The face of the company - as logo is known as, is the first information that a person comes to know when he visits an organization. Since, often the first impression remains as the last impression, the logo of an organization has to be impressive, bold, attractive and smart. A logo should be able to print its image in the mind of the onlooker. Unlike the policies of an organization, a logo cannot be changed quite often. Hence it should be designed such that its importance, beauty and appeal remain forever.

There are certain basic features of a business logo. It consists of all these features:

1. Uniqueness:

With the amount of effort given to produce a logo, it is one unique symbol, which is recognized by people at once. Its presence is so unique that the world knows a particular organization by one logo.

2. Strong and appealing:

The logo of a company must tell about the company’s appeal. Is it strong, soft or light? People should understand at once what it is trying to say. However organization may be small, the logo should be strong enough to hold its attention.

3. Suitable:

The logo to be used must be related to the product or service of the company. A logo that fulfills all the criteria of a good logo but is not related to the product is useless. Usage of bright colors and geometric designs is desirable.

4. Must differentiate from the mass:

The market is flooded with numerous designs to choose from. In order to make a logo unique, it should stand out from the crowd.

5. Communicate:

The logo should communicate with the people. It should not be just a symbol of organization or a company without any message.

6. Add value:

Only identification is not the purpose of the logo. It should add some value to the organization.

7. Represent:

The logo should potentially represent valuable assets. When people see the logo, they should be able to tell by the design that your product or service is of high quality.

Logo is the name, symbol or trademark of a company. Purpose of logo is to create a memorable image of product or company in customer’s mind. It also differentiates products and services of different companies. A good logo grabs the attention of people. It demands some precision and lots of thought to design a communicative business logo.

Summarized below are 8 basic principles that one can use as initial steps to a good logo design:

1. Do some Analysis: Do not rush into developing business logos. Do some analysis about the company, its values, its business and the clients it is catering to. Understand what you want to communicate through your logo. Logos need to be designed, so as to convey message about the company. If you are designing a logo for a product, be specific about the target customers.

2. Eye Catching: Make your logo design an eye catching one. Use clear font so that it is easy to read and easy to identify. Use attractive and unique color scheme to avoid misunderstanding with other logos or products.

3. Memorable: A good logo design should make a memorable expression on the customer’s mind. It should be simple enough to convey a clear message and create positive image of your company in customer’s mind. Only then, the customer will be able to recall about your product in subconscious state of mind when looking to purchase.

4. Flexibility: Your logo design must be flexible enough to work in any situation. Say on product wrappers, website, promotional material, etc. Two important things to keep in mind here are - logo size should be appropriate and colors should be such that they can adjust to the background on which the logo will be used not only today but also in future. You need, to plan for future use of logos, at the development stage itself.

5. Simple: People are drawn to simple logos because they are easy to understand and remember. Busy, crowded logos are difficult to understand and divert the attention of the viewer.

6. Fonts: Some times designers select fonts which look classy but difficult to read. So this is worthless. Select Fonts that are easy to read and understandable.

7. Colors: Good logo design should work well in black and white. If your logo does not look good in black and white it would not look good in any other colors. Choose proper colors that represent your company well.

8. Be Unique: Another important feature of good logo is ability to stand out from crowd. Copycat logo creates confusion in customer’s mind because they are difficult to differentiate. Result is loss in sales. Don’t stick to ordinary design. Your company is unique means it has a different market presence and business space. Keep all these things in mind while designing your logo.

Business logos are for any business that wants to present a professional image and work on establishing customer recognition. Your logo works for you on your business cards, business stationery, invoices and receipts, and, of course, your advertising. If you have a web site, your logo should be on every page of your site. Many business people also feature their logos on any promotional materials they hand out, such as mugs, calendars, and key chains.

A good business logo helps your customers remember your business and many people remember images better than they remember words.

Business logo design is fairly simple with all the graphics software programs available, and if you don’t have the time or inclination to do it yourself, there are many logo designers or logo companies that would love to do this for you.

A business logo has to be simple. Simplicity makes a logo easy to reproduce and makes it easier for customers to remember and recognize. Limit the number of colours in your logo. It has to have some relevance to your business.

Colours are powerful. Different colours have different associations and can present powerful messages in themselves. Red, as we all know, is seen as fiery and energetic. But what about brown? No matter how much you like a particular shade, it may not be a good choice for your logo design.

Your business logo has to be scalable to suit all your promotional needs. The logo you choose has to look good on a business card, on a brochure, and on the side of a bus, for instance. Complicated logo designs don’t scale well.