your logo needs a sidekick

I’m not talking the caped kind, although that would be kinda cool.  I’m talking about secondary logos: variations of your primary logo for use across your full brand story.

Their purpose?  To maintain consistency and build depth within your visual identity.

While routinely using your primary logo helps build recognition and meaning, there’s going to be times when it’s just not practical to use.  Ever tried cramming a horizontal logo into a circular profile image?  It ain’t pretty.  Or legible.  And by stretching, cropping or squeezing your carefully-crafted logo into somewhere it’s just not designed to go, you’re actually damaging your visual brand.

Pixelated, mis-cropped logos don’t entice people in.  In fact, quite the opposite.  This is where the flexibility of having secondary logo options available steps in.  Think of them as your primary logo’s BFF, their sidekick.  They’re there in the background, making your logo look good, doing all the heavy lifting, while your primary logo takes all the credit.

Often simplified or re-arranged versions of your primary design, secondary options provide variety while maintaining cohesion in situations where using your main logo is impractical.  Size constraints and design limitations are the most common cause for choosing a logo variant, but it’s almost impossible to expect that one logo design would tick all the boxes, and this is what makes logo variations so valuable.

PRIMARY AND SECONDARY LOGO EXAMPLES

Below is an example of a full logo suite created for floristry studio, St. Floral:

While their primary logo is square, it made sense to include horizontal, more compact options for versatility.

While your primary logo will always be the go-to when it comes to representing your business, don’t be shy about giving your alternate designs some love too.  Any successful brand story would be incomplete without their inclusion and your logo can’t carry the load alone.