A logo is a symbol that represents your company. It can be a) a graphic or image, b) a word or name in a specifically chosen or custom-designed typeface, or c) a combination of both a and b.

There is a list of job requirements for a good logo.

• It must have a simple, strong, memorable design
• It must work at very small and very large sizes, in all kinds of contexts from billboards to t-shirt printing
• It must communicate what your company is about

Well, that still leaves the definition pretty vague. Perhaps we should look at what a logo is NOT.

It is not a picture – not a photo or illustration. It is NOT clip art. Why? Because that defies the very first requirement for a logo, that it be simple, strong and memorable, and makes it impossible for the logo to be recognizable in all sizes and contexts.

It is not your name in Papyrus or Brush Script font. Why? First of all, because Brush Script is outdated and Papyrus is overused. But secondly (and more importantly), because that doesn’t accomplish the purpose of setting you apart and communicating something about your organization.

It is not something you can pick from a logo wizard at one of those flashy sites. Why? Because, again, such a thing is neither unique, interesting, nor easily recognizable as YOU.

It is not a random swooshy shape. Why? Because, again, that says absolutely nothing about you, and won’t be easily recognizable. A logo is a symbol of who you are and what you do. It can be abstract or representational, but it’s not some random shape that’s just there for no reason. If it is a swooshy shape, it should be a swooshy shape with a purpose, that looks different from all the other swooshy shape logos out there.

It doesn’t have lots of bevels, shines, gradients, and other fancy Photoshop effects. Why? Because they are needlessly complicated and make it hard to reproduce the logo in other contexts. Think of the most famous logos in the world – the Golden Arches, the Nike swoosh, Apple’s apple, the Red Cross. Incredibly simple and powerful. A good test for logo simplicity is whether it looks equally striking in pure black and white as in color.

Logos form a part of that mysterious thing called “branding.” In the most basic terms, branding just means that you have a recognizable style and you apply it consistently to every aspect of your company that is visible to the public. A good logo is essential to instantly-recognizable branding, but it’s not the only piece.

So if you’re thinking of designing a logo, where do you start?

How about answering these questions: How do you want people to feel when they think about you? What is the personality of your organization? Are you serious and refined, or quirky and playful? How do you want to be remembered by your clients and customers?

What sets you apart from your competition? Because branding, although it is eventually embodied in promotional materials, starts with defining who you are. You can’t design a strong logo that communicates something important until you know what it is you want to say.