How do I make my logo responsive?
If you understand the merits of a responsive logo, how do you go about implementing these changes to your current logo without a huge rebrand, and all the costs associated with one!
There are a number of design decisions you can make depending on how you need your logo to work for you.
All of these options have pros and cons, and can’t be applied without some understanding of your business.
Remove the words
Twitter is a prime example of how the removal of the company name can work. Although perhaps a rare example, in that Twitter uses its icon as a primary logo which can be found on signage.
If your logo has an icon, then experimenting with removing the text for a favicon or mobile icon can be an easy win.
Remove the icon / imagery
And the opposite – removing the imagery / icon surrounding the logo. This might be more applicable for smaller businesses where the company name still needs to be prominent. Pizza Express is a super example of this, with the image below showcasing how different logo variations can be used in different contexts. Simple stuff, but its amazing how many businesses get this wrong!
When we were designing the signage for The Sorrel Fox it was useful to understand the context required for the different logos; a long thin one and a square one! Starting a responsive logo exercise with a series of boxes is a simple trick, but it means you can trust that your final logos work well in context. Which brings us onto creating a stackable version …
Create a stackable version
If your business has a fairly long name, then stacking the words on top of each other is an easy win – although, sometimes it is tricker to get the visual balance correct, so ensure you speak to a designer!
The Premier League logo can be reduced further with the icon used on social media, fixtures tables and badges – a truly responsive logo.
Strip out the detail
Then, if your logo is overly complex or perhaps a raster file (think the Disney logo with lots of sparkles!) you may need to consider simplifying the logo down for certain applications. The process can be a tricky one, and may involve some adjustments to the primary logo, but it is often a case of less is more.
Before you leave the house, look in the mirror and take at least one thing off.
Coco Chanel
Jaguar required a simplified version of their logo so that it would continue to work effectively at small scale. A 3D motif works excellently on a car bonnet but doesn’t translate quite so well onto some digital platforms. Small changes make a big difference. It is worth printing out your logo in different sizes and see how much it can be reduced by and still be readable.
A few things to watch out for with a responsive logo:
- How thin is the text – does it need to be thicker?
- Is there too much detail that starts to merge together when small?
- What size does the text need to be so its comfortable to read?
Merge parts of the logo together
Then, if you did decide a rebrand is for you, you’ll notice most design agencies look to provide multiple logo assets that work alongside each other from the off. The 2022 rebrand of LA Rams is a great example of this (although there were plenty of comments around how badly it was launched) with the brand assets working well with each other. With this approach to flexible branding, and in turn, less reverence to ‘one logo’ you’ll find this approach to brand is more ‘future proof’.