
1. Strip it Down
We are living in a time where minimalism is a huge trend, not just because it looks good but because it works and it makes sense. The main idea is to get rid of the excess so that your audience isn't confused about what's going on—in terms of a logo you want your audience to be sure of what is being sold and what a logo represents. Stripping down your logo design can ultimately end up being beneficial because a simple design is much easier to recognize than a busier design. If your current logo design has a lot of elements, try to figure out which ones are excess. For example, you may have a simple text logo with a couple of swooshes or a design element on it. What if, for instance, you decided to drop the text, and have the design element remain as your logo, or vice versa. Thus, you could rework or redesign only that one element as your logo.
2. Change the font
Another pretty simple and subtle fix for when you pretty much like everything you've got on your logo. Perhaps you just need one thing to really change it but not too much. The question is, if you like everything on your logo, why would you change the font? Picking a new font for your logo is kind of like the meeting of two new worlds. Let's say for instance, you have a logo that is mainly all text and for the original you used a serif. Perhaps you did that because you wanted it to appeal to an older generation or you wanted your audience to take you seriously. But now you need a new redesign that appeals to younger folks and is a bit more modern—what would you do? Probably change my font from a serif to a sans-serif.
3. Simplify the design
This is quite similar to our first point, but here I want you to consider a complete redesign by simplifying what you have. A lot of times, original logos can end up being extremely busy, as well as generic. The idea here is to break down the design, simplify it and come out with something extraordinary for your brand.
4. Change the colors
Picking the right colors for anything can mean success. We tend to relate colors to certain emotions and feelings as well as certain things. For example, blue is a cool color and is often regarded as welcoming. Red is a warmer color that is seen as being feisty or energetic. Changing the colors on your logo can end up being either a subtle or dramatic change, depending on what it is you want to do.
5. Company/Product-centric
Sometimes we create logos that do too much and are way too busy. Then there is a completely different spectrum of logo design where our logos don't do nearly enough. It's easy to get caught up in the idea that minimalism is the way to go—but the truth is, it's not appropriate for every company or product. We sometimes want to be so clean and just create a logomark with some nice typography. That's not a bad idea if it's necessary, but sometimes a logo needs a bit of excitement to go along with what the company is doing. If you're logo is super boring, you may want to apply more of a theme to it that is central to the company or what the product does.
Out with the old, in with the new
Redesigning a logo is definitely a timely thing, but usually has to be done at some point. Determine what it is you are trying to do and use at least one, if not a combination, of the ideas presented. Always keep in mind what the client wants and needs and even what the competition is doing. Remain creative and inspired and you're sure to create a great logo! With your experience in logo redesign, what are some techniques you enjoy using?Kendra Gaines
Kendra Gaines is a freelance designer from Virginia, USA. Connect with her.
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