What makes a good fitness logo design?
A good fitness logo can be hard to achieve. Lets face it, there’s a lot of competition around in the fitness industry and it can be easy to get lost in a sea full of fitness logos. Inspiration for fitness logos are easy to find, but there’s a lot of poor-quality fitness related logos out there. So, lets dive straight in and find out what makes a good fitness logo.
Target a specific audience
So, your fitness business needs a logo, but what should it be? How much does a logo design cost? Knowing who you want to target with your fitness brand makes all the difference. It’s extremely common for companies to want to target a large audience to their facility, males and females of all ages is extremely common. However, if we narrow down who your business wants to target more specifically, creating a logo for it can be far more effective.
We have to consider the area in which your facility is located, and the cost of visiting your fitness facility or service. Is it a cheap gym that requires a logo? Is it small group personal training that you’re trying to attract? These are good questions to ask yourself which will aid the logo design of your business. Does the studio mainly attract women, or is it that really grungy, male-dominated, strength gym that you’re operating?
We can quickly discover who the target audience is, with a bit of thought. And, then, what the age group of the fitness business is, too. All of these elements equate to what the logo design for your fitness business should equate to.
Small fitness studio logo design
A fitness studio that’s small, intimate and personable should have a logo design that represents those features. If the class sizes are small, then creating a logo to represent a fitness facility that is close, warm and friendly should be represented in the logo design.
A consideration should also be the location of the small fitness studio, whether it’s in trendy South Yarra or Prahran, or in the outer suburbs of Melbourne, for example, would make a big difference to the target demographic of the studio, and potential the cost of membership / price per session.
Franchise fitness logo design
A logo for a gym franchise is a little bit different to a small fitness studio. A consideration comes more about location and cost of use. This should be represented in the logo design for a franchise fitness business. Can the member use a key fob and go to multiple fitness facilities, like Fitness First, Anytime Fitness, and so on? Are the studios located in inner Melbourne, or are they scattered throughout Australia?
Gym logo design
An independent gym logo blends the above two features together. It might be the fact that the gym is large (or small), cheap (or expensive) and location/s are important to consider too. Again, to atrget the right audience with your gym logo design is critical to its success. It may also be an online fitness store logo design that you're after, similar to World Fitness Australia. The same rules tend to apply for these, too!
Personal trainer logo design
When I consider personal trainer logo designs, I think the personality of the trainer is a bigger factor. The logo I designed for Apex Training gives a great insight in to my thoughts and process and you can also read about their logo design case study. It might be their specific training style that has a higher consideration, along with location, gender and potential clientele.
It’s extremely important for a fitness logo to be relevant to the target audience of the gym, facility, clients and demographic of their clients and prospective members. To have the right logo design is one thing, but branding is also extremely important to really capture the audience you want to.
Why is Graphic Design Important for Small Business?
A common misconception business owners have is that Graphic Design is a quick and easy task that they can often undertake themselves, if they have the time. You’ll look at the website, social media stream or print design of their collateral, and quickly recognise that they’ve created their branding themselves. The reason business owners do this, is because they believe Graphic Design is simple enough, and to save costs whilst still believing they’ll have the same outcome, is at the forefront of their mind.
Your small business branding is highly considered by customers, they view perception of trust, quality and cost through your design.
For a small business owner, their business is like their baby. It requires careful consideration, which often they believe can be done by themselves. However the issue is that a brands image, and the person buying their product or service isn’t them. It’s the outside world, it’s customers and clients. These are people with emotions and feelings. Catering to them surely comes before selling your own business to yourself.
Graphic design is a highly specialised field where the key focus is to create visuals fitting a brands direction, their customers and target demographic. These visual communications can include:
- Logo design and company branding
- Product packaging
- Brochures, books & magazines
- Websites
- Business cards, flyers and letterheads
- Digital & print advertising
- Signage
A brands imagine is typically conveyed through their logo, symbols and illustrations, colours, fonts, words and verbiage, photography and overall style of the company. What makes Graphic Design so important, when created by a professional, is that this material is targeted to the right market, and creates a call to action which allows you to sell your product or service. For your customer to take action when displayed with your visual is key.
Why invest in a Graphic Designer, and how will it help my business?
Your First Impressions Matters
Your customer may only have a few seconds to take in your key visual, whether that’s via print or digital design. It may be product packaging, your website, a post on your social media feed, a flyer, business card and so on. Your first impression is what matters the most. Using colours, fonts, illustrations, photography and a consistent visual brand that your customers will appreciate can be enticing enough. A brand style guide can help align, and moderate this to give your brand consistency, but it’s critical to stick to those guidelines.
Consistency of design and marketing is key
To be consistent with the way your brand is displayed to your target audience is key. It can play a pivotal role in your customer having trust in your brand. Elements of predictability, through the use of placement of objects, type of visuals, and brand messaging can assist the consumers decision making on the brand. Is it proven that brands with consistent branding and marketing have better revenue than those who don’t.
Company Loyalty
As mentioned, customers love to see consistency in a brand. To be able to have a certain level of expectation and stability in a company, knowing the type of result they will get, aids loyalty by customers. They will stick with your brand if you have consistent messaging and design language in your collateral. Graphic Design allows your brand to have a level of consistency whether it be direct or indirect marketing, their brands visual guidelines.
A leg up on your competition
Graphic Design, and the way your brand is perceived, can be the difference as to whether or not a potential customer goes with your business. A brand with consistent visuals appears to be far more trustworthy than one without. You could imagine if you were looking at a product and service, and their branding appeared to be inconsistent and sloppy, then you’re unlikely to trust the brand. A brand with consistency will hold a customer’s attention for longer, and certainly assist with the sale over the competition.
Seeing results from the beginning
Starting a business is tough, we can all agree with that, but the ability to see results from the start can be critical to whether or not a business succeeds. Business owners will tend to start a company with a certain target audience in their mind, and a way they want their brand to be perceived. It can be extremely difficult to bring this idea / concept to life without the help of a Graphic Designer – someone who specialises in visuals for brands. With a good Graphic Designer at your disposal, you can make effective decisions and target your desired market. It’s important that the Graphic Designer realises who you wish to target just as much as you know who you want to target. With a successful beginning to a business’ trading means that they wont need to rebrand soon, and can allow the visuals of their brand naturally grow.
The impact graphic design has on your business is profound. And, more critically, it’s essential as much as at the start of the company’s life as it is when it’s been around for a few years. To invest in a professional graphic designer can assist all sorts of communication decisions your company wishes to make, whether that’s social media messaging, website messaging, print messaging, etc. As a professional graphic designer myself, see how I can help your business with a professional graphic designer at your disposal, and grow your business like it deserves to grow, with love, care and consideration.
Creating Custom Health Care Logo Designs
I've been lucky enough to work with a few Health Care companies now, and created a lot of logos for the medical field. And, in my 10 years of Freelance Graphic Design experience, I've seen a lot of old logos which are in desperate need of a redesign, and also some new companies and services who don't even have a logo to start with. All the amazing work that the Health Care sector has been doing to start 2020 has given them (deserving) more recognition in light of COVID-19. Having completed hundreds of custom logo designs, I know a thing or two when it comes to successful logo design for a company in Health Care.
Before and After of the Medical Informatics Logo I designed.
Colour choices are important
The use of colour in the medical field is so important. Colour can invoke emotion to the viewer, so careful selection of colour palette is important. Health Care is a critical sector to get right, because the patients feeling towards the service is paramount to their trust. We know that health care, especially when it comes to medical and operations, is representitive of the colour red. However, is that the best colour to portray the business? This is a case-by-case scenario, of course.
Blue has been, and always will be a colour of choice in the medical field. For businesses in health care, when it comes to logo design, blue is a feeling if calm and cooling (the situation, environment, etc) of the subconscious mind.
A concept for Paul Manohar Urology, showing a part of the kidney function.
Symbol design in logos for medical practitioners
It can often be requested that a needle, crutches, bed and other medical tools or devices make good a good symbol for a logo. Yes, they identify in a very stereotypical way the service, but how does the patient feel when they see the logo? Styling the symbol, along with colour, can offset the feeling, but the majority of the time, especially if very stereotypical, the patient may feel sensitive. So, it's important to be careful with symbol design for a logo for the medical field.
Choosing a font for health care logos
Similar to colour and symbol in a logo design, the font (or more specifically typeface), is an important choice. The typeface of choice usually reflects how professional and reliable the service is. So, typeface choice give fulfill part of the confidence element of your service which may allow the patient to get in contact with your service.
Designing custom logos for the health care industry is important. Just like the medical service itself, and the patient having trust in the doctor, nurse, practice (and so-on) on a personal level, the logo and branding for a business in this field can also be a true reflection on how much they value the service they provide and the feelings of their customer. I've seen success in the logos I've created for practitioners and health care providers, which is so great to see, and all their hard work, not only during COVID-19, but always, shouldn't go unnoticed.
5 Ways to Re-energise your Brand using Design in 2020
Everyone can certainly agree that the start of 2020 has been tough for a lot of individuals and companies alike, with Coronavirus. Here in Australia, we’ve also had to battle bushfires over the New Year, resulting in a large downturn in business for a prolonged period of time.
However, with every dip comes a rise, and the light at the end of the COVID-19 tunnel is gaining momentum. With the release of the COVIDSafe app, many people in Australia are hopeful of a return to normality, and for businesses this means reopening. It’s important to reopen safely, so customers can regain trust in your business. Graphic Design is a great way to demonstrate trust, along with well written articles and collateral to assist your design.
To spark interest in your product or service, it’s important to jump the competition, and knowing when that would be can be tricky, but to be ahead of the eight ball is certainly an advantage. We’ve already seen how some companies are already doing this.
The design may be slightly different to your usual, strict brand guidelines, but by having a slightly different design shows versatility in your company too. Customers will love to see you being more approachable that usual, if your companies design doesn’t lend that way.
In my ten years of professional design experience, I’ve had the opportunity to refresh many brands and these five methods are a great way to re-energise your brand through design marketing in the upcoming months:
Using design in social media to promote your business as a whole
By using social media to promote your business as a whole is a great idea at the best of times. It can also be used to target a specific service or product, and that’s certainly fine too. However, with some clever graphics and design, using social media to promote your business as a whole is very important. In a time like this, creating a design visual that is friendly and approachable is what people really need. Businesses want to allow customers to feel as though their brand is trustworthy, so using certain colours, imagery, cues and typography can allow that to be the case.
Reminding customers through the use of Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn or any other social media platforms that your company utilises, that you still exist, is important. To demonstrate that you’re looking out for them, and supporting them through this period of time (even without trying to sell a certain product or service) can be great messaging for them. The design used to do this can be different to your usual style, but doesn’t have to be too separate from your brand.
Future-proof your business through design
We know that, when COVID-19 ‘finishes’ that the world will be a different place. Designing collateral, such as print and web advertising knowing what will be different in the future gives you a jump-start on the competition. Will people be outside more? Have people taken up new hobbies, such as cycling, running and walking? Maybe people are reading more books, or using LEGO more (I know I am!). What this means, is if you have an in-demand product or service, which allows the freedom and escape that people are after, your business could thrive using design to communicate that message.
I know if I had a business that allowed people to be outdoors, have fun and use their product or service, that now would be a great time to design based around that. Using design, along with well thought out marketing and text, can certainly get that message across.
Designing promotional material for a product or service
We know plenty of businesses and individuals are struggling financially, so having a marketing campaign designed around having a sale for a product or service could be a good idea. Through the use of design, this can have surprising effects too, and whether it’s a print or online focused sale, the design can still be eye-catching and engaging for your customers. It should also be considered that if you have a product or service which is in demand, that helps a customer through this period of time, that a customer will love to reach out to you if you offer a product or service to them.
Designing for a sale should be tasteful and respectful to the customer your targeting. Showing value or worth through design, through the use of colour and type can help. Designing a campaign with different variations of the one product can also allow the campaign to market towards different customers.
Using an engaging website design to sell and market products
You don’t necessarily need an online store to sell your product or service. It is, of course, and option for many, but not critical. A website design that is informative, visually interesting, accurate and usable also, in fact, sells a product or service. Many website designs used for marketing result in a contact form, phone number or email address (much like my own), but to visually communicate the right message to customers is one of the most important messages to get across. This, of course, is done through the use of graphic design and visual imagery.
Having your website reflect the current situation of the world, and having a calm, understand tone and visual imagery not only allows your business to show that you care, but speaks to your customers and notifies them that you’re still in business.
Design for your customers and make them feel wanted
I stress, in most of the material I write, that designing specifically for your customers is so important. When your customers are unsure about what to do to begin 2020, showing that your business is calm and stable through the use of design reinforces what they already know. However, as I said earlier, to perhaps alter the colour palette in a smart, concise way or altering the typography and products and services you specifically market can be exactly what your customers are looking for. If, by promoting to help them through isolation, and your product or service will help them achieve that, then design collateral with that at the forefront of your mind. Designing marketing material which soothes them, and relaxes them for the now, but also can re-energise them (and your brand) in the future, is reassuring.
So, those are my 5 pieces of design advice to you, and your business, to get you through this difficult time. I know 2020 has been a difficult start for many businesses not only in Australia, but around the world, but by designing material that can get you (and your customers) through this phase and also assist your business when everything goes back to ‘normal’ is critical in the success of your business and customer retention.
When to rebrand and give your company a fresh new logo?
It can be difficult to know when to complete a company rebrand, especially because workflow and customer quantities can change so quickly and with a certain amount of unpredictability. As we all know, a lot of considerations need to be accounted for in order to rebrand. Should you do it when your company direction changes? When business is starting to slow? Just because it's been a certain amount of time? So, when is the best time to give your company a fresh new logo, brand and identity? Lets take a look, dive in and try and find out!
Company duration – maybe it's time for a change!
A lot of companies will say to themselves "I've been in business for 3 years / 5 years / 10 years – maybe it's time for a change in logo." If we think about what you're really asking yourself in this question, it's purely that you're bored and feel like the company needs a facelift. Maybe it does, maybe it doesn't, but time alone isn't a defining factor as to needing a change in logo design and branding for your company.
Duration of a business can be, and is, a good thing. To have a business gather and maintain traction of a period of time means that ultimately there's an element of success. You have to ask yourself why you would change the look of your company, and if it's out of boredom then that's probably the wrong was to look at your company.
When business is failing / starting to slow?
It could be argued that during slow times, a new logo may not benefit you, as resources could be thinning. However, to have a new brand and logo in this period of time could be exactly what you need to gather traction once again. A new, fresh look for your brand allows you to market more, to tell a different story and to generate a talking point where there wasn't one.
A new logo for your business, in your eyes
If you think about a new logo and what it does to the mentality of the business, and your mentality, it gives you almost a fresh start. Depending on the new design and how close it is to your existing branding, change here can be considered a good thing. It plays a little bit into my next point, but the ability to re-market with a new, revised direction, to be proud once again, a new vision and hope can be extremely revitalizing for all involved.
A new logo in the eyes of your customers
Customers can appreciate a new logo – they've done it for years. The new talking point that you're generating, gives the customer a new perspective about your business. For them, it can almost feel like having a shower and feeling fresh again. If they see your product or service with a new logo and branding, they may consider you once again, whereas they may not have with the same branding as is ingrained into their mind.
A change in company direction
The single most important reason to rebrand is because the existing company logo and branding doesn't resonate with the message your company is trying to portray. If your logo is outdated, both in style and message, then your customers will be able to tell. And, if we draw that connection back to my previous point, where business is failing and starting to slow, it may be because of the misdirection in your current logo and branding. If your product and service isn't fitting for your socio-economic group at the time, then visual communication is lost between company and customer.
The same can be said for branding, where the logo may actually still be fitting, but the branding surrounding the company logo may need to be adjusted to connect with the customer.