Avoid the one thing that can sabotage your new logo.
You just took the next step with your work. You’re putting it out there. It’s no longer a hobby. You’re going to brand it and make a website, do all the things. Obsessing the logo is a very common pitfall I see people make at this stage. They mentally associate the perfect logo with controlling the outcome of the work they’re doing. But obsessing a logo is not limited to those just starting out.
It’s also common when a brand wants to grow or is flat-lining a bit. When reality starts to veer from expectations, they go looking for culprits and find an easy scapegoat. It’s time for a logo refresh. As if that’s the magical solution. Ask yourself, why do you want to grow? Why is being steady bad? What are you hoping to gain from a new logo? Because there’s a good chance it’s just some version of keeping-up-with-the-joneses at play. Without outside pressure and expectations, maybe you’re actually quite happy with where you are.
A brand is so much more than a logo.
And I get it, you want your work to be great and it feels like getting a logo just right is the first step in that direction. The problem is that so many people get caught up perfecting a logo. They do renditions themselves. They hire a designer. There’s so much back and forth and before you know it, you’re weeks (or months) in on a long process. And the more time you commit, the more it feels like you have to see it through. Otherwise all that time would be a waste, right?
So why do people obsess over their logo? Sometimes it’s to stall. Putting your work out into the world, going after clients and patrons and donations is scary. Success is looming, but so is failure. Taking a hard look at why you’re chasing more and bigger can be unnerving. Admitting a hard truth can be uncomfortable and sometimes we make ourselves busy to avoid that moment of clarity. A logo is a straightforward process. It’s busy work that feels good. We tell ourselves it’s important. And it is, but only to a point.
What’s important is a brand. And by brand, I mean something human and relatable and enjoyable for people to grab onto. Something memorable. We have enough cookie-cutter brands. When I come across your work, I want to know it’s for me. And by extension, your logo should communicate that. It’s a piece of the puzzle. If you have a whimsical brand, your logo should have some whimsy too. If you have a serious brand, a serious logo sets the tone. And it really ought to go without saying, but a logo shouldn’t be confusing. But beyond that, it’s just a logo.
What’s important is a brand. And by brand, I mean something human and relatable and enjoyable for people to grab onto.
Invest your time and energy and creativity into building a better experience. On your website, in person, when people order or shop or donate. Put your energy into better emails (or building an email list to begin with.) Take the time to read and invest in yourself. Take a day off. Entrepreneurs are notoriously bad at doing that. Take a day to list your goals, examine each of them, ask why, and make a plan. This kind of reflection can pay enormous dividends in shaping your life and your work. More than a logo alone has the power to do.
The takeaway? Yes, have a logo you’re proud of. Have fun with it. Make it unique. But also understand that a logo is just a logo. People aren’t going to shop with you because of your logo. They’re not going to make a huge donation because your logo is so awesome. It’s just one tool in a very large quiver of tools. Take the time to develop the others. They might be more capable of delivering what you really want anyway.
Obsessing a logo can take a lot of forms and I’ve seen most of them. I’ve seen people green-light a logo, ecstatic about it, and then inexplicably come back and make a long series of little inane changes. I’ve seen people spend 6 months working on a logo, not working on any other piece of their business. I’ve seen people suddenly stop in the middle of a strategy and decide to pivot to a logo and rebrand. Do yourself a favor, treat your logo design like any other project. Invest in it, set a ship date, and stick to it. Grant yourself peace, commit to your logo, and move on.
Invest your time and energy and creativity into building a better experience. On your website, in person, when people order or shop or donate.
Why is no one else saying this? Why do we feel so compelled to make our logo everything? Actually, I’m not entirely sure. But there aren’t a lot of people asking these questions. An agency wants the work so they’re going to say of course you need a new logo. And business coaches are going to say of course you want to grow. So you’re going to have to make up your own mind about it. Are you over-emphasizing the importance of your logo? What could you be working on instead?
To prove my point, I gave myself 15 minutes to come up with two different logos on Procreate. They’re both entirely made up brands, but would you consider shopping with them? If so then maybe, just maybe, yours is good enough too. Good enough to get on with the actual work of creating change.
