You think you have your branding all figured out, but can your logo hurt your business? Here are 23 ways it can!

1. ways your logo is hurting your business
23

2. For better or worse branding is a com-
petitive game. Even if a player chose
not to compete, most of the others
would keep playing hardball. To get a
competitive advantage, it is impor-
tant to learn and understand the rules
of that game.
Your logo is your front line of defence
or offence, depending on your strategy.
And if first impressions are so impor-
tant as they say, your logo is one of the
first brand elements that your audience
will come across.
But how can your logo hurt your busi-
ness? Here are 23 ways!

3. 01
Too
old
looking
You created your logo
when the US president
was a movie actor. You
have been used to it
and having trouble with
the idea of changing it.
example logo
You have to let go! You
may ask for a face lift or
a complete redesign,
but you and your brand
have to move on. Logos
live in dog years, so that
would make your logo
247 years old!
The problem The solution

4. 02 Too
complex
You believe that bigger
is better and you made
sure this was the case
when you had your logo
created. Many people
can’t read it but it still
looks impressive!
example logo
It is a proven fact that
most of the time, less
is more. Try to impress
people with your value
proposition to them,
not the complexity of
your logo.
The problem The solution

5. 03 Too
loud
You want to stand out.
With so much compe-
tition out there, you
have to get people’s
attention, and what
better way than having
8 colors in your logo? If
you run a circus, you are
on the right path!
example logo
Be honest. Nobody really
likes that loud guy sitting
in the next table in the
coffee shop, demanding
everybody’s attention .
Your logo should project
your values, not your
agony to stand out.
The problem The solution

6. 04
Too
all over
the place
You made it yourself or
gave it to your favorite
nephew who just got a
new computer. With no
disrespect to anyone’s
creativity, design and
synthesis have rules
that you have to know
before you break them.
example logo
Have a professional cre-
ate your logo. The best
your money can buy.
This is your logo we are
talking about. It will
stay with your brand for
years and it will project
how serious you are
about your brand.
The problem The solution

7. 05
Too
three
dimensional
3D is cool, right? All
those shadows and
lights and perspec-
tive. But logo design
is a bit like fashion de-
sign. Trends come and
go, and 3D logos have
stepped out, at least for
a while.
Try to keep your brand-
ing up to date. Not
because it will look bet-
ter, but because people
perceive brands that
look fresh, to be healthy
and worthy of their at-
tention.
The problem The solution
example logo

8. 06 Too
colorful
Who doesn’t like color?
The more color the bet-
ter! This is not really true
when it comes to brand
logos. Think of it as wear-
ing clothing of 5 differ-
ent colors for a business
meeting. Not a good
idea in most cases!
example logo
Keep your colorful at-
titude for the way you
communicate with your
audience and choose
2-3 colors for your
brand identity, prefer-
ably with the help of a
professional.
The problem The solution

9. 07 Too
ordinary
Play it safe, they said.
Don’t be loud they said.
So you ended up with
a boring logo that no
one thinks is ugly but
no one notices that you
have a logo either.
example logo
Well, being loud is one
thing and being bor-
ing is another. Your
logo has to draw some
kind of attention and
project your brand
personality. Ordinary
logo design equals an
ordinary brand.
The problem The solution

10. 08 Too
fashionable
You wanted to be up-
to-date, to be in the
groove. So you ended
up with a groovy logo. It
looked like a good idea
then but you are not so
sure now...
example logo
Although design and
fashion share some of
the same rules, a logo
must be able to stand
the test of time. After all,
you don’t want your logo
to look outdated, nor to
have it redesigned every
couple of years.
The problem The solution

11. 09 Too
derivative
You saw this logo on
that other brand and it
looked so good! So you
had yours made just like
theirs! In the end, why
not? It’s a big world,
isn’t it?
example logo
Apart from the legal
issues that might arise,
it is always a good idea
to have your own per-
sonality, as an individual
and as a brand. Make
sure your logo projects
how special you are!
The problem The solution

12. 10 Too
simple
Minimal is such a cool
word, and Apple has
made a ton of money
using that concept in
their products. So you
went for“less is more”
with emphasis on the
less...
example logo
Sometimes when you
want to show people
that you are not trying
too hard to get their
attention, you don’t get
their attention at all.
Balance is the key word
in this case.
The problem The solution

13. 11 Too
boring
You found this logo in a
stock collection, or had
it made for $5. You even
asked for it to have vi-
brant colors so it won’t
look ordinary.
example logo
A logo doesn’t have to
be ordinary to be bor-
ing. As long as it doesn’t
provide some kind of
personal statement,
it will be just another
logo. Boring...
The problem The solution

14. 12 Too
illustrative
You wanted that logo
to look alive, so that
everyone could feel that
cheese on that burger.
Your burger is the best
and people should see
that!
example logo
Although there are
exceptions to the rule,
your logo should pro-
ject an idea and not a
picture. There will be
other opportunities to
show the world how
great your burger is!
The problem The solution

15. 13 Too
misleading
You had this fine logo
designed and everyone
was telling you how
nice it looked, until that
guy noticed that it looks
like someone’s genitals.
It hasn’t looked like any-
thing else since then...
example logo
Working with an experi-
enced professional will
help avoid unpleasant
surprises. Accidents
happen to the best, but
are less likely to happen
when someone knows
what they are doing.
The problem The solution

16. 14
Too
computer
made
Since you can design a
logo in Word, why not
do it? So, you did it! And
now you have a logo
whose elements are
shared with some mil-
lions of other people
that use Word...
example logo
You are unique, your
brand is unique, or at
least it should be, and
so should your logo. The
computer is only a tool
and it can only produce
what we instruct it to.
The problem The solution

17. 15
Too
clip
arty
There are so many
pretty drawings of flow-
ers out there, so why
pay someone to create
a new one? Just google
and pick. And one day,
surfing around the net,
you come across a logo
exactly like yours...
example logo
You - are - unique!
Project that, show it
to your brand’s audi-
ence. You know it, but
they don’t, yet. Don’t
look like some brand
that doesn’t really care
enough to have it’s own
logo designed.
The problem The solution

18. 16 Too
posh
You love luxury, and
why not? It shows a
wealthy and healthy
business. But if you
make the wrong turn,
you end up at Kitsch
Str. And once there, you
see that is a crowded
space...
Luxury is one thing and
aesthetics is another.
The two don’t always go
together and for some
reason many brands
seem to put the first in
priority. It should be the
other way around.
The problem The solution
example logo

19. 17 Too
designed
You wanted a great logo
and you did the right
thing and had it made
by a designer. They
wanted to please and
they put all their artful
drive into it. It should
have looked nice, but it
just looks too much...
Once again, and it
seems to come up too
often, balance is the key
word. Design is good,
too much design not so.
Greatness is hidden
somewhere between
being simple, driven
and truthful.
The problem The solution
example logo

20. 18
Too
did it
myself
Since you were young,
you had this artistic flare
and you would have
been a famous artist if
life hadn’t other plans...
But what better chance
to exercise that creativ-
ity, by making your logo
by yourself?
It is beautiful when
people feel creative and
try new things. But this is
your brand logo, not an
artwork that will go over
the fireplace. Other peo-
ple may not share your
enthusiasm and that may
hurt your business.
The problem The solution
example logo

21. 19 Too
generic
You didn’t want to be
ordinary or boring, but
you wanted to be safe.
It seems though that all
these attributes come
from the same family so
you ended up with their
2nd cousin. Old Cuz
Generic...
Did we mention that
you are unique? If it
keeps coming up it is
because it’s true! Being
safe feels nice, but be-
ing yourself and letting
people know, will al-
ways feel better.
The problem The solution
example logo

22. 20 Too
real
You thought it would
be a good idea to have
a photo in your logo.
And why not. Everyone
likes photos! Only you
ended up with a logo
that looks like an ad
from the yellow pages.
You will have many
opportunities to show
to the world the great-
ness of your products
or services, don’t try to
fit it in your logo. Keep
it simple and direct and
put that photo in an
advertisement.
The problem The solution
example logo

23. 21
Too
parody
prone
For some reason,
people are making fun
of your logo. And you
would probably share
their humor if it wasn’t
YOUR logo!
Try to look at your logo
not only from your per-
spective as the brand
owner, but as your audi-
ence would. Show it to
a couple of people you
trust before you settle
down with it.
The problem The solution
example logo

24. 22
Too
used my
initials
Donna Karan is doing
it, Dolce e Gabbana are
doing it, so you went
and put your initials in
your logo as well. Only
now you have an un-
remarkable logo and
none of the glamour of
those brands.
Putting your initials in
your logo is old prac-
tice, branding even
originates from putting
some kind of initial on
animals - but it is not al-
ways the best choice for
a contemporary brand.
The problem The solution
example logo

25. 23
Too
many
fonts
Isn’t it a shame to have
so many fonts in your
computer and not use
them? Let’s put three
in that logo, the more
the merrier! Something
doesn’t feel right, but
those fonts are looking
great!
Each font has its style
and when you mix too
many styles you create
a mess. One font should
be enough for most
logos, so leave those
other fonts in the peace
of their folder!
The problem The solution
example logo

26. There are a lot of things that can go wrong
with your logo. This list was made to be a
map for the minefield that the logo de-
sign process can be.
Try too little and you can be unremark-
able. Try too hard and you become that
loud guy from the coffee shop.
If we can sum it all up, having a logo cre-
ated by a professional, projecting your
unique personality and value proposi-
tion, seems to be the best advice.
Just don’t let that logo hurt all those you
worked so much to build!

27. We respect every kind of creative force and process and it is
not our intention to make fun of other people’s work.
Everybody can be a critic and we know how nasty it is to
have someone beating on your work.
Still, unsuccessful design is a fact and it is all around us. There
is no doubt that businesses are getting hurt by it and they
don’t get to their full potential because of it.
The reviews of the logos presented are not a matter of per-
sonal aesthetic preference. They are meant to provide an ob-
jective view on ineffective logo design and its dangers busi-
nesses everywhere.
Disclaimer

28. Design is a way to make our lives better by interpreting aesthetics and
making them part of our lives. It should not be a luxury, but more times
than not we consider it so because of its cost.
We have worked for, managed and created design agencies for years and
the more successful they got the more expensive their services became.
We wanted to change that and present the opportunity for small and me-
dium business owners to play the visual communication game like the big
guys do.
That is why we created Symvo. To provide.design for the people.
We
believe
design
should be
available
to the
people

29. www.symvo.com