Your logo is the anchor of your visual identity. It appears everywhere and that means it has to work everywhere. It needs to look like it’s right where it belongs. It needs to always look like it was placed there on purpose.
What makes a good logo
Simple: can be reproduced at any size, from a tiny favicon (the little logo in the web browser tab) to a massive banner. It doesn’t need to be intricate or a tapestry.
Memorable: distinctive enough to stick in the mind and convey something other than love hearts or disability.
Versatile: works in colour, black and white, reversed on dark backgrounds. It has a lot of places to be, so it needs to be versatile. Nothing is worse than trying to cram a rigid logo into positions and places it doesn’t quite fit.
Timeless: Not tied to a design trend that’ll look dated in 3 years, or referencing something that’s happening in the sector or society right now. Good design ages well.
Relevant: Appropriate for your sector and audience. Look up Nokia’s first logomark. Completely bizarre and swiftly updated and changed to what it is now. Again, trees aren’t relevant and they are a lazy analogy. Relevant doesn’t mean obvious. Like; we work with people with spinal cord injuries so we need a logo made out of wheelchairs. No. Instead make it relevant to what you offer or specific to how you want to make people feel.
Types of logos
Wordmark: just the name in a distinctive typeface (think Google, Coca-Cola)
Lettermark: initials only (IBM, HBO)
Logomark: a standalone graphic (Apple, Nike)
Combination mark: wordmark + logomark also called a ‘locked’ logo or a ‘lock up’ as they are locked together.
Emblem: name inside a shape or badge (often used in community organisations)
For most NDIS providers, a combination mark is the safest and most versatile choice. If you are creating a brief for a designer, you should ask for a combination mark, as well as the wordmark and logomark as seperate files. DISBRANDED has both the colourful orb (logomark) and our DISBRANDED logo (wordmark).
File types
JPEG (.jpg) Best for: digital use where file size matters
JPEGs are compressed files – small, fast-loading, widely compatible. Good for email signatures, social profile images, and anywhere you need a small file. The downside: every time you edit and save a JPEG, it loses a little quality. Never edit your original JPEG logo.
Use when: email signatures, social media profile images, website use where file size is critical.
PNG (.png) Best for: digital use with transparent backgrounds
PNGs are the workhorse of digital logo use. They support transparent backgrounds (meaning your logo sits cleanly on any coloured surface without a white box around it), they’re sharp and clear, and they maintain quality when resaved. They will still pixelate if you try to make them much larger than the original.
Use when: websites, presentations, letterheads, watermarks, anywhere you need a transparent background. This is your go-to digital file.
PDF (.pdf) Best for: sharing with designers and printers
PDFs contain vector information – meaning they can be scaled to any size without losing quality. Most professional designers and printers will ask for a PDF because they can work with it in any application.
Use when: sending to a designer, printer, or signage company. Business cards, stickers, merchandise.
EPS (.eps) Best for: professional print and design work
EPS is the most versatile professional format. Fully scalable, fully editable (with the right software), and supports all colour models. If a designer asks for your logo files, give them the EPS.
Use when: working with professional designers and agencies on print or large-format work.
SVG (.svg) Best for: websites and digital applications requiring scalable graphics
SVG files are vector files built for the web. They scale perfectly at any size, load fast, and look sharp on every screen including high-resolution displays. Increasingly used for website logos.
Use when: website development, app icons, digital applications where crisp scaling matters.
AI (.ai) Best for: your designer’s working file
AI files are Adobe Illustrator source files – the original editable version of your logo. Keep these safe. You’ll need them if you ever want to modify your logo or recreate it in a new format. Never send these to anyone you don’t fully trust.
Use when: providing to a designer for logo modifications only.
Colour models
Beyond file types, your logo also comes in different colour models. This matters because screens and printers produce colour differently.
RGB (Red, Green, Blue) For screens. All digital displays – phones, computers, tablets – produce colour by mixing red, green and blue light. Your logo’s RGB files are built for this. Use RGB for anything digital.
CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Key/Black) For print. Professional printers mix four inks to produce colour. RGB colours printed using CMYK can look different – often duller – if not converted correctly. Use CMYK files for all printed materials.
Pantone For brand-critical print. Pantone is a standardised colour matching system. When exact colour consistency across every printed material matters, Pantone references ensure your brand colour is identical every time regardless of the printer.
Greyscale For single-colour print. When printing in black and white or on a surface that won’t support colour.
Colour profiles (versions of your logo)
Your logo also comes in multiple colour versions for different backgrounds.
Full colour – your logo in its primary colours. Use on white or light backgrounds.
Inverted/reversed – your logo reversed out for dark backgrounds. If your primary logo is dark, the inverted version is light (often white) so it reads clearly on dark surfaces.
White – white version for use on any coloured or photographic background.
Black – black version for single-colour applications.
Greyscale – grey tones for non-colour print applications.
Red flags in logo design
- Stock icon with your name typed next to it
- Clip art or generic shapes
- Too many colours
- Too much detail that disappears at small sizes
- Only provided as a JPG (no vector files)
Exercise
Evaluate your current logo against the five criteria above. Where does it pass? Where does it fail? Note what you’d want to fix or change.