As a brand designer (primarily), you might be surprised by my ‘the logo isn’t the most important part of a brand’ stance.
It’s the element my clients tend to focus on the most and it’s where the majority of project revisions are spent. With most of my clients rebranding existing businesses, I can contribute this in part to their experience working with DIY or not ideal logos- often their old logo is the only visual they have in their brand identity. But I think it’s also an opinion held pretty widely- your logo is seen as the most important part of branding and it alone needs to carry your positioning, messaging and strategy.
As you may have guessed- I disagree and I think a focus on the logo (and logo alone) can be to the detriment of your brand.
The Great Logo Myth
There’s a reason many small businesses and startups fall into the logo trap. A logo is a tangible thing. It’s easy to believe that a new logo is the secret ingredient standing between you and an up-leveled business. It will bring new customers and clients! It will make me look more professional! It will solve all my problems!
Unfortunately, while brand design can help grow your business (though it can’t solve all your problems- sorry!), a logo alone won’t build trust, create connection or make people remember you.
Solid strategy and your greater branding is what gives your logo meaning. Without it, a logo is just a well-designed shape. Beautiful, yes. Memorable? Maybe. But impactful? Not without the right strategy behind it.
Strategy First
Branding is so much more than visuals- it’s the intangible ‘vibe’ you impart on your customer or client. This is expressed in so many different ways as a business, including-
- Visual identity: My role! Your logo joins elements such as a colour palette, typography, photography and supporting graphics to form your brand identity.
- Tone of voice and brand messaging: The way you communicate—from your website copy to your social media captions should feel cohesive and unique.
- Customer and client experience: How people feel when they interact with you. Are they delighted? Confused? Do they trust you?
- Values and positioning: What you stand for, who you serve, and how you differentiate yourself in the marketplace.
How do you work out all of these elements? We work together to define your brand strategy, of course. A beautiful brand identity is meaningless without consideration of your brand foundations and positioning. Every single project I work on has a level of strategy built in- I create my best work (that best helps you reach your business goals) when I have alllllll the information in front of me.
Need to stand out in a saturated market? Maybe we choose a certain kind of packaging style and pair it with a vibrant colour palette to stand out in a sea of minimal beige competitors.
Need to look more professional so you can charge more? Let’s create some photography standards for headshots that feel innovative and high end.
Need to level-up to look more appealing to wholesale retailers? Let’s introduce some spot illustrations that capture attention in document design and can also be used to build personality on your website.
Brand strategy underpins everything that I do- a logo (and a greater brand identity) should always follow the needs of the business, rather than being merely an aesthetic exercise.
How do you design logos?
In 90% of the brands I create, the logo suite is the element I design with simplicity in mind.
Why, I hear you ask? Logos need to suit a wide range of applications- from the tiniest adornment (back of an enamel pin, a tiny profile image) through to huge sizes (signage at a market, billboards). I tend to design logos with small sizes in mind- if it doesn't work tiny (and in black and white)- it doesn’t work!
Because of this need for readability (and accessibility!) every logo I create requires a certain level of thickness, simplicity and spacing to ensure the brand is legible at every size. This applies to every style of logo- from elegant serifs (like Soap Cult Australia and Fred Archer) to more minimal sans serif styles (like seen in The Bad Button and Live a Love Riot).
Non-logo ways to visually stand apart
While so much of branding comes down to the offering and the business owner (sorry!), my job as your brand designer is to help you stand out in visual ways. While a distinctive logo can be a strategy, I find it’s often the supporting graphics that build uniqueness and help differentiate businesses from their competitors.
Some of the design principles we can use to stand out include-
Colour
Colour is a sure fire way to stand out- it’s distinct and often the first thing a prospective customer notices. Take my work for bookstore and coffee shop Parallel- it features an insanely colourful colour palette that is featured on every touchpoint including distinctive space gradients.
Illustration
I’m known for my layered brand illustrations and collages and for good reason- they’re my favourite way to add a little something to get you noticed. The copywriter branding for Anna Rogan is a great example- the painterly textures help customise social media graphics and photography to stand out in a sea of competitors.
Patterns and Textures
Supporting patterns and textures add richness and complexity to any brand design project. For content designer Sarah Stanford a range of mid-century inspired patterns make for unique backgrounds on social media while less structured patterns meld perfectly with the family photography of the team at Heartstory.
Brand Photography
A necessity especially for product-based branding projects, intentional and considered product photography means that your brand messaging is present in every communication. When crafting the Wicker Darling brand identity, I outlined a colourful and retro-inspired photography reference guide that communicated the tone of the business while also allowing the products to truly shine.
A Well-Balanced Brand
A logo is a valuable piece of the branding puzzle, but it’s just that—a piece. Your brand is what happens when all the elements work together to create something bigger than the sum of its parts.
Take a deep breath and take the pressure off of your logo- it can’t possibly communicate every part of your business. And remember: people don’t fall in love with a logo. They fall in love with a brand that captures their attention and makes them feel something.
