How to Design Your Logo? Best Logo Fonts and Logo Ideas

Great logos are memorable. Bad ones, well… not really. So, how do we make sure our logo sticks out? 

Our logo represents the face of our business. It will appear on everything related to our brand – our website, our products, our marketing campaigns, and so on. And the way we design our logo is a direct reflection of how our target audience will perceive us. 

Think about it! If we go for a more traditional logo with a Times New Roman font, for example, people will immediately associate us with a newspaper or a university brand. If we use a colorful logo, people will assume our brand is related to the retail and toy industry. But if we adopt a modern style, we might think of a tech company. 

So, how to design a logo that is attractive, memorable, and complements our brand identity? Let’s find out! 

There’s one thing designers and companies should remember: we should not aim to create the perfect logo. However, the best logos are:

• Simple: In most cases, less is more! Most logo ideas are pretty simple, with just one or two elements that define them. Nike has a whoosh. Apple has, well, an almost apple. And it makes sense! The simpler the logo, the easier it will be for the user to remember you. Plus, simple logos are also timeless!
• Original: We know – it’s 2024. It’s pretty challenging to create a logo that has not been done before or does not resemble something else. However, we should find just one specific element that ultimately defines us as a brand. This is what will make us memorable. 
• Versatile: Remember that our logo is the face of our business. So, it will be used for multiple purposes – whether on your website, social media, billboard, or even merchandise. So, make sure it’s adaptable to different formats, easy to read on various surfaces, and effective in both color and black-and-white – all without losing its essence and recognizability. 
• Relevant: Our logo should represent us – our values, our industry, our personality, and everything about us. So, make sure that the elements chosen, the typography, the colors, and even the style, are relevant to our brand message and voice. For example, if you’re a serious bank, it might not be suitable to add a color mascot. 

We know that the first step in designing our logo is defining our brand identity and who we are as a company. Only then can we start playing with styles, logo fonts, and colors. So, let’s see the rules for designing a logo:

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1. Logo Style

Our logo style should complement the message of our brand and should express the feeling that we want our audience to have. Is it related to entertainment? Inspirational? Innovation? Or even relaxed and warm? It’s all up to you and how you want to establish your brand. Here are some logo ideas for choosing your design aesthetic: 

• Minimalist Logos
• Vintage (or Retro) Logos
• Fun Logos

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2. Logo Type

Now that you have chosen your logo style, it’s time to determine what you want your audience to remember about you. So, let’s find out the types of logos that you can adopt: 

• Monogram Logos: These logos include our brand’s initials. Think about IBM, H&M, HBO, SNL, and so on. These are perfect when you have a long name for your company. Think about it! Which logo is easier to remember: Hennes & Mauritz or H&M?

• Wordmark Logos: These logos simply include the company’s name. For example, Disney, Chanel, Amazon, and so on. These are perfect for brands with catchy names and can be incredible when used in conjunction with cool logo fonts.

• Graphic-Based Logos: These logos use a visual symbol or graphic element to represent a brand. The graphic can be an abstract design, a stylized representation, or a literal depiction related to the brand’s industry. Think about Apple’s fruit logo, Nike’s swoosh symbol, Shell’s seashell icon, or even Instagram’s camera logo.

• Mascot Logos: Mascot logos feature a character or mascot representing our brand. These logos use an illustrated figure or a cartoon to create a friendly brand image. Mascots can be animals, people, or imaginative creatures designed to embody the brand’s personality and values.

3. Logo Fonts

If you decide to use typography in your logo, here’s the trick. It’s essential to know the difference between typeface and font. These terms are often confused with one another, but they are very different. 

A typeface refers to the overall design of a set of characters, including letters, numbers, punctuation, and symbols. For example, “Times New Roman”, “Helvetica”, “Arial”, and “Garamond” are all different typefaces, each with its unique design. 

A font is a physical representation of a typeface. It includes the information necessary to include a typeface within a design. This includes aspects like the size of the characters, their weight (e.g., regular, bold, italic), and the spacing between characters.

So, here are some cool logo fonts and typefaces to use for your brand:

• Proxima Nova: “Proxima Nova works best in situations where you need something invisible that doesn’t draw attention to yourself.” — its creator, Mark Simonson. Proxima Nova is a cool logo font used by Buzzfeed, Mashable, NBC News, and so on.

• Futura: Companies that choose Futura are associated with modern and bold traits – for example, Nike, Dolce & Gabbana, Domino’s, and so on.

• Didot: This is one of the fonts for logos for companies that want to make their identity look expensive and stylish. Look at Giorgio Armani, Zara, Elle, and so on.

• Garamond: If you’re looking for logo ideas for companies that want to look sophisticated and elegant, Garamond might be your best choice. Apple, Rolex, and Abercombie & Fitch use it. 

• Helvetica: This is a classic logo font, we know. Although it’s a popular font, it is usually used by companies in the transport and automotive industries, such as BMW, Jeep, Harley-Davidson, Lufthansa, etc.

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4. Logo Colors

Besides logo fonts, color is also an essential factor in creating a cool logo. Every color evokes a specific feeling, and it can be representative of specific industries. So, here’s a breakdown for each color for logo ideas:

• Blue: Blue is the color of trust and professionalism, and it’s used by tech companies, banks, education, and healthcare. 

• Red: Red represents energy, confidence, and urgency, and it’s widely used in food and beverage, retail,  and automotive industries.

• Yellow: Yellow is the color of happiness, and it symbolizes optimism, creativity, and warmth, which are perfect for creating products for kids.

• Green: Green is a calming and motivating color, and it’s used for wellness products, sustainability, but also finance.

• Purple: Purple is associated with creativity and luxury, and it’s used by brands related to arts, design, beauty, and fashion.