What makes for an effective logo design has remained fairly consistent over time, but the details of successful execution have been drastically altered by the digital age. Computers and mobile technology have changed everything, because logos aren’t just shown on storefront signs and billboards and print ads anymore. They’re on websites and online ads, they serve as social media profile pictures and cover images, they’re in email signatures and newsletters, and so on. And beyond that, they show on so many different types of screens now.
As everything evolves so quickly, brands are constantly forced to adapt too. Sometimes, with all the emphasis on digital marketing, more fundamental and low-tech aspects of branding get overshadowed or overlooked. Logos are a perfect example. But it’s so important for logos to keep up with the times, just like everything else.
Below are seven major signs you need a logo redesign to ensure your organization stays current and branded in a compelling way.
Reasons It May Be Time for a New Logo
- Your logo predates mobile technology… or even the internet. The web, the social media explosion, smartphones and other mobile tech, and other aspects of the information age have added lots of digital considerations to effective logo design. If your organization’s logo wasn’t designed with all this in mind, there’s a decent chance it doesn’t work well across today’s most important mediums and platforms.
- Your logo looks old or dated. Taste and trends in colors, patterns, fonts, and other aspects of design change over time. Compare popular outfits of the 1970s to those of today. You have a problem if people look at your logo and think, “Wow, that’s so ’70s!” Unless you sell retro clothing or something. Generally, it’s preferable to look contemporary so you can be appealing to a modern audience and appear invested in your image.
- Your logo wasn’t designed by a professional. Bootstrapping entrepreneurs cut corners at startup, and often, it’s out of necessity and there’s nothing wrong with that. But when major elements of branding get short shrift, it eventually needs to be addressed. A professional graphic designer is familiar with the rules, best practices, and big no-nos of crafting a great logo. Isn’t it time you had the benefits of a pro’s work?
- Your logo is complicated. Logos should be simple. From a design standpoint, simple logos are more visually appealing, recognizable, and memorable. From a digital standpoint, complicated images with too many colors or shapes, fancy graphic effects, long or multiple words, or certain other characteristics usually don’t scale well across different display sizes, screen sizes, screen resolutions, and other factors of modern digital technology.
- Your logo isn’t in sync with your brand. Like words, images have a tone, voice, personality, ability to evoke specific thoughts or emotions, and other branding power. A compelling logo aligns with brand image and is designed to convey something in particular to a defined target audience in a relevant way. If your logo wasn’t created with serious thought to your branding, it’s one of the sure signs you need a logo redesign.
- Your brand has evolved since your logo was designed. This goes along with the last entry. Businesses, nonprofits, and agencies tend to morph over time as they follow the money, adapt to changing consumer tastes and priorities, and otherwise react to their world. Even if your logo was thoughtfully branded at the time of conception, that doesn’t necessarily mean it reflects your enterprise and speaks to your target market today.
- Your competition has better logos. Here’s a simple enough question: Does any of your competition have a logo that makes you envious? If another company or organization in your industry has a logo that looks nicer, cooler, more powerful, more memorable, or just plain better than yours, you’re at a disadvantage. Logos are the face of a brand, and you want yours to be the most appealing. Don’t be bested; get a new logo!
