When I began practicing law in 1993, very few law firms had a professionally designed logo. In fact, most of the firms I dealt with simply put their firm name, such as “Lawyers X, Y & Z” across the top of their letterhead. However, a law firm, like any other business, needs to stand out from the competition, to be noticed, and to attract new clients. That’s why a law firm, like every other business, needs a logo.
Your logo is the graphical display of your law firm’s unique identity. It is a shorthand way of referring to your law firm in advertising and marketing materials. In all, your logo becomes the single most visible manifestation of your firm. Because your logo essentially becomes the “face” of your firm, you should take care in selecting your logo’s design. Below are several crucial considerations for designing your law firm website logo. These considerations are the difference between having a great logo vs. a logo that is mediocre or poorly reflects the image and professionalism of your law firm.
Make Your Law Firm’s Logo Simple & Memorable
When it comes to choosing a design, choose a logo that is simplistic, memorable, and reflects what your law firm’s unique identify. Although a complex logo may be visually interesting or artistically appealing, it’ll be hard to remember. Your logo should be instantly recognizable and stand out in the minds of your clients. In other words, when your client thinks of a law firm, yours should come to mind first. Also remember that a logo is symbolic. Therefore, you do not need the scales of justice or some other complicated (or overused) elements in your design.
Select Colors that Evoke the Best Response for Your Law Firm
Some of the best designed logos use a single color, typically a primary color. Although you may choose additional colors, I recommend no more than two to three colors to keep the logo simple. As for the colors you choose, remember that colors invoke both cognitive and emotional responses. In other words, colors have meanings. For example, blues are said to be calming, loyal and trustworthy, greens are healthy, wealthy and natural, and reds express passion, excitement or danger.
Select a Logo that Will Stand the Test of Time
Although it might seem like a good idea to design a logo that is influenced by a trendy typeface or style, your logo will soon become outdated and may need to be replaced. Logos should be timeless. You don’t want to be in a position where you have to redesign a logo every couple of years. Your law firm’s logo should stay current and keep up with changes with minimal effort. This often means kicking trends to the curb and doing things your own way. Using a unique color palette, original text, and a memorable concept will help achieve an ageless logo.
Select a Law Firm Logo That Can Be Used In Many Mediums
When designing a logo, be sure it is flexible in terms of colors and sizes. A logo can look great until you shrink it or change the color. Your logo should look great small or large, black and white, and monochrome. Use clean lines without drop-shadows or bevels. A clean design allows for your logo to be easily used on business cards, letterhead, coffee mugs, and more.
Get A Custom Designed Logo
Cheap logos may be tempting, but stay away or else you’ll get what you pay for – a cheap-looking logo. Find a professional designer who will do custom work for you without copying graphics or clipart from other brands that could land you in hot water. Your logo should be one-of-a-kind, branded to your law firm. Also, make sure the designer uses vector graphics, opposed to raster, for your logo. Vector graphics ensure your logo will have clean edges whether it is big or small. Raster images look great for smaller applications, but when you enlarge them to fit a billboard, they become grainy, pixelated, and ugly.
