Scott Saunders | For those that need this clarified, a brand is more than just the logo. It goes beyond the logo. But the logo is the start of every brand and helps create the foundation of the brand.
That being said, when a business is starting out, that is generally the first thing any new entrepreneur wants and needs. The most minimalist service-based business collateral is the business card, and it needs a logo.
My years of experience in designing logos and developing brands has taught me a crucial fact. Many new business owners have the notion that the logo needs to reflect them.
Many times this takes the form of a personal color preference. I stopped counting the number of times clients would respond with “well… I’m just not a big fan of purple.” or “I would rather be some orange in it because that is my favorite color”. Now, that desire is – inherently – not a bad thing, But it can disregard any intentionality for using or not using a specific color to build the brand based on market sector and consumer factors. When that happens, those desires need to “take a back seat”.
Logo Is About Them
To be frank – it is NOT ABOUT YOU. It is about creating a brand that speaks to its audience. It resonates with those that are going to be engaging with that business. It needs to be more concerned about communicating the strengths and distinctions of what the business is bringing to market than the personal likes and dislikes of the owner.
An extreme example of this would be if a 45-year old male entrepreneur was going to launch a new social media platform that was geared towards 16 year-old females, but he wanted the logo to use dark mature colors and have it look aerodynamic because he likes those type of colors and one of his main hobbies is race cars. This is when any personal association to the owner must be stripped from the development of the brand. They are like oil and water. They don’t mix.
Above all else, having a strategic approach to the development of a brand’s logo that ignores the tastes of the client that conflict with that strategy will ensure the brand hits the mark and leaves the most impact. Sometimes those two things align and personal tastes can be taken into account, but if they conflict, remember – it’s really not about you.
