You likely know nothing about graphic design if you want to brand your company’s logo. Fortunately for you, this guide is here to help! We’ll walk through each step in designing a logo for an automotive company and show you how to create a strong brand message with just a straightforward image.
1. Determine the target audience
- Determine the target audience: The first step in creating an automotive logo for your automotive company is to decide who you want to sell your product.
The target audience is the people you are trying to reach with your products or services. For example, if you have a website that sells items for small businesses and entrepreneurs, your target audience would be small business owners and entrepreneurs.
- Decide what they want from you: Once you know who the best prospective customers are, it’s time to determine what these people want from what you’re selling them.
You can do this by taking some time and asking yourself questions about their needs or desires when it comes to buying products or using services like yours—what problems do they have? What is preventing them from being successful at whatever they’re doing? How can I help solve those problems?
2. Check out the competition
You should always be aware of what your competition is doing. You don’t want to copy them, but you can learn from them, especially regarding logo design.
Look at their logos and see if there are any similarities in the design. Is their logo also red? Do they use white space around the text? Is there a particular font they all seem to use? You may want to avoid these things when designing your logo because someone has already done them with more experience than you do now.
3. Think about your company’s message
As you think about your company’s message and what kind of car company logo will represent that message, keep these things in mind:
- Professional or fun? You’ll want to pick a look that reflects the type of company you are in. Do you want to look professional? Or do you want something more fun and playful?
- Memorable. Your logo needs to be memorable if it’s going to stand out from the crowd.
- Non-copyrighted ideas. Make sure that any images and colors you include in your design don’t have copyright restrictions—you can find this information on Google by typing “image rights” into the search bar and then clicking Images (the first result). Consider using stock photos or illustrations instead of original work if this is an issue.
4. Consider your design style
Your automotive logo design style should be consistent with your brand. For example, if you’re a luxury automotive brand, you may choose an elegant script font that looks like something out of a magazine or high-end fashion house. If you’re a more casual “sports car” company, consider a bolder and more modern look.
If you have multiple brands under the same umbrella (like BMW’s M sub-brand), keep in mind how they relate to each other when designing their logos.
For example, A car manufacturer might want to create distinct logos for each one of its brands so that they don’t get confused with one another—but if those brands all belong together under the same parent company name like BMW does, then it may make more sense instead just to use one unified brand image across all products instead.
5. Choose the right colors
When choosing the right colors, keep in mind the following:
- Use a color that is associated with the industry. For example, if you are a car manufacturer, use bright and bold shades of red and blue. If you’re selling motorcycles, go for cool grays and blacks.
- Use a color that is associated with your brand. For example, if you sell luxury cars then choose bolder versions of pastels or neutral tones like browns and golds which reflect elegance and classiness.
- Use a color that is associated with your target audience. If they are young adults then use lighter shades like pinks or yellows – these are playful hues that show off vibrancy while also being fun! If it’s older drivers then choose darker tones like navy blues or dark greens – these have more maturity about them which makes those products feel more reliable for those drivers who want something more reliable (like our insurance company).
6. Pick the right typeface
When you’re choosing a typeface, it’s best to stick with one that is easy to read. You want your logo to be clear and consistent. If you can’t easily make out the letters in your logo, then it will probably struggle to resonate with customers too.
Using an appropriate font for your brand is also important. When choosing a typeface, consider whether it fits with the rest of your branding materials: does it match the colors and imagery you’ve already established? Will people associate this font with other companies who use similar logos? The answers will help determine which direction you should go in when making a selection.
A good rule of thumb when deciding on font is to avoid using several different ones within one design: instead, pick just one main font (or perhaps two) and stick with those throughout all applications so they become instantly recognizable as part of your brand identity system.
7. Be original
Originality is a powerful tool for logo design. It will help you stand out and make your brand memorable, but it’s also something that many people struggle with. If you are wondering how to be original when designing a logo, take the time to consider your brand’s personality. When it comes down to it, there are a lot of ways to be original:
- Don’t use cliches (like silhouettes of cars or old-fashioned lettering) unless they fit in well with your overall brand image
- Don’t copy other logos (even if they’re really popular)
- Do take risks and don’t be afraid of being different
8. Use negative space
The use of negative space is a common design technique. It can be used to create a visual impact and help you create a logo that stands out, as well as one that’s memorable. This is because it adds dimensionality and an interesting texture to your logo.
Think about how many logos have circular shapes or half circles in them. These are simple ways to incorporate negative space into your logo and make it stand out.
You can also use color contrast between the image or text on your company’s website against the color of the background behind it to emphasize important information while making sure other parts remain visible. Still, they don’t take away from what you want people to look at first!
Final words
The design of a company logo is a challenge, and there’s no one-size-fits-all solution. The most important thing is to create something that reflects your brand and audience. You may want to start with some tips above, but don’t be afraid to experiment!
If you’re still unsure about where everything fits together, try sketching out ideas until something clicks. Once you have an idea that works well visually (and matches your company’s message), it should be easy to bring it into reality using Designhill or another similar tool.