A logo represents your business. More crucially, it's responsible for creating your customers’ first impressions of your brand, influencing their decision to support you. This is why the most effective logos are descriptive: they include textual and design elements that communicate a brand’s products or services.

Because of the logo's importance, it's vital that you're familiar with the various mistakes you can make when designing one. If you want to create the best logo for your business, here are a few mistakes to avoid:

Communicating too much information

Though a logo should communicate a message, this doesn’t mean it should communicate everything. A logo containing too many icons, elements, and text will confuse people. Ultimately, they’ll walk away not knowing what you’re offering. Stick to simple elements that best convey your business’ message. Take the way FedEx designed their logo. Though it simply says FedEx, the negative space between the letters ‘E’ and ‘x’ form an arrow to communicate that they “move”—specifically, that they ship items.

Disregarding your customers

The point of having a business is satisfying customers, so it’s only right to consider them when making a logo. They will walk away if they don’t associate themselves with your logo or see anything that makes them want to support you. You can avoid this by collaborating with a brand manager, who will ensure that your products and services resonate with your customer base. They track market trends and customer perceptions so that a brand adjusts accordingly. Before creating a logo, know your audience by getting their feedback. This gives you a deeper understanding of them and what they want to see.

Making it inflexible

Logos are used for various purposes, like ads, packaging, and merchandise. This means it should work well in multiple formats, both in print and online. Do this by making your logo as simple as possible. In smaller forms, complicated logos won’t appear well, and wordy logos look overwhelming in large formats. Focus on straightforward lines and imagery instead. An example is Nike’s logo, ‘The Swoosh’ : it’s easily identifiable on clothing tags while also simple enough that it’s bearable on large posters. Keep your logo uncomplicated so it surpasses the test of time and different media.

Using conflicting design elements

There’s a reason why architects, fashion designers, and similar art professionals go to art school: because there are certain elements that work together to create an aesthetically pleasing product. Conflicting design elements like contrasting colors make your logo look awkward, which customers may perceive as your business being tacky or unprofessional. Consult a graphic designer to guarantee that your logo is up to optimal design standards. These professionals are knowledgeable in design principles and color theory. They also have the creative and innovative skills needed to advise you on which design elements will make your logo pleasing to the eye.

Being too similar to competitors’

It’s tempting to mimic your competitors’ logos because they’re successful. There’s also the issue of using similar elements since you’re in the same industry. Be cautious of this practice because it communicates unprofessional behavior. You may get people’s attention, but they won’t support a business they see as unoriginal. Instead, choose contrasting elements. Take Coca-Cola and Pepsi: the former uses red and a serif font, while the latter selected blue and a sans serif font for their respective logos. These set themselves apart from one another, so each brand takes a unique place in customers’ minds.


An effective logo captures customers’ attention and communicates your product or service. Avoid these mistakes when designing your logo to make it as effective as possible.

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