Evaluating Your Logo Design

There are six universal attributes of a great Logo Design:

• Is it practical?
  Can it be printed small or large, in ink and in pixels? Will it work in color as well as in black and white? A badly designed logo can become incomprehensible when sent through a fax machine or reproduced in a newspape. Try blowing it up and reducing the logo to determine its readability at different sizes. Keep in mind too that millions of Americans are at least partially color blind. (Technical Color Issues)
• Is it distinctive?
  You want your logo to be unique, but not too off-the-wall. A design idea doesn't need to be unique to the world, just distinctive enough so you can "own" it in your particular marketplace.
• Is it graphic?
  You shouldn't have to decipher or explain the logo for people. A great logo will communicate purely in graphic terms to the right brain hemisphere, and doesn't depend on verbal intellectual interpretation. This is equally true for all logo designs, whether an iconic logotype, a wordmark or even a simple lettermark. The choice of fonts, shape and color should effectively communicate the essence of the company.
• Is it appropriate?
  Is the logo design relevant to your business? Is it consistent with the corporate personality and tone you wish to convey about your business? The content has to be right!  An otherwise great logo will fail if the message expressed is at odds with management intentions.
• Is it simple?
  Simplicity of design makes a logo easier for customers to remember and recognize. A great logo will contain only one graphic idea, one gimmick, one dingbat. Thus if there's a symbol, the accompanying name should be plain and unadorned. If it is a wordmark, one idea or device should make it special- like the stripes in IBM. The more unique the name, the simpler the graphics can be. Think clear contrast and simple shapes, with limited colors and tones.
• Does it convey ONE message?
  Great designs try to express no more than one attribute and support a single aspect of positioning.

Get opinions from colleagues and from people in your target market instead of merely relying on your own intuition and taste. Also, use this checklist to avoid common problems with logos:

• Is it too trendy?
  Think of the future and avoid being too trendy. A good logo will last your company 15 years and give your customers a chance to burn the image of your logo into their brains.
• If the logo uses words or letters, are they recognizable?
  You shouldn't have to explain or decipher the logo for people.
• Does the logo arouse any unwanted associations?
  What you intended to be stepping stones may appear to others as animal droppings. If you get this sort of honest feedback, pay attention to it.
• Are the colors appropriate?
  Colors are powerful. Different colors have different associates and can have predictable effects on your audience. Understanding color associations is imperative!