When you own a business, your logo is as much a part of your brand identity as you business's name. In fact, sometimes the logo is all you need. Think about all of the different companies you could identify by logo alone, even if the name wasn't given to you. You want your logo to be just that distinctive and memorable. But how will you come up with the perfect logo? No one but you can chose the logo that's right for your company, but you may benefit from keeping a few simple rules on logo design in mind.

Rule 1: Keep It Simple

A logo that's too busy and full of images and words will just confuse people. It won't be memorable, and people won't easily associate a jumble of pictures and words with your company. One of the most important rules of logo design is to keep it simple. A logo should be like the cover of a book that grabs your attention – it shouldn't try to be the story inside the book too.

A simple logo is easy to remember and calls your brand to mind immediately. However, don't go with something so simple that it's a cliché. Avoid fonts, images, and visual tricks that you frequently see used in other places. Your logo should be as unique as possible.

Rule 2: Make It Flexible

Remember that you're not going to have your logo in just one place. Is it going to look just as good blown up on a large sign as it does on a piece of sketch paper? Will your customers be able to make out the logo when it's been shrunken down to fit on a pen or some other small give away item?

What about color? Your logo should be just as easy to distinguish in black and white as it is in color. After all, you may want to run an ad in the newspaper in black and white ink, or have a letterhead made up with your logo on it. Try to picture your logo in a variety of different sizes and colors. Think about what it would look like on a billboard and what it would look like on a coffee mug. If it won't look equally good in large and small sizes, go back to the drawing board.

Rule 3: Use Color Wisely

Don't just pick your favorite colors for the logo. You should choose your colors as carefully as you choose any other aspect of your logo. Do some research into the affects of color on consumer behavior. Different colors can have very different affects, and you'll want to choose the colors that will benefit you the most.

If you're trying to evoke feelings of comfort and stability in your customers, then blue is a good color to use in your logo. Red is a color that feels energetic and enthusiastic, and it can help spur customers to action. Red is also a good color for hunger, which can come in handy if you're running a restaurant. There is a reason why so many fast food chains use bright red and bright yellow liberally in their advertising and decorating.

One more thing to remember is that your logo should have some meaning beyond the obvious. If your business is a bookstore, your logo shouldn't necessarily be a book – it should be something that conveys a love of books. The more meaningful the logo you choose is to you, the more meaning it will have for your customers, and the longer they'll remember it. And after all, that's the whole point of a business logo. 

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