Medical practices should have a logo that distinguishes their brand from others. Your brand will help other healthcare practitioners associate with your practice virtually. Thus you need to have a memorable, consistent, and clear logo.
Before designing your logo, you must understand the nuance of choosing colors. This is because the colors on your logo may evoke different emotions.
Do logo colors convey different emotions?
When selecting your logo’s color, know that you will also choose the emotions you want to evoke. The psychology of colors is a significant consideration when creating your brand’s identity. The right choice of color can convey more information about your brand values. It will also evoke specific behaviors in the process.
For instance, many people associate the color blue with credibility, assertiveness, professionalism, focus, and cleanliness. All of the qualities above are significant in healthcare. This is why many medical institutions use blue for their logos. While colors evoke different emotions, these associations do not hold for all cultures.
In a study published in the psychological science journal, different cultures perceive the significance of colors differently. For example, the Chinese wear white to funerals, while black is the standard color in the US. A color may evoke happiness in one culture but sadness in another culture. If you design a logo color in a highly diverse practice area, you need to consider that people come from diverse backgrounds.
8 essential logo design tips
The following are eight essential logo tips you can use to design your logo:
1. Keep It Simple
This is likely the most crucial aspect to keep in mind when designing your logo. Simplicity is critical when designing your logo. You want a logo that is easy to read, recognizable, versatile, and understood by a broad audience! A good logo should feature a unique aspect of your brand without being too cluttered.
A simple logo also allows for versatility. Social media is currently playing a significant role in business marketing. This is why you must ensure that your logo works on more platforms. You might ask yourself: Does my logo work well on social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram?
2. Stick to One or Two Fonts
Using too many fonts in any design can be a ‘risky’ idea. Very similar fonts will make the viewer feel confused. Similarly, the viewer will have multiple conflicting emotions if the fonts are too different. Viewers may also find it hard to read your logo if you use too many fonts.
You would be safer if you stuck to one font/theme. You may also need to add a graphic to reinforce your brand’s singular idea.
3. Limit Yourself to a Few Colors
Choosing a few colors for your logo is part of your simplicity strategy. Logo design templates allow you to customize your logo with any color. This may tempt you to incorporate many colors that could overwhelm your logo by competing for attention.
Using too many colors will also lead to saturation. Logos with many colors combine different colors with similar intensity, which may overpower people’s eyes.
The rule of thumb is to use a maximum of three colors. You may also use the gradients of these colors as Instagram does.
4. Design Your Logo for a Stacked and Horizontal Orientation
You will need to use your logo in different contexts and orientations. Using a stacked and horizontal orientation will be an ideal choice for you. The reason is that this orientation is a bit tighter and compact. You may decide to use a stacked orientation on labels and signage and go with the horizontal layout for your website’s header.
5. Design Your Logo to Suit Any Background
When designing your logo, you won’t know in advance the background colors more suited for the logo. You must create a logo that suits different backgrounds and remains visible. Here, you may need multiple logo versions suited for light and dark backgrounds.
6. Surround Your Logo with a Single Color
It will be best if your logo exists in a single color background. The background of your logo sets the entire design’s tone. It will dictate whether people will understand it or not. Ensure to use your logo contrasts correctly.
If you have a logo with dark elements, use a white or plain background, and vice versa.
7. Keep a Vector Version
When designing a logo, you must retain a vector version. A vector version is usually a small image you can quickly scale and edit. Keeping such a version will accord you and others unlimited freedom in the graphic design and illustration phase.
Thus, you need to convert text into different scalable and editable shapes. This will help those who need your logo asset and lack the fonts you used on your logo.
8. Maintain a Working Version for Yourself
Even after completing your logo design, retaining a working version for later use is essential. The text and fonts in your logo should be editable if you want to make any changes in the future. Retaining a working copy for yourself will ensure you have a backup in case any issues arise.
What are the characteristics of an excellent logo?
Logos exist everywhere and are the best way to make your brand easily recognizable. If you intend to design a great logo, it should be:
- Simple
- Memorable
- Relevant
- Timeless
- Versatile
- Unique
Designing a logo may be a daunting task. At DoctorLogic, we can help you create a unique and recognizable logo for your facility. To find out how we can help you attract more patients, grow your practice, and own your market, request a free demo.