Creating A Company Logo
​Powers PR Video President & CEO Bill Powers recently conducted an online interview with Kelly McKinley from
pak creative. Here is what they discussed!

1. What are the major considerations you make when designing a logo for a client?
We ask a list of questions such as: Who is the audience? How large is the company? In what mediums will the logo mainly exist? Who are the company’s competitors? It’s key to understand what the company stands for, and what its long and short term goals are. 

2. How can the client help make your job easier? 
Being organized and open-minded. We have been doing this long enough to know that clients almost always want something “new” and “creative,” but they often approach the design process married to a preconceived idea that is difficult for them to move beyond. That can really stifle the creative process. Other clients are not sure of what they want, in which case it can also be helpful to know what a client doesn't want.

Depending on their line of work, clients may not necessarily be “visual” people.  In those instances, we strive to create a dialogue with them to find out what their business is about in their own words.

We ask a lot of questions: How do they feel about a competitor's logo? Where in the industry have they positioned themselves? Or even, what kind of music do they listen too? The greater the sense of a business’s personality we can get, the more successful the end product will be. 

3. What’s the biggest mistake clients make/obstacle they must overcome when having their logo designed? 
Most must overcome their subjective opinion or bias (for example colors, fonts, etc). Just because your favorite color is pink, doesn't mean it’s the right color to brand your business. Just because you dislike the Times New Roman font,  doesn't mean it isn't a good choice to help communicate with your audience.

4. What are the new trends in logo design today?   
Access to design software and less expensive computing make it easier for anyone to DIY their logos and marketing materials.  As a result, poor desktop design and marketing is more prevalent. We are constantly being bombarded with this visual “noise” on TV, online and in our communities. 

A well-designed logo, on the other hand, always stands out and is timeless. To us, that SHOULD be the trend; less is more. We like communicating an idea and not allowing the art or design to complicate that idea. In an ever-changing digital environment, clever, succinct and memorable are the keys to a successful mark.

5. Why should a business have a logo at all?  
Your business needs a face. People need to identify you with a visual. That visual has to say a lot about who you are, what your company does and how they do it. Your business brand needs to be as solid as the business you do. It takes a lot to make a good impression, but not much at all to tarnish it. Your logo needs to speak for you when you are not there.