Designing a startup logo is as important as an impactful mission statement. It embodies the identity of a company, conveys its purpose and soul. A well-defined logo should be a snapshot of what a startup is all about. From the typeface to the borders and color schemes, it all counts.
Whether a startup is beginning from scratch or redesigning their logo, it should be with an eye toward future use. Will a graphic design work with custom neon signs in a storefront, as an online masthead, and in promotional emails? If not, get back to the drawing board. A logo should be memorable and versatile for company needs. Take a look at these five highly successful startup logos for inspiration and create the best image for your startup.
1. Fivespark
As an app development and deployment company, Fivespark needed to inspire technological confidence and ease with a simple graphic. Tech companies tend to stick to streamlined and minimalistic designs, just as we hope our UI and experience will be.
This simple graphic combines an eye-catching orange with five spokes reaching out. When you think about the type of work they do, app deployment this seems like a fitting logo. A white spoke that is closed off may represent the source of information, the origin, the beginning. The combination of weighted and thin typefaces makes this an eye-catching, yet simplistic, design.
The color scheme is comprised of just three main colors: orange, white and a graphite grey. There is a slight gradient to the orange color, from light to darker orange, keeping it fresh for viewers. The simple color scheme makes this logo very easy to incorporate in print and web materials. It would be easy to create signage with this design as well. There are no frills or complex lines.
2. Pinterest
The iconic, curlicue letter “P” is as memorable and widespread as the lowercase Facebook “f” or the Twitter bird logo. The crimson Pinterest logo encourages people to share, or “in” their favorite posts and images. Pinterest logo Designers Michael Deal and Carlos Pagan have posted an in-depth blog about the creative process at work in designing their logo, from the full script masthead to the letter P.
Look carefully and you’ll realize that the letter is actually a pictograms of a map pin, the sharp end of the pin being the leg of the “P”. This clever double entendre elevate the complexity of meaning with the Pinterest logo, but the simplicity of the design makes it ideal for web and print use.
3. Spotify
This startup turned music juggernaut uses a simple green logo with sound waves oscillating away from the “o” of Spotify to give viewers a sense of motion and sound. The kelly green of the logo evokes feelings of freshness, and the color is associated with relaxation and harmony.
The friendliness of their logo encourages the sharing of playlists and content via social media, in a similar manner as the Pinterest app.
4. Sphero
Augmented reality was never so much fun! Sphero is a miniature robotic sphere that is remotely controlled by a mobile device, like a smartphone or tablet. The little logo of a zooming blue sphere with oddly shaped eyes conveys a sense of motion and cuteness. It’s almost pet-like, evoking thoughts of a small digital pet, perhaps a Tomagotchi.
The sphere shape is friendly, lacking sharp corners and edges. The overall logo design invites users to treat it with playfulness, racing Spheros across the house and through obstacles.
5. Flipboard
Consuming news online via a tablet has never been so seamless and enjoyable. The Flipboard UI and logo work together, demonstrating the founders’ vision of easy-to-access news that is continually refreshing at the pace of life.
The overall shape of the red and white logo is similar to the letter “F,” but is composed of little blocks of varying opacity. This can symbolize bite-sized portions of information, fading in and disappearing throughout one’s Flipboard experience. The logo also fits nicely over photographic content, the varying opacities allowing a unique look at a picture behind it.
This is a stellar example of a versatile startup logo.
“Startups” image courtesy of Shutterstock.
