their logo in only one color at one time or another, so the designer should test to see whether this would affect the logo’s identity.

8. Poor Choice Of Font

When it comes to executing a logo, choosing the right font is the most important decision a designer can make. (AMEN, BROTHER! -ed)

9. Has Too Many Fonts

Using too many fonts is like trying to show someone a whole photo album at once. (This is the only one for which there exist some exeptions. -ed)

10. Copies Others

Copying others does no one any favors, neither the client nor the designer.

Original Article: Smashing Magazine