Image courtesy of unsplash.com
Brand icons are the visual story teller for a company and almost every successful brand has one. These icons are viewed and immediately give the consumer a glimpse into the brand without requiring a dissertation to understand it. Our brains begin to recall old commercials and past experiences that have built the brand in our minds and made it so personal to us.
For some brands, you don’t even need to see it to know the story or the history behind it. All you need is a description.
Golden Arches… Swoosh… Bullseye… The Peacock.
Upon reading them, you already know the brand and the experience you are about to live and the history and the quality of service you are about to pay for.
Logo icons are not solely used for large and established brands. The use of them is becoming more of trend with up-and-coming brands on the rise and brands that adapting to changes in their marketing and advertising. If you are in the design and development stage of your branding efforts, here are a few tips to keep in mind:
- Keep it simple and expressive without confusing the meaning
The best logo icons have little detail in them. Although this is a subjective statement, look at some the successful brands purchased and consumed daily. Nike, Apple, Chipotle, NBC, New York Times, AT&T. This list could go on forever. The point is that these icons have an immediate impact and are not muddled with fine detail that will distract from the meaning. - Be a story teller, not a novel writer
Don’t overload your brand icon with useless text. Sometimes you only have a split second to catch the attention of a viewer, requiring them to do more than view the logo will leave them uninspired. Let their brain do the work. - Give your brand time to tell its story and to establish itself
Brands don’t become recognizable overnight. Give it time to develop and refrain from changing your logo and moving in a different direction. Patience will get you further than a re-brand.
