LOGO VARIATIONS... and why you need 'em!
Just when you think you're ready to commit to getting a new logo, you find out you need not just one delightful version of your mark, but... FIVE. Yep, you read it right. Five is the magic number for logo success.
BUT FEAR NOT, I've got you covered and will explain everything.
A logo variation does not mean completely different logos, but distinct versions to make you shine in every possible branding situation.
When building a cohesive brand identity, we (you + me) are aiming for a seamless flow across all channels. With the primary logo serving as the foundation, we will use that benchmark to create variations that will best suit the end use. From print to digital (from complex to simple) your brand will be outfitted for every possible occasion!
1. PRIMARY LOGO
BEST FOR: WEBSITE HEADERS, PRINT COLLATERAL, E-GUIDES
A primary logo is the visual foundation of your brand.
When you control the real estate, and your logo has the space to breathe, then you have the big green light to go hog wild and use your primary logo, with all the bells and whistles.
Yeah baby, this is where we hit them with everything. The beautiful symbol that speaks volumes about your brand, who the heck you are and of course the wonderful work your do... and/or service you offer.
YES! A good logo design can say all this. And more, like:
I'm trustworthy
I'm professional
I'm approachable
I'm heart-centred
I'm fantastic
You get the idea. Your logo says a lot about your business, and like it or not, within a few seconds of seeing it, your audience is already summing things up to see if you're a fit and even (gasp) to see if you feel legit.
2. SECONDARY LOGO
BEST FOR: BUSINESS CARDS, INVOICES, SIGNAGE
A secondary logo epitomizes less is more.
Sometimes you don't need to tell your entire story, but still need to let people know who you are. And yes... leave your mark. This refined and yet powerful version of your logo is meant to work in many places.
In this version distilling the text and moving to a horizontal plane means this mark can squeeze into tighter spaces, and be read quickly and easily.
3. SUBMARK
BEST FOR: SOCIAL MEDIA, LABELS, STAMPS, WEBSITE FOOTER
A submark is simply a super distilled version of your primary logo.
This is the ace up your sleeve when space is at a premium, or all the information from the main logo isn’t required. Profile images, for instance are far more impactful when you omit all the extra text and tag-lines and sum up your brand simply and succinctly. In this case, using the symbology only.
I typically offer these in a range of colours as part of a logo package.
4. FAVICON
BEST FOR: WEB BROWSERS
Even more pared down than the submark the favicon is the most simplified version of your logo possible.
A website favicon is what’s displayed next to your tab in browsers. If Safari is your go-to browser you may not come across the mysterious favicon. But for Chrome & other browser users, you should see the favicon on the left hand side of any open tab.
No text here people... it simply will not translate. I like to keep this to a single colour on a white background. As a rule of thumb, I use the darkest (or most vivid) colour available in the brand palette for ultimate visibility. This mark is eensy weensy, but can still pack a punch.
A favicon is a little way to make your brand seem BIG.
5. SOCIAL SHARING
BEST FOR: SOCIAL MEDIA BANNERS, SOCIAL SHARING FOR WEB PAGES
Social Sharing images can be programmed to populate when followers share your content.
Social sharing is just another place for your brand to look professional, remain consistent and appear how you want it to. When others (or even you) share a page on the web, this little beauty will populate in the feed. Voila, you are looking amazing and like you have thought of everything. Because you have!
I was inspired to whip up this blog whilst working on my latest branding / logo suite.
Thanks to that extra special client who (unwittingly) made me realize that the opportunity to communicate & delineate this creative process could benefit me, as much as she.
With gratitude as well to the beautiful (and beautifully branded) Coach Kathleen Oh. I'm so proud of the work we do together. Pure magic... and yet with ALL THE science-y design principles to keep us rooted to the earth and the brand looking good everywhere it goes!