Branding is everything. Branding starts with something that has the capacity to be branded. Enter the logo (or brand – for good measure). In any instance, the logo design, or face of your business/brand/site/product, is the single most important element of everything you do…yes, everything. If you look across the history of the best and more recognizable, highly-marketed brands, the one similarity you’ll find is that, design-wise, they’re simple. As simple as simple can be, in fact. We’re talking 2+2 simple (that’s 4, for all you mathematically challenged folks out there — I’m with you). Often brilliant conceptually, or sometimes as plain as day, the best designs are mind-bogglingly simple.

What’s the Point Again?
Right now, you’re probably asking yourself, “Okay, they’re simple. What’s the point of all this?” The point is, often times, people are too caught up in attempting to dress everything up and make a logo more about spectacle than utilizing the K.I.S.S. method (keep it simple, stupid) and making it bigger than it is with the solid branding or campaign behind it. Drop shadows, gradients, glows, textures and every other Photoshop/Illustrator stock plug-in known to man gets thrown into the mix, somehow, when people are trying to overcompensate and over-design what should ultimately be kept simplistic. Think about these brands: Nike, McDonald’s, FedEx, UPS, Shell, Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Adidas, Puma, Crocs, Texaco, Exxon, Mobil — you get the idea. All flat colors, streamlined and simple! Sure, there are many variations of these logos; primary, secondary and sometimes third-tier versions that are used in different ways and with different objectives — but all simple. Now, of course by now you’re thinking, “Well, sure, THOSE brands! What does my little brand/business have to do with them and how will I ever gain that type of notoriety?” Another time, another blog folks — the all out branding edition — for now, we’re on design principles, so stay with me!

Stay simple! Don’t get so caught up in doing something so intricate that it fails to be effective, by any stretch of the imagination! Or, worse yet, creating a design that doesn’t come close to being versatile enough to translate across mediums (web, large format print, apparel, stationary, etc). A logo with a million and one textures or little details will be an embroiderer’s Freddy Kreuger (a nightmare, for you non-horror film fans) attempting to digitize and thread it into your company’s polo shirt. Bold lines, simple-but-brilliant concept (and, no, it doesn’t have to be Einstein brilliant — just brilliant enough to convey an idea) — even a really strong, solid typeface/font and 2-3 spot colors will make your design rock harder than Mt. Rushmore, all the while remaining professional and clean enough to impress the imported silk suit and tie sitting behind the half-ton English Oak desk on the 56th floor.

Stick with the K.I.S.S. method, put a little creative juice behind it and you can’t lose! Hope you thoroughly enjoyed the entry! Cheers!