One might now say, thank you so much for that big steaming pile of illumination. But bear with me. It’s actually significant for organizations and businesses that a logo is not a couch.
The problem is that too many business make decisions about a new logo the same way they choose a new couch. They think that the measure of a logo is whether or not it’s comfortable and they “like” it.
But I have a Rule of Thirds about logos. It says:
A third of the people will probably like your logo.
A third of the people will probably dislike your logo.
And a third of the people really won't care either way.
Likes and dislikes are therefore an ineffective measure of your logo design. Does that make sense? A logo is not a couch.
Here’s what is actually helpful. You need more objective criteria for evaluating your logo design. So use measures like:
- personality
- presence
- tone and attitude
- symbol and metaphor
- relevance to your brand character diamond
- distinctiveness in your marketplace or sector
And then trust your designer to interpret this on your behalf, because this is also art, and art needs soul and unity, and committees don’t make good art. The committee’s role in the end is to create the sandbox for the creative exploration by providing the parameters. Ultimately, it’s a combination of relevance, design quality, and how you use it that provide pay off.
Write that down: how you use it. This matters the most in one year, in five years. And that means your people need to be reminded of how to use it. Keep watering the plant.
Beware the steamrollers.
One issue waiting in the wings that can really hamper your logo design process is when someone influential comes into the process mid-way through. Typically, they will offer their opinion as if they were choosing a couch. So you have to make sure that anyone and everyone who could influence your process is briefed up front on the same objective criteria. This could be the boss, an assistant, a spouse, a business partner. Don’t leave anyone out, because it could create a lot of frustration, extra time and expense.
Try out the Rule of Thirds some time with your people. Google some logos, even famous ones, and survey their likes and dislikes. You’ll find out just how useless a measure this is. But hey, it’s a fun game.
