A Beginner’s Guide For A Non-Designer To Create A Website Logo

You know that first impressions count, and your logo is often the first meeting point between your customers and your company. In this article, we’ll share a beginner’s guide for a non-designer to create a website logo that makes a good first impression. Nelson Mandela said it better “Appearances matter — and remember to smile,” this is what your logo design has to do, it has to give an excellent first impression, whatever emotion it’s conveying. Too many first-time logo designers miss this vital point and create a logo using random designs that don’t speak for their brand and fail to connect with their target audience. But don’t despair, there are steps you can take to get it right. With a little bit of research, you can discover what elements are needed and how to bring them together, resulting in a logo that captures your brand’s essence and greets everyone with a smile.

1. Start by researching your market for inspiration

Trying to come up with an original design that’s right for your marketplace is a difficult thing to do; the good news is that you don’t have to do it alone! There’s an endless supply of inspiring information to be found in your marketplace that can provide you with ideas for shape, color, font, and style, and by focusing on your niche area you’ll soon discover the logo techniques that are working. Create a mood board, it can be simple or detailed, it’s up to you, here are some things you could put on it:

• Pick three logos from leading businesses within your niche, look for trends they might be using, similar colors, fonts, or logotypes. If you begin to see a pattern, it’s because it works.
• Focus on your audience’s demographics, young or old, serious or fun. Put yourself in your customer’s shoes and consider their perspective; this will give you a good idea of what type of branding style appeals to them.
• Now, look at your business. What’s it about, what’s your mission, vision, and goal? Whatever it is, your logo must reflect it so customers know what to expect when they land on your website.

2. Pick a suitable logotype

There are three main logotypes, and the type of business you have influences which one you choose.

• WORDMARK – Skype, Google, eBay, PayPal, and Coca-Cola, are all word marks, their logos are based purely on font, style and the color used to create them.
• ICON – Apple, Shell, the Olympics, and the Rolling stones, all use a single image for their logo because they can.

Both types are iconic and are generally used by globally known brands as they don’t have to tell the viewer anything more about the company.

• COMBINATION – KFC, Pringles, Adidas all use this logo style. While they are all established companies, this is also the best choice for new business and a website header. It connects a name and an image and conveys a visual and written message to the audience.

3. Choose a color palette that reflects your brand and website

It’s hard to describe just how critical color is when designing your logo; let’s say, it means everything. There’s a method for choosing the right ones for your business based on proven color psychology, and you should research it a little further to gain a basic understanding. However, you can also quickly find the colors you need for your logo by looking at your website color palette and your competitors. Your logo should match your website, but if you don’t have one yet then look at what your successful competitors are using, as mentioned before, they’re using them because they work for your marketplace. Some points for you consider when using colors are:

• Don’t use more than two in your logo.
• Pick ones that are associated with your marketplace and service.
• Use tones that suit your brand’s voice; that’s the message it’s conveying to the audience.

4. Pick a font that connects with your brand to create a website logo

Font choice sits right next to color when it comes to the importance of your logo’s suitability in your market place. You can search the same sites as before to get inspiration as to which ones to use, and the rule for color also applies to the font, don`t use more than two. Another place to look for different styles is Google fonts, but if you want a unique one search for creative font companies such as Creative Market or Behance, where talented artists showcase their work, and it’s often free to download.

• Remember, different fonts send different messages. Some are more suited to banks and insurance companies, while others lend themselves to tour operators and surfboard suppliers. There’s a wealth of information online regarding fonts, but always follow the golden rule of design, keep it simple.

5. Use available technologies to bring it all together

There are numerous platforms, free and paid, that you can use from the comfort of your home, that empower you with the tools that top designers use when creating a logo. You can use Illustration and image creation tools, graphic editors, Pixel art, and logo design software. These intelligent logo design making tools are an excellent source for finding the latest designs and discovering what logo styles, fonts, and colors work within your market place. They are straightforward to use and start by asking you some questions regarding your industry, target market, and personal design preferences. Make sure you’ve done some research before using one as by providing detailed information, you will get a better logo. When they have your information, they run it through their Artificial Intelligence system. Which selects a range of alternative styles and shapes, all linked to your niche. You then scale it down until you have the professional-looking logo you need. If you want to customize it to ensure it’s unique, there are tools online that can do that too!

6. Pro Tip To Create Website Logo: Balance your logo by using negative space

The saying, less is more, runs throughout designing a logo. It’s especially true when it comes to creating balance by using the negative space within your logo design. This is the space between any letters and images in your logo. Moreover, you can create balance by increasing or decreasing the distance between them You can use it in two ways:

• Picture the FedEx design. The space between the E and x creates an arrow. Symbolizing the movement, while its purpose is to send a subliminal message to the viewer. It also creates an equilibrium between the two syllables.
• The Volkswagen logo design is an excellent example of creating a balanced logo. By using the space between the letters and their positioning within the outer circle. It makes the logo look organic, and it’s easy on the eyes. Quite an achievement for a V and a W!

Correct use of negative space is an essential part of the design process. You can achieve it yourself by experimenting with your letters and images. You might be surprised what a bit of balance can do for your new logo.

Create Website Logo Conclusion

There`s no reason for you to feel overwhelmed by the task in front of you. Because creating a logo that’s right for your business, connects with your audience, and makes you proud, is possible. Just use the advice given, apply it, and take your time. The world is waiting to meet your company, so greet them with a smile.