We’ve heard of the old proverb “Too many cooks spoil the broth”, but there is a new maxim that logo designers must ponder … “Too many elements spoil the logo”. Sometimes, it is difficult to realize as to what makes a memorable logo? There is no arguing the fact that simplicity and minimalism is the key to perfection. As the great Leonardo da Vinci himself puts it…Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.

We have witnessed many logo designs fail, even though they were created by maestros. Using the design elements in disarray is the biggest reason for the downfall of many logos. Although embellished and decorated logos may look good in the mock-up version, but it doesn’t appear the same in the implemented form.

Absurd Symbols and Shapes:

Adding too many symbols and icons that have no pertinence to the logo always proves to be catastrophic. Recall the infamous London 2012 logo. Inspite of the fact that it was designed by the famous logo designer Wolff Olins, it proved to be a disaster. The biggest criticism it faced was its vague shapes used to denote 2012. The logo altogether became a clutter.

Busy and Cluttered look:  

Loading a logo with too many design elements hides its main message. A case in point is the Burnley logo design which looks nothing more than a clutter of rubber bands of various colors intermingled into a complex knot. Neither does the logo in any way signify the city, nor is it fitting for an official logo.

Using scribbled fonts:

Font is a critical aspect of t a logo design. Using appropriate font type is crucial in designing brand identities. Fonts in logo design signify the degree of gravity and professionalism of an entity. You might remember the France tourism logo redesign last year. Its typeface was highly censured for its informal and childish look.

Too vivid can be too vague:

Although it is true that colors add life to a logo design, but too vivid can become too vague. The use of color is closely associated with human psychology. That is why use of colors must be appropriate and pertinent to the brand identity. A big logo design disaster was Kraft’s new logo which contains a burst of colors at the end of a red ‘smile’. This was obviously not a suitable for a large corporation like Kraft’s and did not complement their nature of business.

Stick to the essentials:  

In conclusion, logo designers must never overlook the essentials of a logo design…It should be simple, recognizable, comprehendible and meaningful. The design elements should be used in balance so as to create a memorable, distinct, appealing and momentous logo.

It’s not new for logo designers to hear this excuse from their clients, “I’ll have my neighbor design my logo”. But they never tell you why. Most of you might not know what the reason behind this statement is. In fact there may be many reasons for clients to have their logo designed by their neighbor.

Today, I reveal the lame reasons as to why clients prefer their neighbor over professional logo design companies. Check out the top 10 amusing reasons why clients have their neighbor design a logo:

1. “He lives close to me – just next door”

2. “How about a beer in exchange for a logo design?”

3. “Peep from the window to get an update on the logo”

4. Let’s discuss revisions over dinner, shall we?

5. He’s a nice chap – duh!

6. “He went to a design school…so what he was kicked out!!

7. He has designer friends” – Impressive!

8. “Just installed the latest version of Photoshop” – Coool!

9. “He likes what I like” – My car!

10. “He’s so creative; painted his garage himself” – Amazing!