A common logo design mistake is making a logo that will become outdated too soon. A far better strategy is to develop a timeless logo that can consistently represent your brand for many years to come. This can be done by sticking with a simple word mark logo that uses a timeless font or by using an icon in your logo design that is flexible enough to evolve with your brand, customers, and market.
This rule is one that many of the most recognizable and powerful brands in the world followed when they chose their logo designs (whether they knew it or not at the time). Here are some examples of logos that are very well known for their simple, powerful, and timeless icons:
A sign that a brand has truly become instantly recognizable and a household name is when the logo design drops the brand name entirely. When you see the Nike swoosh, you don’t need to have the brand name accompany that logo to know what brand it is and what that brand promises. For some companies, removing a brand name from a logo design happens organically. For others, it’s part of a broader business strategy. For example, in recent years, Starbucks dropped its brand name from its logo in order to evolve its business beyond coffee.
The trick when you’re making a logo is to consider all of the possible growth opportunities that may come along in the future for your brand. If your logo design isn’t timeless, you’ll need to rebrand and create a new logo too soon or too often as your business grows.
Design instructors teach their students to create logos with a single element because people can only focus on one element at a time. By focusing on that one element, recall and recognition increase. Again, think of the logos for the brands listed above. Each is simple and focuses on a core element. Follow this rule of thumb when you’re making a logo and you can’t go wrong.
