If you’ve decided it’s time to upgrade your law firm by creating or redesigning a logo, make the process as smooth and successful as possible by learning the five principles of law firm logo design and reviewing the steps in this post to getting exactly what you want.

First: Learn the basics. Every logo needs to abide by the five rules of logo design:

The 5 Principles of Logo Design

1. Make the Logo Fit Your Industry

Logos are not one size fits all (which is the problem with some of the cheaper design companies’ designs). Still, it’s important to look around at the logos of other businesses in your industry. Does yours look like it belongs? You want your logo to stand out, but in many ways you want it to be recognizable for what it is right from the start. Customers should sort of know what they’re getting into just from seeing your logo.

2. Keep It Simple

One way to help potential customers quickly size up your business is to lean toward simplicity when developing your logo. Simplicity also aids in helping people remember a logo the next time they see it. A complicated image is more difficult to recall than a simple one. Simplicity is important for another reason, too. You don’t want your logo to be difficult to see when it’s shrunk down to fit on letterhead and business cards–or as an icon in an Internet taskbar.

3. Avoid Special Effects

Avoid special effects for the simple reason that they may be difficult to reproduce in some mediums, and you want your logo to translate and be usable everywhere. The most powerful logos are woven into everything a company puts out, so make sure yours can be reproduced in just about any environment.

4. Make Color Connections

Colors have meaning and associations, so research your color combinations so you can evaluate the connotations of your message before putting it out there. A logo shouldn’t have more than 4 colors as colors can be difficult to recreate accurately, especially in print, and the more colors you use, the more expensive printing your logo (and therefore all of your marketing materials) will be.

5. Function Is As Important As Form

It’s worth mentioning again that your logo will be printed out much larger than you anticipate as well as much smaller. It needs to look great and recognizable in either circumstance.

How to Use The Five Principles To Create a Great Logo For Your Law Firm

How do these five rules help you create a successful logo for your law firm? Now that you better understand the reasoning behind what makes logos effective, you can better analyze the logos you see every day.

Logos tells stories about companies. They reflect a company’s style, approach to business, and overall philosophy. Before you create your logo, reflect on how you see these elements of your firm. What words would you use to describe your company’s style?

Check Out the Competition

Research what your competitors are doing. Make a computer file of all the logos and brands you like best, and then look at them as a collection. What is it about them you like? Can you use the answer as a starting point for your logo ideas? Another important question to ask yourself is how to differentiate yourself from your competitors. What is it that your firm does best, and how can you emphasize that in your branding, and consequently, your logo?

Start an online folder of logos that speak to you and that seem particularly effective. Which firms have logos that you find striking, and what is it about them that stands out to you?

Decide What You Want

What is your business’s personal style? It’s good to research the trends, but don’t be a slave to them. Your logo will hopefully last longer than the trends, so stay away from designs that will quickly go out of style. Another reason to buck the trends is because you don’t want to look like every other logo out there. You want your logo to look comparable to the competition, but also unique.

Also consider your market position when conceiving a logo. In which field do you practice? How will your logo reflect your firm’s focus?

Hire A Designer

Hire a professional for the actual design of your logo, just as you would recommend that people hire a lawyer and not represent themselves. In terms of design, making something look simple takes a lot of complicated work. You’ve already done some of the work by figuring out what you want; now you need to find a designer who can create it. Look at the work of several capable designers and choose one who has the design sensibilities you’re looking for. Once design starts, provide feedback to your designer to ensure that you get exactly what you want.

Another reason a designer is necessary is the multitude of formats and sizes you’ll need to recreate. You will need versions of your logo for print, online, large displays, social media icons, etc.

Test Your Design and Tweak It

You don’t want your logo design to take forever, but you also don’t want to rush it. The key to any great design is the creation of several drafts and input from stakeholders.

Allow your current customers and employees to weigh in on your law firm logo design. Do a test run, asking everyone currently in your social media feeds to weigh in with ideas and critiques. Not only will you get a lot of valuable feedback on what works and what doesn’t, but you’ll be making your customers feel as if they play a central role in your business.

Of course, the main draw of any business is the firm itself and the quality work it does, but branding and a well-executed logo are hallmarks of an effective marketing plan. It’s worth your time to scaffold the public perception of your law firm with a logo that efficiently spreads awareness of your business.