The Complete Guide to Redesigning Your Logo

Redesigning your logo is like dramatically reintroducing your brand to your target audience or customer base. When you change something as fundamental to your brand identity as the symbol most associated with it, you want to make sure that you do it right and not risk any adverse effects that could come with a poor rebrand.

Today, we’re going to cover everything that you need to know about redesigning your logo to ensure that your brand is elevated by this initiative rather than damaged in any way.

First – Why Should You Redesign Your Logo?

Logos are the first symbol that potential customers associate with your business. It can be eye-catching, curiosity-inspiring, or simply just plain cool. We humans are visual creatures by nature, so we want something that appeals to our most primary of senses.

If you have thought about redesigning your logo, but you’ve been on the fence about it, it’s completely understandable. There could be some reasons that you have already explored, but if you haven’t, here are some strong reasons to consider doing so:

You’ve Had Your Logo for Over 10 Years
Logo design trends come and go faster than almost any other. What could have looked amazing in the previous decade could look dated against modern surfaces like vehicle wraps, business cards, or signage.

Compare your logo to others used by younger competing businesses in your industry or local market. What are they doing with their logos? How are their logos different from yours? Use this information to help decide whether a redesign is in the cards for yourself.

You’ve Lost the Files for Your Current Logo
A strong digital brand kit is essential for maximizing your logo’s potential online. Typically, a high-resolution vector graphic, at the bare minimum, is necessary to ensure that it looks great in all instances. If you do not have files that contain your logo, brand colors, and brand guidelines, you may decide it would be easier to start fresh.

You’re Simply Ready for a Change
Are you ready to take your business in a radical new direction? Maybe you want to reintroduce your brand to the market?

In these cases, it might be simple matter of personal preference and you would like your logo refreshed to showcase that you’ve entered a new professional chapter as a company. That is a completely valid and understandable reason to embark on a logo redesign project.

Your Logo is Too Visually Complex
In most instances, simpler logos are more effective than overly complex and detailed ones. Depending on the size of the logo in specific use cases, those fine details can become washed out or invisible entirely.

Think of the largest and most successful brands in modern consumer culture. Which ones have some simple, yet highly memorable and effective logos? Let’s run down a quick list:

Apple – Just a white apple with an iconic bitemark taken out of the right side
Pepsi – A red and white circle with a slight curve in the middle to separate the two colors
Microsoft – While the logo has been consistently updated over the years, it has always stuck true to its blue, red, green, and yellow tiles
McDonald’s – Golden Arches, need we say more?
H&R Block – A literal lime green block that has become an iconic staple of strip malls across the U.S.

These are just five examples of many. The simpler you go, the easier it is to use your logo in almost any use case. The best part? Simple logos do not need to be boring, either. If you work with a creative agency to develop your new logo, you can leverage their expertise to create a new one that is effective, to-the-point, and highly versatile for your marketing needs.

Getting Started with Redesigning Your Logo

So now that you have a reason to redesign your logo, the next step is to begin the process. Here’s how to get started.

Decide: DIY Logo Redesign or Creative Agency?
If you have graphic design skills of your own, you may decide that you want to do your logo redesign yourself. That could be a cost-effective measure, but the truth is that most business owners do not have the time or expertise to spend on these sorts of projects when you have your core operations to attend to.

In most cases, it’s highly recommended that you work with a skilled creative agency on a logo redesign. They can handle these tasks, leveraging their own experience and expertise, while you attend to your most important business priorities.

When considering a creative agency to redesign your logo, look for the following:

Strong public portfolio – Do they have a public-facing portfolio that you can look through? Check their website and/or social media accounts to see examples of their work.
Aesthetic fit – Does the agency’s creative style resonate with you? There are agencies that specialize in specific industries or design disciplines. Pick one that has an approach to design that speaks to you on a personal level.
Suite of services – Do they offer enough services to satisfy your logo redesign needs? They may also offer digital marketing or advertising services to help you make the most of your new design project after it’s completed.
Reviews – Like any business, agencies receive reviews from their clients and customers. Check their most recent reviews online to see what kind of experience others have had with working with them.

Next, Gather Any and All Logo Files
Once you decided how you’re going to kick off the project, gather any current resources pertaining to your logo that you might have available. These could include:

Current universal logo files
Current brand guides
Examples of how your logo is currently used in branded materials

Take a minute to review these and decide what you like, what you want to keep, and what you want to change. You could also ask a creative agency to provide their own recommendations for you to consider.

Try a Simpler Variant First
Take the elements of your current brand identity and distill them to as simple of a logo concept as possible. For example, any brand colors and specific images associated with your business or industry.

Let’s pretend you own a construction company. Your current logo has a blue hard hat prominently featured in the logo with black and orange text for your company name. Behind these elements are silhouettes of two cranes and a hammer.

That is a very detailed logo with many parts. Let’s assume the blue hard hat is the most noticeable aspect of it. That’s where we’ll start.

Now, let’s take the blue hard hat, place it front and center, and then add your brand name in black text above and below it. That’s already a much simpler and more effective logo than the one you used previously. Not only will it look great on modern marketing surfaces, but it will be easier to replicate in the future if new designs need to be made.

Decide on Color Changes, if Desired
Do you want to change the colors of your logo? This can create a dramatic shift in brand identity and inspire new interest from customers.

However, this needs to be approached carefully. In some cases, a color change could be simply formalizing your brand colors into specific color codes like HEX or CMYK. This will ensure that any usage of your logo within your brand will appear consistent across all uses.

If you want to completely overhaul your logo colors, first think of why you want to do this. It could be due to a number of reasons, such as:

Industry associations – Your industry might be associated with certain colors. For example, a tree trimming service would likely make use of greens rather than reds.
Reputation of your old logo – If your business wants to distance itself from a poor past reputation, a new color could help establish a new beginning and separate it from its association with your old logo and colors.
Market differentiation – If other competitors use similar colors, changing yours could help you stand out more prominently in the market as a distinct leader in your product or service category.

Get External Feedback on Your Logo and Revise
Leverage your professional network to receive colleagues’ and connections’ informed opinions on the new direction for your brand. Send new logo concepts to those that you trust, and ask them what they think and if they would offer any constructive feedback.

Compile feedback from your chosen brain trust, and use that to redesign your logo either on your own or with the help of a creative agency. Remember, there will often be a few rounds of revisions as part of the process.

Prepare for a Rollout
Once your new logo is completed, prepare for a complete rollout on all of your marketing and advertising materials. To make sure you have the basics covered, here are some places you should prioritize replacing your old logo with your new one:

Your website
All of your social media channels’ profile pictures
Any logo placements in your marketing email templates
Email signatures
Digital directory listings and citations
Google Business Profile
Digital and physical brochures, pamphlets, one-sheets, slideshows, business cards, and other sales materials
Company-branded employee apparel and corporate promotional items like pens, mugs, etc.
Vehicle wraps or graphics on company vehicles
Business-critical physical items like restaurant menus, store signage, billboards, etc.

There may be additional logo placement considerations depending on your specific business. Working with a creative agency, they can help create a tailored list customized to your needs to ensure that all of your bases are covered for the rollout.

Give It Time
If you have customers or clients that are heavily accustomed to your previous logo, give them time to adjust to your new brand identity. Most customers will simply accept the logo change, while a minority might express a preference for the old one. Remember that this is natural, and do not despair if it is not well-received right away by a small handful of people.

Start Redesigning Your Logo Today

While logo redesigns can be an intense project, the payoff is rewarding, and you will have a new identity to introduce to your industry or local market. If you’re ready to take that next step and need help getting started, that’s where Aggro Creative Marketing comes in.

At Aggro, we specialize in creating high-impact designs that make a difference. If you want to redesign your logo and are interested in getting started, contact us today to learn more.