A good logo doesn't have to explain everything you do. Its job is to be recognised, remembered and trusted — on a website, an app icon, a business card or a sign above the door. These principles help you judge a design, whether you create it yourself or work with a designer.

1. Simple

The best-known logos are surprisingly simple. A clear shape is easier to recognise and remember than a detailed illustration, and it stays readable when it's small.

2. Memorable

A logo should have one distinctive idea — a shape, a letter, a symbol — that people can recall after seeing it briefly. If you can't describe it in one sentence, it's probably too complicated.

3. Versatile

Your logo will appear on screens and on paper, large and tiny, on light and dark backgrounds. Plan a horizontal and a stacked version, a stand-alone symbol for app icons and favicons, and a one-colour version.

4. Appropriate

The style has to fit your business and your customers. A law firm, a children's brand and a tech start-up communicate different things. The logo should feel right for the people you want to reach.

5. Timeless

Design trends come and go. A logo built on a solid idea rather than the latest effect lasts for years, which saves you the cost and confusion of frequent redesigns.

6. Readable

If your logo contains your name, people must be able to read it at a glance, also at small sizes. Choose or draw the lettering with care and test it on a phone screen.

7. Part of a system

A logo works best as part of a complete brand identity: colours, typefaces, imagery and a few clear rules. That system makes everything you publish — from your website to your social media posts — instantly recognisable as yours.

Test before you decide

  • View the logo at 16 pixels, the size of a browser tab icon.
  • Print it in black and white.
  • Place it on a dark photo and on a white page.
  • Show it to a few customers and ask what it tells them.

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