A logo is the smallest part of a brand, but it appears on everything: your signboard, invoices, packaging, WhatsApp profile and website. A weak one is hard to read at small sizes, hard to print, or looks like someone else's. This guide covers what a small business should get from a designer, and what to check before you approve a logo.
What a logo has to do
- Be readable small. It must work as a tiny profile picture on a phone and still be clear.
- Work in one colour. You will need it on a rubber stamp, a plain black-and-white print or a coloured background.
- Look different from competitors. Search your category and see whether yours would blend in.
- Last. A simple mark ages better than something built on this year's style.
What to brief the designer
- What the business does, and who it sells to.
- Three or four logos you like, and why, plus one you dislike.
- Where the logo will be used first: signboard, packaging, social media, website.
- Any colours or names you must keep, such as an existing signboard or a name people already know.
- Whether it should be a name in a typeface, a symbol with a name, or both.
What you should receive
- The logo in the main colours, and in black and white.
- Files in formats for print and screen: a vector file (such as SVG, PDF or AI), and PNG files with a transparent background.
- A version for small spaces, such as a square profile picture.
- The colours and fonts used, written down.
- Written confirmation that you own the design and can reuse it.
Beyond the logo: a few rules that make you look consistent
- Pick one or two colours and use them every time.
- Pick one font for headings and one for text.
- Use the same logo size and spacing on your invoices, quotations and brochures.
- Keep a single folder with the final files, so anyone on the team uses the right version.
Check before you approve
- Shrink it to the size of a thumbnail. Can you still read it?
- Print it in black and white. Does it still work?
- Show it to someone who does not know the business. What do they think it sells?
- Check it does not copy an existing brand in your field.
How we work at FutraInc
We design visual assets for branding, ads, brochures and case studies, including logos. Show us what your business does and where you will use the logo, and we will say what we would design first. See our services or contact us.