How effective can a ‘timeless’ logo design be to your company?

Reading this post right now, without hesitating, think of your favorite brand whether it is a food establishment, clothing/retail, or perhaps it’s an online giant. No matter the brand, the first thing that pops into your head is the logo, right?

The thing about logos...

They have the power to evoke feelings and emotions we didn’t necessarily realize we had. A fond memory I have from car journeys would be my fascination with ‘logo games’, back when phones were made to make phone calls and DSL was yet to even be established in the countryside. Looking back, it baffles me that at even a young age, I’d already been exposed to so many different iconic names that I could recognize instantly, even with just the company’s icon design and no text. But, what these logo designs have in common is they were given a “timeless” approach. It’s something you just can’t put a timescale, it could have been made 50 years ago, on the other hand, it could have been designed 50 days ago.

So, how to choose the right logo for your company?

Some designers strip all of the unnecessary and sometimes even boldly the necessary elements to help viewers understand what the company does. But the main purpose is to have a “timeless” feel in order for the logo design to benefit the company for its entire business life. Have you ever stopped to consider the Apple logo? their logo reflects absolutely nothing computer-related. Precisely the same with the McDonald’s logo, they have no connections depicting a hamburger. Effectively, the simplicity within their designs has allowed them to, well, make their mark easy to remember and sell you a service built upon human psychology. As humans, we love seeing something that’s easy to remember (lazy buggers), so simple we feel like we’ve seen it before even if it’s for the first time.

Sadly, a great logo is not going to make you a multi-billion dollar business overnight. 

It’s all part of the process, you need to consider plenty of things, including your business goals, market place, and potential challenges. But if you do the logo design right from the beginning, this will be one less thing you need to worry about. :) Perhaps your company may have a significant breakthrough that could potentially revolutionize your industry. At this point, it’s essential to consider your logo design ahead of launch. For example, Uber has changed their logo multiple times before finally stripping back on its existing wordmark, and going with a timeless approach made by the great house of Wolff Olins. 

Previous studies revealed that most people do prefer logos that describe what the business does (example: a coffee shop with a cup or bean in the logo) - more often, these viewers aren’t in front of the establishments. Therefore, not knowing what they want purely based on looking at a logo. When it comes down to picking between a company offering coffee, for example; one logo can be a classic/minimal typeface showing sophistication, and the other showing your typical cup or bean... there’s a higher possibility that the customer who values quality and a good coffee will choose the timeless design.

In summary, as humans, we love familiarity. By choosing a logo that offers a clear, consistent message about who you are, consumers are likely to remember your brand over competitors, and will always be drawn to what we know.‍