Vivian Choi is the Art Director of StickerYou.com, an innovative e-commerce company that uses cutting-edge technology to create customized die-cut sticky products, including stickers, magnets, iron-ons, labels, decals, custom tattoos and more. Vivian has also worked as a freelance designer for over 13 years specializing in logo design and branding, photography, packaging, apparel and web design for various small businesses and events.
Strong logos are crucial to a successful business. Similar to craft beer, when logos are done right, they make a subtle, yet powerful impression. When done wrong, they leave a bad taste in in the mouth. The best logos are simple, giving the impression that all logos are a snap to create. They aren’t.
Whether you’re just starting out with your own craft brew brand or have been in the business for years, paying attention to the state of your logo is always a good idea. Remember that some of the world’s biggest brands refresh their logos every few years to keep the design and concept in line with current marketing trends. Below are some professional design tips to help you navigate a bottom-up logo redesign or just a simple logo refresh.
Make it Simple
Yes, the intricate artwork on some craft brew brand logos is appealing, but unless you’re a trained artist or designer, achieving this custom-designed art look is best left to the pros. The more complex the design, the more easily the viewer is overwhelmed, and an overwhelmed viewer does not bode well for sales. Online templates can guide you in keeping the design clean and simple.
Look Around
Your logo is an expression of your brand, and should embody what sets your brewery apart from the rest. Dive deep into what other craft brewers are doing with logos. Choose five of your favorites from successful breweries and pick them apart. What strikes you about the design? What color combinations are they using? Why does this particular design command your attention? Once you know what works, you can incorporate these elements into your own design.
Focus on Fonts
As any avid designer will tell you, fonts matter. There’s no better way to lose a viewer than by using more than one font family. Mixing together 2 or 3 different fonts means the different text styles will compete for the viewer’s attention, and detract from your carefully-crafted logo design. Instead, experiment with color, size and strokeweight within the same font family. Even moving from upper to lowercase can be enough to add visual emphasis to certain words without distracting the viewer with too many different fonts.
Break the Color Code
Choosing complementary colors can be harder than it looks. Let the Internet do the heavy lifting. Pick one base color to work with, and use an online color palette creator for an overview of which colors will work well with each other. The palette will give you a variety of shades and complementary colors to work with, as well as open up possibilities for other elements of brand design, from labels, t-shirts and merch to the walls of your future taproom.
Your logo is the first thing people see before tasting your brew, and a good one will make a lasting impression. Updating your logo may take time, but it’s worth the investment.
