One of the most important things when sourcing or designing a company logo is to make sure it does not plagiarize other designs, especially competitors'. Seems straightforward, right? Maybe not.
With just a little bit of research, you may find your industry sector has dozens of companies competing online, and since they're all roughly trying to attract the same audience, and spread the same kind of message about themselves, it's surprisingly easy to come up with a concept that's very similar to something already out there, even if you've never seen the design.
And then there's the other end of the spectrum, where you find an amazing concept that's just perfect to convey what you want. So how much can you "borrow" before it becomes stealing? Design, like all art forms, does not exist in a vacuum, all designers get inspired by other work. This can be problematic when operating under very narrow guidelines, especially in a conservative corporate sector where there often isn't a lot of room for out-the-box concepts.
To make sure your company design competes in its market place without becoming one of a crowd (or worse, a copy of one already in the crowd), make sure you or your freelance designer takes the following five steps to make your logo unique. When crowdsourcing a logo, for best results do some of the basic legwork before writing your brief – the clearer you are on what you want, the more effective your contest will be.
Step 1 – Ask yourself – "Who am I?"
The first step of the design process should always be research. First of all, this means delving deep. What do you do? What sets you apart? What are your values as a company? What is your history? Who do you want to reach? What do they value?
All these questions will help determine anything from themes to shapes to colors a designer may use, as everything in your logo will say something specific about you. A lack of knowledge of your brand will mean a lack of unique applicability in your logo, making it much more likely to be similar to other designs, and be subject to plagiarism issues.
Step 2 – Know your enemy
And then there's the competitor research. Who else is in the market? And what do their logos look like? In the era of online shopping you can't just rely on looking into the shop down the road. Of course, prioritize immediate competitors in your location, especially if your business is based on local services or product distribution. But it can't hurt to take at least a quick glance at global trends.
Even something as basic as running a quick Google search of keywords describing your design idea (like "electrician logo thunderbolt" for example) will give you an idea of whether your concept is an old hat. The more common your concept, the harder it will be to make it truly unique, and the more likely your design may inadvertently get too close to somebody else's work.
Step 3 – Identify themes
Most industries have themes to them that are very easily identifiable once you look closely. Many luxury car brands like to represent themselves with fast animals, Porsche and Ferrari even using the same one – a horse. A lot of sports teams have round logos. A surprising number of social networks have a blue logo.
Once you have identified themes, ask yourself why they exist. Animals like wild cats and race horses are a mental shortcut of style, speed, and luxury. Perfect for sleek, expensive cars. Round designs are known to evoke a sense of teamwork and unity, ready to inspire teams and fans alike (the ball connotation doesn't hurt either in many cases). The color blue is the most popular of all colors, making it appeal to the maximum amount of people and evoking a sense of openness and friendliness. No wonder Facebook and Twitter subscribe to it.
Themes most commonly arise because many companies are trying to say the same kind of thing to the same kinds of people. Knowing the motivations behind those themes will help to either conform to a theme in a new and unique way, or avoiding the theme altogether.
Step 4 – Find different ways to achieve the same thing
If you find a design or common theme really appealing, there's lots of ways you can make it your own. Above all, force yourself to be exact. What is it you really love? The colors? Shapes? Font? Depicted objects?
Do you like that a logo has a cat, or do you like the way the cat looks? Would it look just as good without the cat, but with abstract lines reminiscent of its posture? Or a totally different type of cat? Taking inspiration means to use only small elements of someone else's work and re-inventing them into something else.
If you want to convey the same message as your competitors, try to think of different ways to do so. Love that a company's square logo makes them look strong and dependable? Why not try to go with a black design to look just as powerful? Big fan of the friendly eco-vibe a green logo conveys? Try to play with patterns inspired by nature, like leafs or trees, and think about pairing them with equally natural colors like blue or brown.
Step 5 – Focus on elements unique to your brand
This one's kind of obvious, but still bears repeating: to make your design unique to you, focus it on what's unique about you. Maybe your company is a rule-breaker in its industry, giving clients something they've never seen before. Make sure this is reflected in your logo. You don't want to look run-of-the-mill if what you're offering is anything but.
To bring your unique face to the forefront, go back to the questions in step 1 and think about which of your answers are particularly important to you, and which will allow you a unique way of reaching your audiences. One-of-a-kind designs can be inspired by anything – cultural background or iconography, personal memories or values, your company's origin, your product or service, your actual face (don't make your face the logo).
Using something that is truly meaningful to you in your designs helps make your company seem approachable and human. It can also make for a great story on the website, helping you to engage audiences and share your company's values right from the start.
Plagiarism can be a serious concern if you and your designer are not careful. Ripping off someone else's work will make your company start off on the wrong foot, and risks you losing your design early on and possibly even facing legal proceedings and public scandal. So make sure you do your research, and don't be afraid to show a bit of personality in your design.
Want More?
Want to know more about inspiration and the design process? Why not start with these articles:
4 Reasons Why Research Will Make You A Better Designer
Six Reasons Why Pen And Paper Still Matter In The Design Process
How To Design A Logo - Expert Designer Guide Part 1
Written by Jane Murray on Thursday, April 14, 2016
Jane Murray is a freelance copywriter based in Sydney. Apart from writing up a storm for the DesignCrowd blog on anything from logo design to Michael Jackson's shoes, she enjoys reading literary science fiction and hanging out with most animals except wasps. Get in touch via LinkedIn.
