The Canny

Logo Design
Checklist.
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If you’re in the process of having a logo designed, then
this checklist is for you.

Whether you’ve hired a graphic design agency, a

freelance designer or you’re designing your own logo,
following the simple points in this guide will help you
end up with the best result.

Author

Tony Hardy is the Founder and CEO of Canny

Creative. He is a graphic designer, web designer,
brand consultant, blogger, Newcastle based
entrepreneur, drummer, and wrestling fan.

www.canny-creative.com

hello@canny-creative.com | +44(0)191 364 3030

 The Canny Logo Design Checklist

page 3
Here’s what you can find inside...

Contents

Page 4 Keep It Simple

Page 4 Careful With Colour

Page 5 Tidy Typography

Page 6 Easy On The Effects

Page 6 Super Scalability / Flexibility

Page 7 Conclusion

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Keep It Simple
Think about the best logos in the world.
McDonalds, Coca Cola, and Nike are the big 3
that always come to mind. What do they all have
in common? Simplicity. Everyone knows that
McDonalds is a yellow M, Coca Cola is red swirly
writing, and Nike is a tick.

An ever present saying amongst brand designers

is “If you can’t draw it in 20 seconds, then it’s no
good.” Remember that the goal is recognition.

The simpler the logo, the easier it will be

to recognise.

Remember that the

goal is recognition.

Careful With Colour

Colour can make or break your logo. Colour theory 3) Design in CMYK not RGB colour mode. Printing
is complex, but with sites like Adobe Kuler, things colours makes them look completely different,
are easier than ever before. setting up in the right colour space will help tenfold.

Here are some basic rules to keep in mind:
1) Use colours that are next to each other on the
wheel. For example, if you want to create a cool
palette, use blue, turqoise, grey and purple hues.
2) Remember your logo must look good on both
dark and light backgrounds.
Remember to use colours that are appropriate
to your business.
Banks use blue to signify trust.
Think about what relevance the colour has to your
market space.

hello@canny-creative.com | +44(0)191 364 3030


Tidy Typography
Pairing a font/typography with a logo mark is one
of the most challenging tasks a designer faces. It
goes without saying that to maintain a professional
look, avoid typefaces such as Comic Sans, Times
New Roman and Papyrus.
Try both serif fonts and sans-serif fonts as well
as scripts.
Like colours, certain fonts suit certain industries.
The Canny Logo Design Checklist
page 5
For example, wedding planners will perhaps
benefit from a script or serif font. If in doubt, make
it clear and simple to read.
One font or font family is enough for a singular logo
design, however, if you’re incorporating a slogan or
extending out the brand identity, don’t
be afraid to explore another font family or two.
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Easy On The Effects
Take another look at the logos from the “keep it
simple” point on the list. How many effects do you
see? Not a single one.

The Nike logo is flat, the McDonalds logo is flat,

and the Coca Cola logo is flat. Single colours. No
rainbow gradients and no drop shadows.

Remember simplicity is key. If you are going to

use effects (and there is a time and place for
subtle effects) just be careful you don’t end up
with a logo looking like Microsoft WordArt.

Super Scalability / Flexibility

No matter how your logo design is looking at this
point in the process, one thing you need to make
sure of, is that it scales well. Your logo should be
designed in vector format, not raster format. This
means you can enlarge it infinitely or scale it back
as required.

Also take time to think about how your logo will

be used. Often with social media profiles, you get
a square thumbnail to work in. Does your logo
scale down well? It’s not worth trying to cram a
whole logo into a square dimension when it’s not
designed that way.

If you need to, take a section of your logo. Perhaps

just the logomark itself. Or maybe the wordmark
instead of using the logomark? Either way, make
sure it scales both ways and can work in a number
of different scenarios.

Print your logo design at a variety of sizes and

make sure it looks great. Print large versions and
paste them to your wall. Print tiny versions and see
Make your logo timeless
if you can still make out what’s required.
in it’s approach and
Future proofing your logo is a great idea too. To do
this, make sure you don’t use any “of the moment”
you’ll have something
typefaces or any super trendy motifs and ideas.
Make your logo timeless in it’s approach and
that serves you well
you’ll have something that serves you well for
years to come.
for years to come.

hello@canny-creative.com | +44(0)191 364 3030

 The Canny Logo Design Checklist

page 7
Conclusion
Logo design isn’t a “one size fits all” type solution.
And it’s not cheap. Design is an investment for your
business, and should be viewed as such.

Creating an effective logo design should be left

to the professionals. Effective logos are key to the
success when trying to build brand recognition
and loyalty.

If you would like to talk with Canny

about creating a logo for your
business or designing a whole
visual identity for your brand, don’t
hestiate to give us a call on

0191 364 3030

or drop us an email at

hello@canny-creative.com

Good luck with your logo design
project, we hope you find The Logo
Design Checklist helpful.

www.canny-creative.com
+44(0)191 364 3030
hello@canny-creative.com
www.canny-creative.com