Logos are the face value of a brand! They are the visual representatives of a company that portrays the brand image to its audiences.

This is why the logo of a company commands increased importance. Naturally so, it should be designed such that it creates a powerful impression on people. Not only a logo has to be memorable, but also it has to reflect the core values of a business.

Here are some great tips to design effective logos for your company or business:

1. Put in on Paper First!

Before you start up your Photoshop, get hold of a paper and pencil and sketch out some rough drafts of the logo. After you have laid out some basic ideas, branch out and create some variations of the original form. Trust me... Preliminary work is like the foundation of the actual design process.

2. Size Does Matter

It definitely does! Your logo should look good and be legible at all sizes. Whether it is pasted across a huge billboard or featured in a TV commercial or scaled down for your letterhead, it should look and feel just the same. Generally, the smallest scale if the hardest to get right, so make sure you have all the angles right!

3. Use Colors Wisely

Colors play a very crucial role in logo designing! The right combination of colors can take the impact of the logo to a new level altogether. While designing logos, use colors that compliment each other and match the overall tone and feel of the brand. Also, you need to make sure that the logo looks good in black-and-white as well.

4. Reflect Company Ideals

A logo should be in suite with the core business model and values of the company. For example, a restaurant can't carry off a highly digitalized logo. Just the same an design studio would fall flat on the face with a simple, bland logo. Therefore, research about the clients and their audiences before you begin your prelim work and create a logo that best reflects their business.

5. Take care of Typography

If your logo design includes text, make sure your use the right font type. Ideally, try both serif and sans-serif fonts along with script, italics, bold, and custom fonts. Just make sure your font is legible when scaled down.

6. Innovate to Excel

One of the most important design rules is – break the rules! Unless you take risk and let your creative juices flow, there is no way you can create innovative designs. Try a variety of styles and formats and key in on the best one that suits your clients.

7. Go Low on Extra Effects

Photoshop, Illustrator and Freehand are powerful tools to induce cutting edge effects to your design but don't get carried away. Logo is not the place to showcase complicated design stuff. Excessive effects can serve to complicate the design unnecessarily. So keep it simple!

8. Simplicity Wins... Hands Down!

Simple logos are more recognizable. Take for example, the Nike logo. The swoosh is enough to proclaim the presence of the brand soc much that it doesn't even have to be accompanied by the company name. So, keep your logos simple and clear. Not only will they display well but there are less chances of errors as a result of too much detail.