5 Reasons Why Minimalism Works for Logos

Your logo is not just a representation, but it is also the face of your brand. Basically, this is the first thing that a customer or a client sees that allows them to make a quick judgement about what kind of a company they are about to interact with. This is an important aspect that should be taken seriously, in terms of creating a desirable brand for your business.

Brand design experts understand that logos are means of communicating what your business is all about. With a well-strategized design, your logo may evoke emotions inside that can make your brand memorable to others. However, due to the struggle of others making theirs unique and different, some end up with the complexity that baffles the consumers. Instead of making things simple and easy to understand, they tend to resort to complicated designs that make no sense to some.

A good logo design should be memorable, timeless, appropriate and by all means, simple. To achieve clarity in communicating your intended brand message to others, the design should not be difficult to perceive, and must create a lasting impact at first glance.

So why go for simple logos? Here’s why:

It’s easy to recall

A complicated logo design has too much information for one to digest, so always remember that simplicity is the key when it comes to conceptualizing your logo design. While a complex logo may seem to be more unique, it may need further examination before the intended message gets across the viewer; a simple logo is easier and quicker to process. The goal is for your brand to present a simple, yet favorable aesthetic that will be easier to understand and appreciate.

The Twitter and Apple logos are by far, two of the most popular logos in the history. The blue bird icon is so instantly recognizable to many because of the popularity of the social media website that it became a big part of the branding image of Twitter. Same with the history of the Apple logo as it evolves into its current form now, the silhouette of a bitten apple remains the same. Both logos are minimalist, but each of them have become easily distinguishable due to its popularity and simplicity.

Clarity in brand message

Know how you will be projecting the message of your brand by identifying its characteristics, your target audience, and the reaction that you would want your consumers to have, to ensure that your design will be appropriate for your company’s status. Your logo will be communicating a visual message, so in order for the viewers to recognize it and associate it with your brand, the logo aesthetics must be clean, simple, and straight-to-the-point.

Amazon, a perfect example of a brand that has a logo with a clear message at first glance, is an e-commerce company, and is also largest internet-based retailer in selling e-books, DVDs, music, and many more. Witty how the yellow arrow encourages people to choose Amazon and how it swifts from A to Z, implying that they have it all covered for you!

Induce the right emotional reactions

Although having a simple logo does not 100% guarantee positive reactions from viewers, it still has a higher chance to evoke positive emotions. This is because unlike complicated designs that may cause confusion and overpowered emotion at first glance, a simple logo design is easier to perceive, therefore, it creates that instant connection with the customer.

To ensure that you induce the right emotions from your customers, know your target market and find out the specifics such as the age range, gender, location, lifestyle, and more. The more you know about them, the easier it will be to create the most suitable logo design that they will be able to resonate with.

Who doesn’t get excited when their parents used to bring home McDonald’s food for them when they were little kids? McDonald’s has been so established already that consumers have started to associate it with simplicity, happiness, and guilty pleasures.

 It’s timeless

 Simple can be timeless, whereas, complicated relies on the trends that may tend to fade away over time. In order to create a logo that will stick through time, focus on the key elements that will ensure that your logo design is iconic, powerful and lasting. Do not overthink and overcomplicate the concepts that you want to try. Instead, choose one main idea and work your way around it. Combining too many concepts and styles will result to a convoluted design that might confuse other people. Pick out the style that best fits your brand and the demographics of the people you are catering to, and remember that simple is classy.

The check mark or what Nike calls as the “swoosh” has been around since the company started and as simple as it is, it is memorable and it exudes an optimistic and positive message across all viewers to, as their slogan says, “Just Do It.”

Versatile and marketable

A simple logo is more effective than a complex one because it is easier to publish across all media such as in marketing collaterals, and even on your website. Your logo is the foundation of your brand for all of your promotional materials, so it has to fit perfectly on a variety of mediums and applications, without compromising the original design.

 A good practice in creating a simple, yet versatile logo is to start designing it in black and white, so that you can focus first on the shape and style, without relying too much on its colour. Make sure that the logo is functional and can be printed in any size, and would still be recognizable if printed in reverse or in one colour.

Chanel’s logo with the two C’s interlocking means “Coco Chanel” and it has long become a trademark of style, luxury and class. This brand’s logo is so famous that it has been repetitively used and printed in purses, wallets, shoes, and so on. Remember that perfect symmetry in logos makes it easier to market! 

In this competitive world, your logo is the face of your brand that can either help you stand out from your competitors, or mark you as an ordinary, plain Jane in the industry. With the right mix of simplicity, strategy and class in your logo design, consumers will be able to decipher valuable associations between your logo and your brand. The brand message is communicated in a clean and simplified design, with maximum impact to boot.

Are you thinking of revamping your logo or are you just starting up your business and would like to consult with us about our logo design services? Worry no more, because we are just one call away from a FREE consultation with us!

Call us now at +65 68411680 and let’s talk business!