A great logo is one of the most powerful branding tools a company can possess, regardless of the industry it operates in.
Once a business is established, the logo comes to represent everything there is to know about the brand; its inner workings, the quality of its products, and the general public perception around it.
Think of it like this way: If you’ve been using Apple products for a few years, you’ll be far more likely to buy a new product that had the famous half-bitten fruit on it than a similar product from any other company, simply because you associate that image with quality and pristine.
That’s the power of logos.
Design yours well, and it’ll serve as a beacon of trust and respect for your new fitness business for years to come; don’t, and you risk losing out on hundreds of potential members. It’s something you have to get right the first time.
Creating the ‘right’ logo requires a lot of creativity, methodical planning, and critical thinking. Contrary to popular belief, it’s not something you come up with while munching on your favourite cereal at breakfast.
Luckily for you, you don’t have to go through the process alone. We’ve gathered a list of tips and tricks from industry experts that should help you design the perfect logo for your gym.
While this article is for gym and fitness centre owners in particular, the tips mentioned below can be applied to any general business with a few tweaks.
1. Hire A Professional
This isn’t so much of a tip as it is a necessity. Unless you’re proficient with Adobe Photoshop or other image manipulation software, you’re going to struggle to get anything done.
Trust us when we tell you that it’s not wise to work on the Paint app on your computer if you want a professional looking design.
There are plenty of online agencies in the global market that will do high quality work at a reasonable price, but we recommend looking for a local company since this will be your first time with logos and graphic design
You'll need have face-to-face meetings with your designer regularly.
This is important because your company’s logo is something that’s incredibly personal to you, and it’s essential that you give your feedback to the designer every step of the way.
2. Sketch A Few Rough Ideas In Your Free Time
Don’t worry about creating anything neat during this phase. That’ll be your new designer’s job. Just focus on the aesthetic element of the logo: what do you want it to look like, what should it represent, etc.
At this point, it’s usually a good idea to have a brainstorming session with your team. Talk about what you want your brand to represent once the business is established, and try to encapsulate that in your rough sketches.
Once you have 5-6 designs prepared in your sketchbook, sit down with your designer and ask him/her what he thinks about each of them and how can they be improved. If you hired a competent professional agency, they’ll know what trends are dominating the market and so will select a design that will have the maximum possible impact.
3. Understand What Goes Into A Great Logo
The most iconic logos of all time all have 5 key characteristics in common which you should incorporate in your own design:
- Simplicity: A good logo needs to be simple, easily recognisable, and extremely memorable. What brand comes to your mind when you see a tick sign? What about a fruit? A large M? Great logos work because they’re easy-to-remember.
- Impactful: Great logos aren’t memorable not just because they’re simple and easy-to-remember, but also because they usually have a powerful impact on the customer. It’s all about capturing your viewer’s attention.
- Scalability: Your logo should look good no matter how big or small the scale is. If you have a few designs in your mind, picture them on a billboard and then on a small envelope. Did it lose its appeal when the size was too small or too large?
- Versatility: In addition to size, you also need to think about different print materials your company uses. Will the logo lose its appeal if it’s printer on leather instead of paper? What about steel engravings? A good logo should be versatile enough to be usable on many different mediums.
- Relevance: While this isn’t exactly an essential trait (Apple’s apple has nothing to do with their products or services), it’s good to have a logo that’s relevant to your business. If it doesn’t directly reflect your products, it should at least represent what you stand for.
4. Avoid Adding Your Business Name
Here’s the problem with making your business’ trade name a part of your logo: everyone’s already doing it and it doesn’t make any sense unless you have a business name which is incredibly unique.
This means your name shouldn’t contain any words that are in common household use or are too generic. Also avoid words that don’t translate well into other languages.
We highly recommend skipping your name if you’re going to be designing clothing and apparel. At this point, it’ll just feel like you’re copying Ralph Lauren without any of the fame or global appeal.
If, however, you do decide to add a name to your logo, make sure the text is legible in all sizes and that the font is a professional one. Nobody will take your business seriously if you try and use funky fonts that have a weird calligraphy style.
5. Get Feedback Every Step-Of-The-Way
When you have a few different designs prepared and ready to go, take a small chunk of your target market and ask them how about they feel about having any one of these as a business logo.
This feedback will be extremely useful for improving the overall design and creating something that customers will grow to recognise and love over the next few years.
That being said, however, it’s also important that you avoid asking friends and family for help. Their feedback won’t be entirely honest which isn’t what you need.
Once you have a design you can be proud of and one that customers are responding to favourably, get it finalised and make sure you market it like crazy.
This logo is what will come to represent your brand in the coming years, and if you’re proud enough to share it with the world, they’ll almost always respond back favourably.
Conclusion
A great logo can be the cornerstone of a successful branding strategy for years to come, so long as it’s made well and stands out from the crowd.
Give your brand identity the boost it needs by hiring a professional designer and keeping our tips in mind as you get to work on creating something memorable.
Remember that your logo is the first thing your customers will see when they visit your stores or your website. Make that first impression a positive one and you’ll be halfway there to securing a sale.
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