Logos are everywhere you look. They’re on your shirts, your shoes, your car, your mower, they’re even on this web page you’re reading right now. We see them so often we rarely take the time to think about why that brand made that logo that way. So what makes a good lawn care logo? There’s more to it than you probably think.
Being unique and original is never an easy path - it takes time and a conscious effort to create something that stands out. And that’s exactly what you’re trying to do with a logo, although most small businesses struggle to do so. Instead most, “borrow” a design element they found in some logo online. Occasionally a small business will even mimic a competitor’s logo but we probably don’t need to go into how backwards that is.
But avoiding imitating - or worse - plagiarizing another logo will only get you so far. Instead - as we’ll talk about in the next point - you should try to steer clear of any lawn care tropes. Your goal should be creating something that makes people think “Huh, I’ve never seen a lawn care logo like that.”
There are two types of cliches. The first type are all the design fads and trends that come and go. Right now it’s the minimalistic logo that’s puts most of its style on that ‘x’. Think breweries, wineries, hip brunch eateries or check out the example below). The second type of cliches are all the tropes and imagery that an industry wears out. For lawn care that’s grass, naturally. I’m not saying any logo that includes some element of grass is bad. If you’re going to use it, use it in some original way, so it doesn’t look like every lawn care logo in your area.
The color pallette can be the deciding factor whether a logo works or not. And that doesn’t just mean blue or green. Choosing the hue is one thing but finding the right intensity and value (shade and tint) can be challenging. As you choose your color always remember that each one offers a certain set of characteristics and ideas to the viewer. Below is a brief summary and breakdown of colors and their attached meaning.
Red - energy, war danger, strength, power, desire, passion and love.
Orange - sunshine, enthusiasm, creativity, attraction, encouragement and success.
Yellow: joy, happiness, optimism, sunshine, intellect and energy
Green - nature, growth, harmony, organic, freshness, safety and fertility.
Blue - depth, stability, trust, professional, wisdom, confidence, intelligence and spiritual
Purple - royalty, power, imagination, extravagance, wealth, dignity, mystery and magic.
White - perfection, light, goodness, innocence, coolness, safety, purity and simplicity.
Black - power, elegance, formality, prestige, death, evil and mystery
This is one of the most important things to keep in mind for small business owners. Most people who aren’t familiar with logos will have a million ideas. Initially this is great - the more ideas the better - but this list of ideas should be whittled down throughout the process and not smushed into one logo.
Always remember that when it comes to logos - simple is powerful. From Apple to Nike the most influential brand (and logos) we see on a daily basis are usually the most simple, as well.
Think about where the logo will be used. For a new business it can be hard to realize all the possible ways your logo will be used. From business cards to billboards to digital ads to truck graphics - you should take the time to think about all the locations your logo will find itself.
There should be a harmony between simplicity and originality. You want your logo to grab people’s attention but not so long that by the time they comprehend it the billboard’s flying past their driving side window.
The worst part about having a great logo is that it won’t last forever. At some point even the best logo must be updated and refreshed. If you do have an effective logo - that’s somewhat timeless - change doesn’t have to be heavy-handed. It usually only takes a tweak here and there to bring a solid logo up-to-date and timely. Check out the example below of a recent logo transition by Marriott.
There is a ton of stuff online, from tools and resources to inspiration and ready-to-go logo designs. If your budget is tight there are places like 99design’s Logo Store where you can buy original, curated, ready-to-go logos. If you’re willing to spend a some more money there are sites - like 99designs - that offer a crowdsourcing service where designers submit personalized logos. And if you can fork over some serious cheese, you can always freelance it out to a designer and work with them to create just what you want. For the creative-DIY types there are sites like Logomaker and LogoYes where you can design it on your own.
This is an excerpt from our "Lawn Care Business Essentials" eBook. Click below to download the free eBook.