As we begin with this blog, let’s set the record straight. There is a big difference between personal branding and business branding. And knowing this difference is very important if you’re a new entrepreneur venturing into the business world.
Typically a business brand is a result of the identity you create for it irrespective of a person. It’s also separate from your personal name. A personal brand, however, starts with and is focused on a person.
This brings us to the focus of our blog today. If you’re an entrepreneur hoping to launch your brand then it’s time to design your personal logo.
So relax and ease in, we’re going to cover 6 simple steps that you can follow to design your personal logo. Let’s call it an easy-to-follow guide.
Here we go.
Having a personal brand means your audience or your followers are fixed on you and you alone in most cases. So when you design your personal logo, the inspiration for it stems from who you are. Meaning, your personality, your style, your strengths, and how you hope to present yourself should be the starting point for a logo concept.
Start by turning towards yourself and asking some all-important questions. Are you a fun character with a quirky personality? Or are you a serious person centered on a professional demeanor? Whichever it is, it’s YOU. So let all your logo design concepts be influenced by this factor.
Here’s where you should also think about a name to design your personal logo. In some cases, the business name will be the same as your name. Others may opt for a name that is closely tied to them. Whichever it is conduct a thorough evaluation to see if using your name is the best option or if using a name adjacent to your brand is better.
Conducting these evaluations will help you come up with logo concepts different from those of your competitors.
Additionally, the personality that you present in your logo should also tally with the industry or niche to which you belong. And that brings us to step 2.
Yes, when you design your personal logo you are at the heart of the brand. The aspirations that drive you in life along with other personal things do make up a large part of how your logo will look like. But it’s also equally important to ensure that your logo reflects (at least in a minor way) the industry and niche you belong to.
Whether you’re an influencer, a budding tech mogul, an actor, an entertainer, an author, or an inventor, your logo design should be a reflection of both your identity and your industry. To attract your audience effectively, your logo needs to blend who you are with the essence of your industry or niche.
There are ways in which you can implement this. And that’s what we’re going to look into in the next steps to design your personal logo.
There are 7 types of logo designs in the world of logo design. And every logo in circulation can be categorized into these types. Each type reflects a brand’s personality, offerings, industry, niche, standing, etc. That’s why when you design your personal logo, it’s important to choose the right logo type.
Out of these 7 types, the most popularly used type is the combination mark logo according to stats. This is probably because it allows brands to be more expressive and include an icon as well as a logo name.
But if you’d rather have just your name, then a wordmark logo or a letter mark logo would be the best option. Most celebrities who have personal logos use either one of these as it helps flaunt and market themselves. Others opt for pictorial mark logos owing to their extensive popularity.
Here are some examples of the personal logos of a few celebrities for inspiration:
Selena Gomez is an American singer, actress, and producer who gained widespread fame as a child star on the Disney Channel before transitioning into a successful music and film career.
She uses her full name as a wordmark logo. For other ventures like her beauty brand Rare Beauty, she uses a separate logo which is also a wordmark.
Tony Robbins is an American author, entrepreneur, and life coach known for his self-help books and motivational seminars. He gained fame through his books like “Awaken the Giant Within” and “Unlimited Power,” and he has coached celebrities, business leaders, and millions of individuals worldwide, building a personal brand.
He uses a wordmark logo with straightforward lettering suiting his brand and person. If you are in a similar niche then you can use this restrained creative direction to design your personal logo.
Neil Patel is a British-American entrepreneur, digital marketing expert, and author known for his work in SEO and online marketing. He has many personal brand business ventures as well as co-founded several other successful businesses.
He uses a letter mark logo paired with an additional word that gives a hint about his line of business – a tip you can use to design your personal logo.
We also have a blog on logos of influencers if you want to check it out.
And finally here’s a pro tip on choosing the logo type to design your personal logo: If you’re new to your industry or niche, we recommend a wordmark logo or a combination mark logo to better communicate your identity.
Another important step to consider when you design a personal logo is choosing the style. It’s not enough to just pick a logo type. In light of the previous steps we covered, it’s vital to narrow down on a logo style that communicates who you are and what you do.
There are styles like classical, retro, modern and minimalistic, futuristic, fun and quirky, and signature styles to name a few.
But how do you achieve such a style? Well, besides using appropriate icons and colors, the best way to achieve a desired style is to pick the right font. Fonts have a way of communicating your brand’s tone most fascinatingly.
Take a look at this famous example:
The font used for the famous Walt Disney logo is none other than the founder, Walt Disney’s signature. Not only is it a good font choice but it shows off his person and, the tone of his brand which is the whimsical cartoonish style that his brand is known for.
And now would be a great time to mention that creating a stylized version of your signature would be a great option for a personal logo design.
The bottom line is that it’s important to remember custom typography is a crowd-pleaser when you design your personal logo.
Going through the various steps of how to design your personal logo, we come to another important step. That’s choosing the color palette. You would need to keep in mind all the previous steps that we covered and collectively view everything when you’re coming up with a color palette.
Because color in itself has a psychological effect on the human brain. So whatever message or tone you’re trying to communicate with your logo, needs to coincide with the colors you use too. If you’re a lifestyle coach, a fashion icon, or someone in that niche then going for a very minimalistic, chic logo design in a monochrome color palette would better establish that tone.
But if you and your brand are centered around children, then exploring and incorporating different colors that stimulate the attention of such children would be perfect.
We find a perfect example of this in Ms.Rachel’s personal logo.
Ms. Rachel, also known as Rachel Griffin Accurso, is a beloved educator, songwriter, and social media personality who’s making a big impact on early childhood learning. She’s the creative force behind the popular YouTube channel “Songs for Littles,” where she helps toddlers develop language and speech skills through fun, interactive songs and videos.
This warm approach to kids’ entertainment and education is clearly evident in her logo. And the color scheme has a lot to do with how approachable the logo is to its intended audience.
Similarly, make color a priority when you design your personal logo.
This step applies to any kind of logo and not only when you design your personal logo. Having a wide range of options helps you analyze and settle on the best version. Not only that, this stage lets you explore different logo types, styles, colors, and fonts. In other words, it lets you follow different directions using the previous steps we discussed.
You can sketch different versions of your logo, use free logo makers to test out different versions or use an unlimited graphic design service to get as many personal logo options as you’d like.
Finally, what matters is that you end up with a logo that perfectly embodies your personal brand.
Let’s close things up with some FAQ’s.
An effective personal logo, besides reflecting your personality, should resonate with your target audience, clearly represent your brand identity, and be versatile enough to work across different mediums. As you design your personal logo it’s helpful to gather feedback from peers, clients, or even a professional to ensure your logo communicates the right message.
Absolutely! As your brand grows and evolves, it’s common to refresh or redesign your logo to reflect those changes. Just make sure any updates still align with your core identity and are rolled out consistently across all platforms when you design your personal logo anew.
While DIY tools and services can help you get started, hiring a professional designer can bring expertise and creativity that elevates your logo. Additionally, this also helps you create a unique logo unlike generic logo templates that most logo makers give you. If budget is a concern, consider using an unlimited graphic design service to design your personal logo at a fixed cost. And this fixed cost also covers all other marketing graphics you might need.
