Your logo is often the first thing that potential patients will see when communicating with your dental practice. As the visual identity of your practice, it is important that your logo makes a great first impression, and ignites a healthy conversation between your office and potential patients. But how can you be sure that your current logo is the best, most effective mark for your dental practice? Below are a few features of great logos that you should aim to satisfy when brainstorming – or creating – your dental practice’s logo.
Great Logos Are…
1 – Created Using Universal Design Principles
Great logos usually take time, effort and a lot of failed attempts to get to the final polished product. Most great logos follow a set of guidelines that help designers create memorable company marks. Great logos are created while considering space, color, form, clarity and consistency. These basic, universal design principles were established to help identify the qualities of great logos, and guide designers to create memorable, timeless logos. Design principles help us create a logo that can be used on a variety of mediums and in countless contexts.
An important note about logos: Simple marks are often the hardest logos to make. So just because something looks “easy”, doesn’t mean that it was easy to make.
2 – Unique and Identifiable
Your logo should be a one-of-a-kind mark that represents the personality of your dental practice, as well as communicate the services you provide. It should be completely unique – a difficult feat – and not easily confused with an existing logo or competitor’s mark. Your logo sets the tone for your dental practice, so it’s important that it uses the right colors, fonts, and shapes that fall in line with your practice identity.
3 – Functional and Adaptable
As the visual representation of your dental practice, it’s important that your logo can display appropriately at multiple sizes and on a variety of platforms. Your logo should be adaptable and functional, making it easy to deploy as a sign, on your social media channels, in a pamphlet or on a business card. To make your logo functional and adaptable, follow one rule: the simpler the better.
Simple logos contain only a few elements and colors, which makes altering them for different platforms much easier. You have to ask yourself: will my logo look good when it’s only black and white? Will it look good when it’s the size of a quarter? The size of a dinner plate? Will it maintain its quality both digitally and in print? If you answered no to any of these questions, it might be time to reevaluate your logo and make it simpler. Your logo must always communicate your message effectively, regardless of medium or size.
4 – Memorable and Timeless
A good logo stands the test of time. Just look at Coca-Cola, their primary logo has been the same since 1905 – talk about staying power! While creating something as everlasting as Coca-Cola is no simple task, you should still aim to create a timeless logo that doesn’t need to be changed every few years. When designing your logo, try to avoid anything that is trendy, as it will almost certainly need to be revised once the trend has passed. Your logo should also be memorable and stand apart from your competitors’ visual representations. Creating a memorable mark can be quite challenging, but with the help of the right graphic designers, it can be done with roaring success. A timeless logo will help you establish your dental practice in your local community, and save you money on visual revisions and any updates a subpar logo may command.
Consult Smile Savvy
As the leading marketing company for pediatric dentists and oral healthcare professionals, Smile Savvy has worked closely with hundreds of dentists to help them design the perfect logo for their dental practice. We will work with you to build a logo that will stand the test of time and successfully communicates your practice’s goals and attitude. Click here to learn more about how Smile Savvy can help improve your branding, and provide you with a logo that makes your practice shine.
