What makes a logo work
A logo isn't judged by how much the owner likes it on presentation day, but by how it performs every day. A few practical criteria:
- Distinctiveness. The mark should stand apart from competitors in your niche, not just look neat.
- Legibility at small sizes. A browser tab, a messaging app avatar, a printed pen — fine details blur together there.
- Works in one color. Engraving, embossing, stamps, and black-and-white printing don't forgive gradients.
- Easy to reproduce. A logo that can't be embroidered or cut from vinyl will cause problems with your very first merch order.
- Fits your business. A law firm and a toy store should look different.
Types of logos: which to choose
A wordmark is your name set in a distinctive way. It helps people remember the name itself and suits young brands that still need people to learn it. The downside: a long name doesn't fit well in square formats like avatars.
A combination mark is a symbol plus the name. It's the most flexible option: the full version for the website and documents, the symbol alone for icons and social media. It's harder to design, though, because both parts must work together and separately.
A symbol without a name only works when the brand is already well known. For a new company, relying on a symbol alone is usually risky.
A monogram or abbreviation works when the name is long or made up of several words. It's important that the abbreviation is clear and isn't confused with someone else's.
When you don't need a logo — or need more
If you already have a logo customers recognize and the only problem is that it looks poor on your website, designing a brand-new mark may be unnecessary. Sometimes it's enough to carefully redraw the existing one: fix the proportions, replace the font, and prepare proper vector files.
On the other hand, a logo alone won't build recognition if everything else — website, social media, packaging — looks inconsistent. Then it's worth thinking about a brand identity: colors, fonts, graphic elements, templates. We can create the logo as the first stage and develop the identity from there.
What to prepare for the brief
- The exact name, how it's spelled, and whether it contains words that can be abbreviated.
- A few examples of logos you like and why — even from other industries.
- The names of your main competitors, so we don't design something similar to theirs.
- Where the logo will be used most: website, signage, packaging, uniforms, vehicles.
- Colors or symbols that must be included or must be avoided.
What you get
Once the work is done, you have everything you need to use your logo without our help:
- primary and alternate versions: horizontal, vertical, compact, and the symbol alone;
- full-color, black, white, and reversed versions for dark backgrounds;
- vector files (SVG, PDF) for print and development, and raster files (PNG) for everyday use;
- a favicon for browser tabs and social media avatars;
- a short usage guide: colors with codes, minimum size, clear space, and examples of incorrect use.
How to evaluate concepts at the presentation
First impressions of a logo are often misleading: a mark that seems unusual later feels like "yours," while one you liked instantly may turn out too similar to something you've seen before. That's why at the presentation we suggest looking not just at the mark itself, but at how it behaves in real situations.
We show every concept in mockups: website header, Instagram avatar, business card, signage, packaging. It helps to place competitors' logos side by side and see whether yours stands out. And one more simple test: shrink the mark to icon size and print it in black on an ordinary printer. If the logo is still recognizable, it will handle most tasks.
Decisions are best made by a small group of people who understand the company's customers and strategy, not by a vote of the whole staff.
Common mistakes when ordering a logo
- Trying to show everything in the mark. When a logo has a house, a tree, a key, and the owner's initials, it stops being readable.
- Choosing by trend. A trend that's everywhere right now ages quickly, and you won't want to change your logo often.
- Judging it only on a white page. A mark's true quality shows on a dark background, in photos, and at small sizes.
- Polling everyone you know. Your logo needs to appeal to your customers; opinions from people outside your audience often just add confusion.
What affects the cost
- The number of concepts you want to see at the start.
- The number of revision rounds after a direction is chosen.
- The complexity of the mark: a wordmark based on an existing typeface, or a custom illustration and hand-drawn lettering.
- The scope of additional materials: just the logo and usage guide, or also business cards, social media templates, and a brand identity.
We agree on the scope of work and the number of iterations at the start, so both sides know exactly what will be delivered.
Frequently asked questions
Can the logo be registered as a trademark? Yes. Registration is usually handled by a trademark attorney. We can prepare the files, and we recommend having specialists run a clearance search against registered marks before the design is finalized.
Can elements from different concepts be combined? Sometimes, but it doesn't always produce a better result. We'll tell you honestly if a combination would undermine the idea and suggest an alternative.
Who owns the rights to the logo? This is set out in the contract, and we discuss it before work begins so that once the project is done, you can use the mark freely.
Can you update our old logo? Yes. If the mark is already recognizable, it's often better to keep its core and carefully modernize it than to start from scratch.
Why Promodex
Promodex has been in business since 2015, and web design and branding is one of our core services. For us, a logo isn't a standalone image — it's part of how your brand will look on your website, on social media, and in ads. That's why it's designed by the same designers who create our websites, with marketers joining the discussion when needed. If you need a website or social media marketing after the logo, it can all be done by one team, without handing your style off between different contractors.
