Make your logo unlike anyone else’s. Imitation will just get you mixed up with other businesses — and you don’t want that.

Think of the most iconic logos in circulation — Apple, McDonald’s, Twitter. What do they have in common? They don’t overdo it. All rely on one very simple symbol to capture people’s attention. Apple and Twitter don’t even include any words in the logo. They don’t need to. The right font, character or illustration should sum up your company with no extras needed. The image you choose should be dynamic, so it’s memorable. But don’t load it down with excess wordiness or art. A logo should tell a story in a glance.

In sum, the essential elements of great logo design are: Simplicity Distinctiveness Ability to Make an Impression Timelessness Reflection of Your Business By heeding these five principles and incorporating them into your new design, you can come up with a great new company logo people will recognize and trust. It may take you a few tries to get the right look, but the hard work will pay off with better branding. Let’s walk through each step one by one to explore what makes the best logo design.