Why Is Graphic Design So Important (Part 1) – LOGO DESIGN

Logo Design

Imagine two restaurants side by side that have the same menu and price points. One has dirty floors, the staff is frowning, the counter is messy and there is a slightly unpleasant aroma. The other has a welcoming and clean entry, pleasant staff and a beautifully designed dining room. Which one do you eat at? It’s a no-brainer. We live in a visually oriented, fast paced world where first impressions matter more than ever before. Your branding is your first impression, and where solid graphic design plays a huge role.

Let’s face it, the real estate market is slightly over saturated with agents, so in today’s market and competitive sales arena, you have to stand out—and you WANT to stand out! The way you present yourself online and in your brand marketing such as brochures, emails, mailers, etc. is key, as this is often going to be your first point of contact.

Graphic design has become the equivalent of a good introduction and a reassuring handshake.

It tells prospective sellers and buyers who you are and what you’re about with just one glance. A great graphic designer knows the ins and outs of creating a brand from the ground up. It’s our job to work with you to make your visions and visual stand in the marketplace not only memorable but professional and well-targeted. How, you ask?

Let’s break it down!

The chart to the right illustrates the breakdown of how your brand works and the individual roles in your business.

• LOGO: It identifies a business in its simplest form by using symbols, words, colors, forms and/or shapes
• IDENTITY: The visual aspects that form part of the overall brand such as stationery, flyers, signage, positioning, messaging and fonts
• BRAND: The perceived emotional emotional corporate feel as a whole such as gut feelings, relationships, expectations, emotions, memories and behavior.

Need me to break it down further? Think of you, the person, as a business.

Your signature is your logo, your clothing is your identity and the way you make people feel around you is your brand – yup, it’s that simple!

So what’s in a logo?

Ok, I know there are those quick and fast online sources people use to generate logos for little or no money, but let’s face it, if you can get those – so can everyone else. That’s not what I call standing out and being memorable. Investing in exceptional graphic design is a smart move for real estate companies. The familiar image of your company, if designed well, will encourage a positive association with your company’s brand.

But what’s its purpose?

As mentioned above, a logo is a signature to a business just as you have a signature for your name. A logo is only a part of your entire brand, and is not meant to describe your entire business. When we sign our name, do we draw pictures next to it to describe our personality, our hobbies or our looks?

A compelling logo is something people will take note of when they encounter it, especially if they see it several times. When they are in need of the kind of services you offer, they’ll likely remember your company.

You see what just happened there? You just gained customer loyalty and trust, just from your initial presentation.

You may hate me for saying this, but for every 10 agents I see on the web, 9 have logos that are busy and/or have some type of house or key illustration. I am in no way saying that an icon is not important but it doesn’t need to be literal.

For example, one of my all time favorite logos for real estate is the REMAX logo. Nope, not a house, not a key – its a balloon which has become iconic and one of the most globally recognized icons. The balloon signifies the hard work and dedication that Remax agents put forth allowing them to soar sky high. You can read all about it on the Remax blog. Beyond the balloon, they also have a solid text based logo that has been customized and can stand alone without the balloon – effectively and uncluttered.

Complicated or cluttered designs are all too forgettable, landing you in the pile of companies that don’t get much attention. Even if your logo consists only of text, choosing the perfect font and customizing it can make for a clear appealing logo.

Color Choice Is Important

Color plays an important role in logo design and branding — it draws consumers to products, stirs emotions and has a huge impact on brand recognition.

Colors can make us feel happy or sad… they can make us feel hungry or relaxed. A designer understands the psychological effects colors might have on an average person, or the client’s target audience.

Designing your logo with this in mind puts you ahead of the game. The way your image makes potential customers feel has an incredible effect on their decision-making process.

Color combinations should complement one another in a way that draws customers in and lets them process and remember a design. They should be appropriate to the business and should reinforce your company’s values and mission.

For simplicity’s sake, just a few good colors implemented in an effective graphic can give your real estate company an edge.

Here are some general color associations relevant to logo design

Blue – signifies trustworthiness, serenity and security
Blue is a popular color amongst social networking such as Facebook, Twitter, Skype, etc. It reminds people of oceans, skies and calmness.

Yellow – is cheery, stimulating, high-energy
Yellow is a warm color. It’s friendly and cheerful. Yellow gives off a lot of optimism and positivity. Why do you think smiley faces always use the color yellow? This attention grabber color is popular to use for shop displays.
“Fun Fact” – Did you ever wonder why a lot of no name brands use the color yellow with black? It’s because when their product is sitting on a shelf amongst 100’s of other products, they stand out in a fun way and attract the eye with contrast.

Red – conveys passion, intensity, strength and courage
Red is a bold color. It is energetic, intense and full of action. Red has been known to boost your appetite, hence it is popular amongst restaurants. Red also symbolises fast and furious, which makes this a popular color for car brands.
“Fun Fact” – We picked red for a reason *wink*.

Purple – suggests royalty, magic and imagination
Purple can be a versatile color. It can demonstrate royalty, luxury and sophistication but also demonstrate fun, imagination, magic and spirituality. This cool color is often used in healthcare to portray healing and children’s products to portray fun

Black – imparts a look of sleek sophistication and power
Black is a classic. It is a very formal, serious yet timeless color. Ever heard of the saying black goes with everything, and it never goes out of fashion? Well, these logos have proven that.
“Fun Fact” – When creating your logo, all great designers will start with just black because we know, if the logo design doesn’t work in one color, then it won’t work at all.

So now that we have a basic understanding of the role a logo plays in your branding, part two will explore what Identity design is, what it consists of and its importance.

Jacquelyn Trowell

With over 15 years experience, Jacquie is our resident graphic design guru and no one-trick pony. She’s a multimedia designer with expertise in logos, print, and web design as well as dabbling in video. In addition to her savvy pixel pushing, Jacquie is a traditional artist and illustrator with a passion for pen, ink and watercolour portraits. When she isn’t designing or creating, you’ll find her spending time with her kids or her 2 horses training for barrel race season—WHOA!