We have to be honest. Sometimes, when we’re looking through kitchen and bath dealership websites, we are often surprised to see the graphic logo that was chosen to stand for each company. It seems that many kitchen and bath business owners are so caught up with creating a logo that includes every element of their company, they literally include everything…and the logo gets busy, confusing, and forgettable.
And then a few years down the road, the company realizes that their logo isn’t quite working because they’ve now added doors and countertops, and the previous logo only hinted (or flat out spelled out) cabinets. So, another logo is created – and even more is added to it so that anyone passing by the showroom will see this logo and know exactly what said company does.
Or will they?
If you’ve got doubts about your current logo and you’re not quite sure where the problem lays, here are some common mistakes companies make when designing their logos.
It’s way too complicated
Too often, people create logos that are completely over-complicated, and sometimes just plain ugly. Maybe it’s because this is a business full of designers who are accustomed to including every last detail, but that won’t get you far in the world of logos. Who designed your logo? Was it you, or did you have one of your designers draw up a sketch and then allow your nephew to whip it up in Photoshop? Sometimes it’s just best to leave the kitchen designs to the kitchen designer and the logo design to the graphic designer.
Need examples of simple logos? Think Nike. Show anyone that swoosh, and you’re bound to get recognition. Same goes for Apple and McDonalds. The logos don’t say anything, and yet we all know what they stand for – thanks to simplicity of design, along with on-point marketing campaigns.
If you’re not ready to go that simple with your kitchen and bath dealership logo, just try to avoid having your designer add too many words and colors. This will help you out when we get to a later point regarding versatility.
It’s just not memorable
Keeping shapes, colors and words simple will help you with memorability. Your logo is the icon of your business. Will people be able to remember and describe what your logo looks like when it’s not in front of them? It’s better to have a logo that is instantly memorable due to simplicity and a clever design, than to force the possibility of recognition by spending more marketing dollars posting and printing the logo everywhere.
Test: Pull up a picture of Japan’s flag for three seconds and a picture of Mexico’s flag for three seconds (Don’t cheat and leave it for longer). Now, on a sheet of paper, try to replicate each flag as closely as possible. Which one earns you a perfect score? We’ve got our guesses.
Before moving onto the next few points in part two, take a moment to think about your logo. Does it stand for anything, or is it simply a make-shift design created for the sign outside of your showroom? How many crayon colors would you need to sketch it? Would your previous customers be able to describe your logo to a friend in complete detail? Be honest. Perhaps it’s time for a change.
Stay tuned to learn more about common mistakes kitchen and bath dealers make with logo design.
