How To Tell If Your Logo Needs A Redesign
Logos are a lot like clothes (well, not in every single way, hehe). You change them based on the occasion and sometimes you just need to do a bit of laundry to get them prim and proper again.
As a logo designer, your first goal is not to make as much money from your clients as you get the chance. You want to lead them to make the right choices. Leading them usually means asking them the right questions, answering them as simply and clearly as possible, and letting them know why that is the best approach.
Personally, I think this is how we build value and credibility. And the compound effect of genuinely seeking to help clients is not just money for you as a designer, but happiness as you’re helping someone/businesses win.
So, how are you able to tell if a/your logo needs a redesign?
First off, we need to get off the table the difference between a redesign and a retouch.
When we say something was redesigned, we’re saying it was designed in a different way. If it was a retouch, it means the thing was only improved upon by making some additions, subtractions or corrections. It might be best to explain this visually.
So, REDESIGN OR RETOUCH?
Get MK - Designer For Growth’s stories in your inbox
Join Medium for free to get updates from this writer.
It’s important that design decisions are always made independent of how the client or the designer feels. What should be the guiding factor is what has been tested and confirmed as what works. (You might want to read my article on why logo design is not an art)
A good way to know to handle the “redesign or retouch” problem is to ask some questions about the business and its present logo. The questions you should ask should go in this line:
- Is the logo serving the present interests of the business?
- Has the business expanded or changed in such a way that the logo needs to accommodate this?
- How is the logo doing in terms of reception by present customers and new customers?
- Is there a need for further distinction from the competition?
- Given ten years, is the logo bound to go out of taste?
Depending on how you answer this question, you can choose either to retouch just a part/parts of the logo or to go full redesign.
Make sure to change ONLY what’s needed. If it still works, don’t change it.
