How to Check If Your Logo Is Bad

Making sure your logo is actually good matters for your brand. Most owners never check. They just live with it.

Here's a check you can run yourself, honestly, in about ten minutes.

The eight point logo check

1. Does it match your brand?

See if your logo matches your values and what you stand for. It should show what your brand is about and connect with your audience. If your business has leveled up since the logo was made, this is usually the first point it fails.

2. Is it nice to look at?

Look at the colors, fonts, shapes, and layout. It should be pleasing to look at, and everything should fit well together. Awkward spacing and clashing pieces count against you.

3. Is it original?

Compare your logo with others in your field. Make sure it stands out and doesn't look like another logo. Being unique helps people remember your brand. Put yours in a row with five competitors. If it blends into the lineup, so do you.

4. Does it work everywhere?

Your logo should look good in different places and sizes, from business cards to big signs. Check that it stays clear and readable in all formats. Shrink it to the size of a thumbnail. Whatever turns to mush is what your customers actually see most of the time.

5. Do the colors work?

Colors make people feel things and send messages. See if yours match your brand's message and appeal to your audience. Try different color versions if needed. And print it in pure black and white once. If it falls apart without color, color was doing a job the design should've been doing.

6. Is the font clear?

Make sure the fonts are easy to read and match your brand's tone. The lettering should go well with the rest of the design, not fight it. Read it from across the room. That's how fast a sign has to work.

7. Ask for feedback

Get opinions from your team, your customers, and design experts. They'll see things you've gone blind to.

8. Watch how it performs

Track how your logo performs over time. Recognition, customer interest, and sales are the real report card.

Here's a low tech version of that tracking. Next time a new customer calls, ask how they found you and what they remember seeing. If people keep describing your business but can't describe your mark at all, the logo isn't sticking, no matter how long it's been out there.

Failing two or more is a signal

One weak point can be a taste call. Several weak points together mean the logo is costing you, quietly.

Be honest about the results

A warning about running this check on your own logo. You're the worst judge of it, because you see the business behind it. Your customers only see the mark.

That's why the feedback step isn't filler. Show the logo to people who don't know your business, at phone size, for five seconds, and ask what kind of company it is and whether it looks expensive or cheap.

The answers might sting. They're also the closest thing to market research most small businesses ever do on their branding.

If you want help putting this into practice, our Orlando logo design work is built for exactly this, especially if you're dealing with a brand that feels outdated. Related reading: why your logo design is not working.

Not sure where your brand stands? Take the free brand audit quiz first. It takes about three minutes, and it'll show you the bottleneck. Or skip straight to a free brand consult if you already know the problem.