Last updated on February 23rd, 2022
A business logo is a marketing tool that draws target audience’s attention and helps build a solid loyal customer base. The audience must get brand message effortlessly from a logo design. That is possible only when the design is simple and minimalistic. A complex design will only send confusing signals to the potential customers about a brand.
In the competitive world of business, your company’s logo can play a key role in increasing your reach in a target market. Your logo design must target your consumers and market. This implies that all the design elements of colors, etc. must send the right brand message to the audience.
You can pick up the examples of Nike Swoosh or the Lacoste Crocodile. Logos of these two global companies can be recognized by everyone immediately. An organization’s logo should be therefore a simple design so that its message reaches the audience.
A customer normally just takes a glance at an organization’s logo. So, it must convey a message at that very moment when viewers take a look at the symbol.
A complex design of a logo gives different signals to an audience. Generally, people do not pay attention to such logos. They simply avoid and forget complex designs. But they remember and recognize a simple logo for a long time. As they build an association with a company’s logo and business, they start associating the logo with quality.
Here Are Difference Between Complex And Simple Logo Design
01. The Simple Logo
When a customer goes to a shopping center that has a lot of brands under one roof, your organization’s brand will be one of them. This is where your logo can be useful in drawing the attention of the shoppers. Simplicity is beauty and it is appreciated by everyone.
Many highly successful companies have simple logos. Actually, all the graphic design materials of such companies do not have complexities. Not only logos, but website design of many global companies are simple and clean designs.
Take for example the logos Apple and Nike companies. The Apple logo is simply a bitten apple and the Nike logo is only a swoosh. Customers can instantly recognize these business symbols of the companies.
In fact, one of the most important aspects of a simple logo is brand recognition. People can easily remember color scheme of such logos. For example, yellow M of McDonald’s in arch shape is quickly recognizable everywhere.
Another advantage of a simple logo design is that it becomes universally accepted to everyone. There are no hurdles of nationality, language, and culture do not become a barrier in recognizing these logos. You may not know English, still, you can recognize the Apple logo and Nike logo as they are symbols, which are universally understood. This means that if one such logo becomes part of a business card design, or any other graphic design, people get the message immediately.
But a negative aspect that many people highlight a simple logo design is that its meaning is complex. Because there are almost no words and slogans incorporated, the meaning of the logo is anybody’s guess.
So, there is a danger of people getting a wrong message. Therefore, when you create a logo, make sure that you chose the symbols and colors, typefaces, etc elements after considering their impact on viewers.
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02. The Complex Logo
Many companies have complex logos. Famous companies having complex logo designs include Starbucks, Heineken Beers, Pirate Bay Coffee, Fuddruckers, and Philadelphia Eagles. These logos are categorized as complex design because there are a lot of elements incorporated.
There may be many fonts or colors involved in delivering a message. It can be a mix of very big and too small fonts. There may also be the use of contrasting colors to give the logo a fancy look so that it stands out.
In fact, complex design is not a faulty design. Many companies create such designs to stand out. A design with many odd-looking elements give logos, brochure design, etc graphics and identity.
For example, Starbuck logo has a girl in the middle but it has hands of a fish and her hairs are wavy. There is a crown also on her head. All such elements in one place make a design complex.
One of the benefits of having a complex logo is that you can put more information in a limited space. The information may come both from text and images. So, text can convey a company’s name, while images or symbols can tell a purpose of the business.
For example, Heineken Beer logo not only has its brand name but has also Premium Beer written. The customers get the message loud and clear from the phrase.
However, a complex logo is very rarely a great design. There are surely companies whose logo designs are complex and still, such graphic designs are appreciated and recognized. But not all the logos become so popular and acceptable.
Therefore it is advisable to avoid creating the complex design. Customers are more likely to focus on the complexity of the design rather than the information and brand itself.
Many designers think that the more colors and shapes are used, the more a logo or other designs such as a signage design will be applauded. Some designers also think that complex logos will impress their clients. But many graphic designers make the mistake of place everything in a logo. They think that such a logo will represent their client’s company.
If there are too many fanciful elements in a logo, it will cluster the mind of the viewers or potential customers. The message will be eventually lost due to the variety of styles and colors used in the logo.
Since, mostly, a complex logo fails to convey its message clearly, the company has to make extra marketing efforts. There are many such logos that need lots of explanations to know their message. But the audience does not have that much of time. They just ignore such logos. So, you have to use complex logo designs, make sure that your audience is comfortable with it.
03. Which Type Of Design To Choose?
These guidelines on simple logos versus complex logos are not final and binding on the designers and business owners. A company should take a decision about the type of logo it wants depending on its specific conditions.
What matters the most is that the logo design should be a unique creative piece of work. It should leave a good impression on the minds of the people. Such a logo will lend great utility to a company that is trying its best to make an impact in a market. It is now a well established fact that creative image lends a brand a much-desired recognition.
So, is your company also looking for a unique logo design? You should not worry about picking a simple or complex logo for your organization. You can leave that decision to expert graphic designers. All you need to do is to crowdsource your logo design work to Designhill.
This marketplace is ideal for business owners who need logos and other graphic designs such as business cards, etc. You will have dozens of new simple logo design concepts in response to your design contest. You can then pick one winning logo that is worth representing your business.
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Conclusion
Simple logos can convey a brand message quickly to its target audience and people in general. You get the message instantly due to the involvement of only a few colors, typefaces, etc. elements. But complex designs of logos are also equally impressive if they are carefully created with a purpose. However, most of the complex designs confuse the audience due to the use of many colors, typefaces, images, etc.
