LOGOS: To Redesign or Not To Redesign, That Is the Question

A logo redesign is something that can be beneficial to every kind of small, medium, and large business. Some logo designs are effective for many years, even decades, while others lose their luster after only a few years…or maybe they never really had it to begin with?

Determining a logo’s effectiveness is crucial when deciding whether or not to redesign it. Several questions need to be asked prior to making this determination:

• How old is the logo design?
• What does the logo design mean to the company it represents?
• What does the logo design mean to the consumers?
• What are the logo colors and what do they represent?
• What was the thought process behind creating this particular logo?
• Does the logo design exist electronically?

Let’s go through these questions one-by-one:

How old is the logo design?
A 30-year-old logo has done its job if the company it represents is successful. By the same token, a 5-year-old logo has also done its job if the company it represents is still in business. Now, this does not mean that the 30-year-old logo representing that successful company is still effective in catching the eye of new and/or young consumers. It may be that the older, long-term consumers have come to seek comfort in the logo design and are not at all concerned about its effect, or lack thereof, on modern day consumers. In general, all logos could use a facelift after a 30-year run and it does not have to be a major overhaul to bring it up to a modern-day design. Young logo designs can also benefit from being redesigned, but be very careful with this. If a 5-year-old logo is effective, if its business is doing well, and if its consumers recognize it, then you may want to leave it alone or you risk losing a large number of consumers that you have worked so hard to establish. If the 5-year-old business is not doing well at all, then you’ve got nothing to lose by redesigning its logo.

What does the logo design mean to the company it represents?
A logo usually has more than one meaning to its company. Lead managers and directors of a company need to determine this, if they have not already done so, in order to really know whether or not their logo is in need of a facelift. Generally, a small organization may want their logo to represent a specific facet of their small business; a larger company may want their logo to represent a larger, more conceptual aspect of their company. If the logo design has a muddled or blurred vision and lacks any definitive meaning, then it may be time to bring that back into focus. Determine this by first meeting with key people of your company and getting feedback from staff via a well-constructed survey. Sample questions a survey may contain are:

• Does our company logo visually fit the company?
• How would you sum up our company logo in one word?
• What aspect of our company logo do you not understand?

And so on. Gaining some unbiased feedback from outsiders may be beneficial as well, but be prepared for constructive and not-so-constructive criticism…it’s all part of the process.

What does the logo design mean to the consumers?
Some logos remain recognizable and appealing to the consumer for a long period of time. This can cause a company to hold off on redesigning their logo for fear of losing their customer base. Some logos may not have any meaning to the consumer, but it may not matter if the logo is recognizable. Some logos may lack meaning completely and therefore may drive consumers away before they have a chance to learn more about the company. Companies should consider creating a survey for their customers to determine what the logo really means to them. Sample questions a survey may contain are:

• Does the company logo draw you in?
• How do you feel when you see the company logo?
• Do you think the company logo is accurate?

And so on. Seeking the input and advice from current customers may prove to be the most valuable step toward creating a concrete and long-lasting brand. Furthermore, they will feel honored that their opinion is being sought for something of such high importance.

What are the logo colors and what do they represent?
Colors invoke a specific feeling when we look at them. Blue makes us feel calm, red makes us feel angry, and green makes us feel motivated. There are numerous studies on the effect colors have on people (stay tuned for an article on this topic in the near future), but for the purposes of logo design, we’ll keep this as basic as possible. Determine why the current logo colors were chosen and then determine if the colors are hurting or helping the logo. To do this, it may be necessary to see the current logo in a variety of colors. The colors may play an important role in the company brand and therefore may not be easily changed. However, a color does not have to be completely changed to have an impact. The original color can stay and additional colors can be added for more variation. Or, the original color can be slightly lightened or darkened for a subtle change.  

What was the thought process behind creating this particular logo?
Yes, I realize this may be a hard question to answer since the original thinkers who created this logo may no longer be with the company. Or, it may be so long ago that when asked this question, those who contributed to it may no longer remember. The reason this is important is because you want to be able to retain the original meaning the logo was intended to have. You do not want to lose value, meaning, or purpose when choosing to redesign your logo since the logo may end up being less effective as a result. The only way this will not make a difference is if you are looking to change the meaning of the logo completely from what it once was; this would be more like a rebranding which is broader than just a simple logo redesign. If determining the original thought process is not possible, you can research the company history during the time the logo was created. This may help give you insight as to what potentially was the intention with the logo design. This can be timely and a bit tricky, but take your time because it is important.

Does the logo design exist electronically?
Was it created within the last 20 years on a computer? Or, was it created back in the 80’s or even earlier and only exist in camera-ready copy—this is a hard copy, or print-out, usually in all black which was literally used as-is and scanned or photographed for printing. If the existing logo needs to be only slightly modified but does not exist electronically, it will be necessary to recreate the logo from scratch. Don’t panic, this can be done relatively easily by any skilled designer. If the logo does exist electronically, then it is preferable that it exists in a variety of file formats for ease in transition to the next design. Again, a skilled designer will be able to evaluate your current logo, regardless of its format, and determine the best process for redesigning it.

Once you have made your way through the above steps, you should be well-equipped to handle the next stage of your redesign process. Assuming that you are, in fact, going to move forward with your redesign, you will need to meet with your design team in order to produce a plan of action and a time-line of how the redesign will proceed.

In general, a logo redesign is not a rush job. It is a process that needs time, patience, and planning. All those involved need to proceed with a positive outlook and a concrete vision.

When considering the effectiveness of your logo, you may also wish to consult with Searing Design for a free evaluation of your current logo and advice on creating a plan that works well for your particular company.

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