This post is an expansion of tip #46 in our post 101 Graphic Design Tips for Business Success.

What Is The Designer’s Goal

The whole goal of design is to elicit a response. You are trying to organize and convey information to an audience. Typography is the key to getting this information out. It is a subtle art and easily the quickest way to determine if you are an amateur or a professional. Correct use of typography can sometimes be more important than the logo itself. Correct use of typography is meant to complete the logo.

Did you ever see a logo that used too many fonts, too generic of a font treatment, or just didn’t have the proportion of the words right? Does it automatically associate in your mind a cheap or unprofessional product? A logo can speak volumes about a company and the people and product behind it.

There are a few simple rules when designing a logo:

• Choose a typeface that is easily readable scaled down.
  San Serifs are usually excellent choices, but not the only choice you have. You just want to make sure that it is legible.
• Balance your type so that it is appealing.
  This means when you have it close to what you want, convert it to outlines in Illustrator and adjust the spacing between words manually so that it is impeccably spaced.
• Work with your negative space.
  White space is almost as important is what creates it. You want a fluid sensible flow to your lettering and eyeballing what is in-between can help you there.
• Use Complimentary fonts.

Experiment, Play Around, And Have Fun!

If you are using more than one font, make sure they are complimentary. For instance use a San Serif with a Serif, a bold with a non-bold, or a larger font with a smaller font pairing. These generally have a way of balancing the logo out. Important information should be largest and boldest. Taglines should be secondary.

Experiment with many different combinations until you hit the one that feels right to you. Then pair it with your mark, if you are using one, and determine if it is spot-on. With a good logo, you should be able to separate the mark and the text comfortably with both maintaining their strength.

Play around and have fun with your fonts, experiment with drawing out a letter and manipulating its form to make it truly unique to you.