There is an unshakeable sentimental value attached to logos. That’s why brands spend a lot of money on professional logo design. And this is particularly true with consumer goods like clothes, for example.
Every day there is a new fashion brand popping up. With the growing popularity of social commerce, even small brands manage to go big in the world of marketing. So, to stay ahead in the game, you need a strong brand identity. And brand identity starts with a memorable logo design.
Logos can be of so many types depending on what goes into the design. One of the simplest forms in logo design is the monogram logo. As you must have guessed from the name, these are logos with just the initials of the brand name. They are also called lettermark logos since the design only has one or two letters representing the brand.
Why are we talking about monogram logos in particular? Because this is one of the most popular types you might find in the world of fashion. Think Chanel or Louis Vuitton!
A monogram logo is an intricate combination of letters. But at the end of the day, that’s all there is to them – a combination of letters. This is what makes them simple. And simpler designs are easier to remember.
Getting customers to remember your logo can create a huge value for fashion brands. On a rack filled with clothes, customers will instantly recognize clothes from your brand. 73% of consumers prefer buying from brands they know.
As a rule of thumb, the lifespan of a logo design is around ten years. Provided the logo captures the essence of the brand’s persona and resonates with the target audience. Otherwise, you might have to redesign the logo to win over your audience.
With that said, you should also know that a well-designed monogram logo can easily stand the test of time. Fonts go out of style or even colors do. But monograms, when designed to reflect your brand’s signature style might remain trendy for a long time.
One thing most logo designers strive to achieve is versatility. You want the logo to look good on different surfaces and on different background colors. This kind of versatility is easier to achieve with a monogram logo.
A beautiful monogram logo looks as beautiful engraved on a wallet as it does when embedded in a digital ad. It has the same impact when you print it small on a business card or scale it up for a billboard ad. Given the small size, they fit into most spaces without sacrificing the least bit in terms of the impact.
Knowing that monogram logos can benefit fashion brands a great deal, you should also know strong design lies at the crux of it. So, here are some design tips to begin with.
A well-designed monogram logo combines the effect of brandmark or abstract logos (that have only symbols) and wordmark logos (that have the brand name). You can use the monograms individually or in combination with the brand name. Either way, the style you choose for your monogram will represent your brand’s style. And this is particularly important in fashion.
The easiest way for a fashion brand to set itself apart from the competition is to capture the unique style of clothing or accessories the brand offers. So, if your brand is about luxury fashion, the monogram is more refined. If eclectic styles are what you offer, your monogram design is unique and edgy. So, the moment your customers see your monogram logo they will understand the styles your brand caters to.
You can create a lot of drama by adding a lot of colors to a simple monogram logo. Or stylize the letters and keep the color palette simple. The key is to convey the ultimate meaning of your logo. Understand and establish the distinctive style of your fashion brand.
A lot depends on the colors you choose. Remember that the colors you use in your logo will be the precursors to your brand colors. They make the first impression and evoke the first emotional reaction from your audience. So, you need to be very sure about the colors you pick. Know the cultural influences on color perception. And an overview of color psychology.
Monograms are known for their simplicity. Do not let a complicated color palette complicate the monogram design. Using as few colors as possible ensures a design that looks good everywhere.
The fonts you choose for your logo tell a lot about your brand at the first glance. The presence or absence of serif, the curves, and flourishes in the letters, and the bounce or orientation of each letter can all influence the overall mood of the logo. It all begins with picking the right typeface that resonates with your brand’s personality.
Once you know the letters that will go into the monogram, ensure that these letters look good in the chosen typeface.
Even if it is just one letter in the monogram, you can add a lot of character to the logo design by intuitively utilizing the negative space. Look at the below logo design for example.
If you think that a symbol will effectively capture the sentiments of your brand, try to incorporate this symbol within the negative space in the monogram design. This way, you will have an additional layer of meaning without visual clutter.
Once you have picked the colors and fonts, get creative with respect to the placement of the letters. Interlocked letters, letters connected without kerning (spacing), and vertically stacked letters are some of the common styles to explore.
Other than these styles, you can also add ornate details to add a new dimension to these letters. But whatever you do, remember not to ignore the layout of the design. It should be visually balanced so as to stay strong in terms of aesthetic appeal.
Adhering to design concepts like the golden ratio will help make maximum impact with the smallest of designs like a monogram logo.
In the end, the design should appeal to the people your brand targets. The overall visual style should match the persona of the ideal customer for your brand.
Louis Vuitton, for example, primarily targets affluent middle-aged women. The design of the Louis Vuitton monogram is a timeless and sophisticated style. Its traditional serif font captures the heritage of the brand while the simpler layout keeps it relevant to the current trends.
Similarly, your clothing company logo should be designed so as to win the hearts of your target customers. Know what they like, symbols, and colors they feel most connected with. Understanding your target audience makes it easier to come up with an effective monogram logo design.
Ensure that your monogram logo is simple enough for your customers to understand. See if the inherent meaning is clear. And remember to use the right brand colors and fonts. Still got doubts? Talk to your design team and work on mockups. This will give you a clear picture of how the logo will look on the final product. If it fulfills what you have in mind, then you have a great monogram. Remember that your monogram logo will be used on different surfaces and will be scaled up and down based on the requirement. So, have a high-quality vector file to work with.
