How to Create a Simple Logo: Your Complete Guide

Create a Simple Logo design, and Minimalism are everywhere—from architecture to marketing designs.

Take a look at the bottles of shampoo in your local supermarket, for instance. The brands that catch your eye are those with simple designs.

This trend explains why brands switch to minimalist versions of their previous logos. Here, the saying “less is more” is true. As a result, brands are dropping other details in their logo and even colors.

How can you join this trend without making your simple logo look plain? Read our tips below to create a memorable logo and a minimalist design.

Create a Logotype

A logotype is a logo design that consists of lettering alone. In the same vein, an icon is a logomark.

Some of the most famous examples of companies using a logotype are Google, eBay, NASA, and Disney. But, of course, we’re referring to their latest versions of their logos.

If you observe these logos, you’ll notice they have little to no symbol, mark, or other elements. So how do these stand out, and what makes them remarkable?

Easy—their choice of font is unique to them. The bold typography commands attention, exuding power and creativity. Even if the logo was the company name, you can’t say it lacks flair.

Heavy and bold fonts are the more popular choice for a logotype. However, companies like Google and Yahoo! were also able to stand out using thin letters with ample space in-between.

You can also add more flair to your logo to create a focal point. The V in Visa’s logo, for instance, has a different design compared to other logos. This difference made it memorable and unique.

FedEx’s logo is noteworthy, too, because it created an arrow from the negative space created by the letters “E” and “X” put together.

Choose a Simple Color Scheme

Use a more straightforward color palette to make your logo design more memorable. For example, most logotypes are black and white, such as Disney and The New York Times.

It’s also a popular color scheme among logos accompanied by icons. Top logo examples include Apple, Adidas, Nike, and Chanel.

That doesn’t mean other colors are off the table. Coca-Cola uses the color red in its logo, and it works because it’s a part of the brand. It’s similar to Pinterest, Skype, Lufthansa, and Android.

The key is to choose a color to represent your brand. Some brands, though, are more ambitious. For example, Google’s logo is quite colorful, but it works for them because it’s intelligent and balanced. That combination of colors brings our thoughts to Google right away.

Utilize Lines and Squiggles

If a simple logotype is too simple for you, use a combination of lines and squiggles. You can draw some random, but it’s better to create an image or outline of an image.

Airbnb’s logo, for instance, looks like some random squiggles forming an “A.” However, it’s a culmination of four symbols representing its philosophy. These are the head for people, the location marker for the location, the heart for love, and “A” for Airbnb.

You can mimic their logo creation process to come up with yours. First, what are your core missions? Then, try to draw the symbols representing those ideals.

Make sure that it’s unique. It must be enough to stand on its own. It should be able to represent your brand even without the lettering.

Airbnb’s logo is the perfect example because everyone knows its icon. If space isn’t enough for the whole logo, its icon can be a secondary mark.

Use Simple Geometric Shapes to Create a Simple Logo

Other logo ideas include using geometric shapes instead of lines and squiggles. Audi’s approach to this is to use four ceiling rings to represent the four manufacturers of the Auto Union.

National Geographic’s icon is a simple rectangle. The company made it yellow, which represents the trademark yellow border on the covers of its magazines.

Windows’ had also changed to four simple quadrilateral shapes from the curved ones we all knew when we were children. It’s a significant change, considering that it also had different colors back then.

Even so, the brand didn’t lose its identity in the logo. It’s still Windows, without a doubt.

You can use these logos to guide using geometric shapes to represent your brand identity. Consider how the forms will make the audience feel, too.

Triangles are good at visualizing innovation and modernity. Squares represent stability and balance, while circles symbolize harmony and unity. After all, there’s a reason why the Olympics’ logo consists of circles.

Create Nuanced Imagery

Want your audience to stare at your logo to take in all the details without making it too complicated? Create something that will make them stare in awe or one that will take them by surprise.

Nuanced logos take detail-oriented viewers to appreciate them. The FedEx one is a good example, and the same is true for Amazon, which has an arrow underneath going from the “A” to “Z.”

Gillette’s logo also embraces minimalism, but it has a nuance that may be a bit hard to notice. Look at how angled some of the letters are, especially “G” and the dot in lowercase “i.” It looks like something sharp shaved them, leaving a clean cut.

Create nuances like these to keep your audience invested in your logo. It’s clever, and it will make it easy for your customers to recognize your logo at first glance.

Use a Simple Logo to Create Impact

If you follow our tips above, you’ll be able to create a simple logo with a significant impact. However, if you need more help, don’t hesitate to contact a logo designer near me. We’ll help you design a minimalist logo that represents your brand.