Initially, the word “responsive” was associated with the design of a website and how it “responded” to different screen sizes from various devices, such as smartphones, laptops, and tablets. A very “responsive” website adjusts the contents of a page to display in the most optimized way to fit a screen of any size. Similarly, a responsive logo is a logo that can adapt to the display of any device, maintaining brand integrity.
The Benefits of a Responsive Logo
So what, precisely, is a responsive logo? Besides being able to adapt to any screen size in existence, a responsive logo has to be flexible enough to change from complexity to simplicity and into the most minimal design. Nowadays, there are various smart devices with different screen sizes, from the large smart TV with 8K resolution to the smallest smartwatch. These various devices have access to the internet and allow individuals to browse through a list of businesses and click on their website. If your company has a website set up only to display on particular devices, you may have just lost a potential customer because your website would have looked chaotic and unprofessional. But there’s hope!
Here are some benefits for having a well-designed responsive logo:
- Gives an excellent first impression on your customers and competitors
- Projects professionalism in a competitive market
- Can be used in all variations and sizes of digital and print media while maintaining brand integrity
- Builds brand loyalty from customers
- Will give you a return on your investment
Why Does Your Business Need It?
In the past, companies used “contextual” logos on different print mediums. They’d experiment by changing the colors of the logo, depending on where it would be placed. They’d re-size to fit the logo stamped with gold foil on pens or notebooks or change the colors to monochrome if that’s more suitable. The ability to adjust your logo to suit the material had been done for many years, and with the digital age, it’s only slightly adapted, but not by much, for screens that vary from super large to super small.
The important point to remember is that holding on to a business logo that is rigid and inflexible may not be beneficial in this day and age, as customers are accessing businesses and shopping online more and more. You don’t want to be the one left behind.
5 Steps for Making Your Logo Responsive
So how does one begin to make their business logo responsive? Here are five steps to designing a responsive logo:
1. Create different versions (four, at least)
Consider how to break down your existing logo into at least four different versions, varying in size and detail. The first in the variation should be your master logo in complete detail, including any added frills that come with it.
2. Add or remove details when adjusting the scale
The idea is that as the screen scales up, more details will be added to your logo, and as it scales down, more details will be removed. As every logo is different, you may have to get creative on minimizing the clutter on your logo when it arrives at a smaller scale. For instance, if your company name is too long, you may want to use the initials instead, and so on.
3. Be consistent
The logo itself doesn’t have to be altered at all. Making it responsive is just offering four (or more) variations on an existing one. The overall colors and design elements remain the same, but only some elements are removed or added. Everything that belongs to the logo maintains the brand, so keeping brand consistency is essential. Perhaps the only thing that may have to be modified is the simplifying of your typography and the use of color for the small version.
4. Consider abstract symbols for small sizes
If you find that you’ve lost most of your original logo after it’s been scaled down, then one option is to use a new symbol to represent the original, especially if your logo is enclosed in a shape.
5. Think of stacking and rearranging
Sometimes, responsive logos aren’t all about re-sizing. It’s meant to be able to “respond” to fit in different situations and circumstances. And depending on the logo, there may be a way to use the stacking and rearranging method to “fit” better. If your logo has a few letters surrounded by a box, then perhaps it’s better to rearrange and stack them in different ways so you can pick out the most flexible option in different circumstances.
In today’s digital age, make your brand stand out by choosing a well-designed, responsive logo. It can capture users’ attention and even help convert them into customers—no matter the device they use.
