Can you make my logo any bigger?

We get this question quite a bit, particularly with reference to websites, and we completely understand the reasoning behind the question… you have this beautiful, shiny branding tool and you want to see it at its biggest, boldest and most visible; so why not ‘blow it up’?

Well there are some very good reasons we don’t encourage this ‘explosion’.

1. A larger logo can detract from your brand.

Clients aren’t there to see your logo… we know this statement can be difficult to swallow. While you must be proud of your business logo, it’s important to keep your ‘brand ego’ at bay. An over-inflated logo can actually reduce the impact of other brand elements and your overall brand message!

Take your website header for example. Inserting an enormous logo at the top of the page, which will subsequently expand the website header, pushes all the other content down the page, thus absorbing some valuable space ‘above the fold’. This area is invaluable when it comes to communicating an instant message to users.

Above the fold refers to the portion of the website that is immediately viewable without any further scrolling action.

If you want to show pride in your branding identity, focus your energy on continuously creating engaging content, via online blogs or through social media, that keeps potential clients coming back to see what’s new.

2. The logo has little effect on your website hierarchy.

The header at the top of the page sets the scene for the entire website, from top to bottom, page to page. Depending on the company, this area can be filled with various contact details, login sections, social media buttons, the navigation menu and of course the all important logo… well, exactly how important is it? Your logo doesn’t offer any services, it certainly isn’t for sale and it doesn’t provide a call-to-action. So why should it take the most prominence?

The underlying message here is that every design needs balance and consideration, by placing too much emphasis on one element you can easily diminish the impact of others.

3. A big logo can make you look insecure, really?

Yes, really! Similar to the way one might roll their eyes when you hear the roar of an engine coming down the street only to spin around and see a short balding man driving a car with an oversized spoiler. There is a stench of overcompensation. Desperation perhaps? Anyway, it’s just not a good look.

Let your content, not your logo, do the talking.

In Summary

As we’ve preached numerous times before your logo holds a powerful place within your business branding, but with great power comes great responsibility (pardon the Spider-Man reference). It must be treated with care and consideration when leading the front line of your branding battles.