A check mark by itself isn’t very exciting.
When you see the Nike swoosh, that’s not what you see. Sneakerhead culture. Innovation, inspiration. Excellence. All of those ideas are related to the iconic logo.
Wear Nike and you, too, will be inspired to reach heights you never imagined.
Just do it. Be like Michael Jordan, Cristiano Ronaldo, LeBron James, Serena Williams and Tiger Woods.
When you purchase Nike products, you’re buying into the sleek, powerful swoosh, a symbol that stands for motion and speed representing the wings of the Greek goddess of victory, Nike.
Remember that without the story, without the branding behind it, the swoosh would be nothing more than a check mark illustrated in Futura font.
When you’re thinking about a new logo or a complete redesign of your old one, remember your logo is not your brand. It is a visual expression of your brand. Putting in the work to establish your brand must precede logo design.
You not only want your logo to be recognizable to distinguish your product from the noise around it, you want it to convey the story of your brand. You want customers to feel a certain way when they experience your product. That might be to laugh or cry or inspire or smile. Just seeing your logo should bring that desired response.
That makes the first step in logo design figuring out how you as a business want to define yourself. What feelings do you want your logo to emit in consumers? Uncovering and finding your story as a brand are essential first steps before thinking how to visually identify yourself as a company. Knowing your audience — who you are speaking to — is critical before developing your voice. While your logo connects you to your audience, you can’t get there until you put together the rest of the pieces.
Before you begin thinking about your logo, revisit your story. Dissect the pieces of your DNA on why you started your business. Review your mission statement and your core values. Picture your dream customer and break it down in terms of age, income level, demographics and hobbies. Does your voice connect with your audience? Deep dive into your dream customer’s likes in terms of other brands. What role does your brand play? What is your overall purpose and vision?
Your logo is a piece, but not the only part of your branding.
Find your why and go from there.
Photo by Sara Harris Photography of Marker Nine, a rural coastal Virginia brand developed by Consociate Media’s Rudy Heinatz as a passion project.