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If you've ever thought about creating your own logo or hiring a designer to do it, we have an interesting read for you today.

Because, as founders launching a business, we all have to have a logo.

Gone are the days of depending solely on graphic designers for a logo. Today, AI logo generators offer a quick solution, but they often fall short on quality, originality and have potential trademark issues. (See our article We tested 5 AI logo generators: Promising to be fast, unique & professional, do they deliver?)

After a decade of working with founders, we have gained a deep understanding of the challenges they face at different stages of growth and the ways that both traditional and new AI approaches to logo design don’t work well for early stage founders.

So what’s a founder supposed to do?

We devised a unique strategy for branding and logo design to tackle these issues. Our approach allows founders like you to hit the ground running while also optimizing your long-term potential to captivate your target audience and enhance conversion rates. Plus, it's a smart way to sway potential investors!

But, before we share our secret sauce, we want to draw your attention to some common mistakes well-intentioned founders make when approaching logo design the traditional way.

3 logo mistakes to avoid

Here is some guidance for how to avoid common mistakes that tend to produce poor results.

1. Don’t design for yourself

When it comes to logos, many well-meaning founders are certain that they already know what they want.

Your logo, however, should appeal to your audience, not just you. Always remember — you are not your customer.

For instance, a bold, tech-leaning style may appeal to you and your startup peers. But will it appeal to your 20-something female target audience? In fact, how much do you actually know about what will resonate with them?

2. Don’t rush the process

Many founders make the decision to create a logo for the primary reason that they need one to put on a landing page to capture emails or attract their first customers. To move fast, they often skip a formal branding exercise.

But, moving directly to logo design without a proper brand strategy in place can lead to amateur results and ineffective brands.

3. Don’t create a logo prematurely

Developing a brand strategy and high performing logo before validating your business idea can slow you down and drain your resources, ultimately shortening your runway. And, if your concept doesn’t fly, any money paid to a professional designer was wasted.

Um, so how do I validate my business without a logo???

Yeah, that’s the conundrum, isn’t it? In order to test an idea, you need a logo for your company’s landing page…and yet we’re telling you it’s smarter to wait to create your logo until after you have gained validation.

You’re seemingly caught in a catch-22.

Or are you?

The secret to strategic logo design

We recommend a two-stage approach, backed by our decade-long experience of working with founders.

Stage 1: Create a ‘quick and dirty’ typographic logo

Kick-off with a simple, cost-effective, temporary typographic logo. This minimalist approach won't hinder your progress and can be modified easily as your business takes shape. This lets you keep your focus on testing the waters with your business idea.

If you think a typographic logo is “too simple," keep in mind that logos have been trending more and more minimal over time. Even big name and luxury brands have skewed this way.

If you choose to create your own typographic logo, here are some tools to consider:

• Adobe Fonts: Browse for distinct typefaces that would appeal to your audience, then download the font family. (Alternate option: Google Fonts)
• Canva: An entry-level graphic platform that can be used for designing and exporting your logo. The Pro plan will let you upload a custom font and download both high res png files and an essential SVG vector file. (Alternate option: Adobe Express)
• Coolors: Use this platform to select colors that go well together for your visual identity. Use their contrast checker to ensure your logo will pass accessibility standards. Pro tip: Keep it simple for the logo, using no more than 2-3 colors total. (Alternate option: Adobe Color)

Stage 2: Upgrade to a descriptive, professional identity

Once your business is gaining traction, invest in a professional brand strategy and logo design.

Wait…why not just stick with the typographic logo?

According to a Harvard Business Review study of 597 logos (including logos from 174 early stage startups), descriptive logos significantly boost net sales and consumer willingness to buy. They also positively influence investor behavior (ex., a more inventive logo can be interpreted as a reflection of the innovative nature of the company.)

A descriptive logo is a design that incorporates textual or graphical components, or a mix of both, which distinctly convey the kind of product or service a brand is promoting.

It’s OK to start with a typographic logo while you’re testing the market (like we are with our new venture Unicorn Fuel), but we encourage you to eventually upgrade to a descriptive graphic logo.

A brand strategy positions your business effectively

A professional brand strategy and associated visual identity is an important way to build brand credibility. Brand credibility has been linked to increased consumer confidence and willingness to buy.

A proper branding exercise includes thorough industry research, competitor analysis, and identifying what will differentiate your brand from everyone else in the market. Your brand strategy will guide all design decisions, ensuring your designer can create an effective logo.

A professional designer will elevate your logo

A professional designer knows how to use design principles to craft a compelling high quality logo that makes a great first impression and resonates with your audience. A good design will also ensure your logo is unique, which is crucial for trademarking.

Researchers at MIT Sloan found that an effective logo has a positive effect on customer commitment, leading to a significant impact on company performance in terms of revenues and profits.  

Pro Tip: Ensure your designer has branding experience (not limited to logo design only) and will conduct industry research and a full branding process. It may surprise you to learn that there are many inexperienced designers who don’t understand that a logo is not the same thing as a brand.

When is the right time to invest in professional branding?

The positive effects of a descriptive logo, mentioned in the research above, were greater for brands that consumers were less unfamiliar with. This is a significant finding and highly relevant to early stage startups.

At the same time, you don’t want to spend a lot of time and money before you know if there is even a market for your product or service.

This is why we recommend that you invest in upgrading your brand and move to a professional-grade, descriptive logo after you have validated your business idea and before you lean into larger-scale marketing efforts or attempt to raise funds.

If you want a fast and effective way to validate your business idea, we recommend a $100 idea validation campaign. You can do it yourself, or reach out to us for help at hello@unicornfuel.io.

Case Study: Mindful Market Rebrand

Mindful Market Founder and CEO Jim Kupczyk found attracting sellers, consumers and investors was much easier when he levelled up to a professional brand, including a logo and platform redesign and promo video.  

Working with Jim and doing a deep dive into the Mindful Market target persona led to the creation of imagery that would feel familiar and sacred to his niche market, while remaining neutral and appealing to mainstream consumers.

A customer loved the Mindful Market symbol so much, she requested Jim’s permission to use it as her next tattoo. That level of emotional resonance would not have been possible had Jim not invested in a professional rebrand.

I’ve lost count of the number of people who have raved about how much they love the brand, website and video.

— Jim Kupczyk, Founder & CEO, Mindful Market

Go forth and prosper

Ensuring that your brand and logo appeal to your audience and authentically represent your business is an important part of your path to success.

We hope we’ve shed some light on our secret sauce when it comes to how to do this effectively.

Until next time!
Suzanne & Kirk

Unicorn Spotlight

We’re sending some BIG love out to the unbeatable Rachel Barnard for the shoutout and for sharing her newsletter referral link with other founders. This woman is a true powerhouse and you should get to know her — and let her map your visionary future!

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