Logos are one of the most important element of a company’s visual identity. They are centrally featured on websites, storefronts, products, and advertisements. They are used to up awareness and boost sales. They are how consumers recognize and differentiate one brand from another. It is no surprise, then, that brand managers often seek to master the art of creating effective logo designs.
What Does the Symmetry of Your Logo Say About Your Brand?
A study on how consumers perceive design.
March 12, 2020
Vesna Jovanovic/EyeEm/Getty Images
Summary.
People tend to perceive symmetrical shapes as more attractive and preferable, in comparison to asymmetrical ones. As such, it is not surprising that brand managers favor using symmetrical logos. But, despite the large number of companies using symmetrical logos, little has been written about whether such designs can also backfire and harm brand equity. To test this, researchers conducted six studies comparing the impact symmetrical logos and asymmetrical logos have on brand perception. Broadly speaking, their findings suggest that brand managers and designers should keep brand personality in mind when (re)designing logos. Consumers were less likely to associate brands with feelings of excitement when the logo was symmetrical, and more likely to associate brands with feelings of excitement when the logo was asymmetrical. This suggests that brands hoping to evoke feelings of excitement among consumers may want to design asymmetrical logos.