PSA: Your logo does not need to be literal!
When we hear from potential clients — or sometimes even signed clients at the beginning stages of the Brand Strategy session — it’s not unusual to hear something along the lines of: “We own a bakery; we want a croissant in our logo”, or “I’m a travel agent; can you put a plane in my logo”. And there’s no judgement from us — most of our clients aren’t coming to us with a background in design. But that’s what we’re here for, and today we want to share a (not so) secret…
Your logo doesn’t have to be literal.
Read that again!
The role of your logo is not to literally explain what you do. In fact, some of the most well-known brands rarely do. Take Starbucks, for example. Their mermaid logo is iconic worldwide. But would it feel just as memorable or luxurious if it was a simple coffee cup? Would Nike be just as recognizable if their famous swoosh was swapped out for a generic sneaker?
That being said, there are some instances where a literal logo works well! If you choose to take a literal approach, just consider how you can go beyond clip-art design, and create meaning and complexity behind the graphics used, so that you can continue to stand out and attract an audience that aligns with your values. One way to do this is with custom illustrations that tell your brands story. For example, if you own a Bed and Breakfast and want a custom illustration of your venue.
To know which design style is best for your brand — conceptual or literal — consider your audience and the feelings you want to portray. Brands that are laid-back, fun and casual will oftentimes go more literal. Whereas luxury brands will typically gravitate towards wordmarks or minimal designs.
There’s no right or wrong answer. We’re here to guide you, and during the Brand Strategy portion of your Brand Identity design project, we’ll dive deep to figure out which option is best for your business!
Ultimately, you as the client get the final say. If you really want that compass in your travel agency logo, we’ll happily create it for you! But if you really want to stand out from all the other brands doing the same thing, perhaps together we can think outside the box!
