Vintage Logo Design 101: A QUICK GUIDE ON WHAT You Need to Know

Are you a vintage curator looking to create a logo for your business’s unique style? As a vintage curator and graphic designer, I’ve got some simple tips to help you make the perfect logo for your vintage business. Creating a brand identity is crucial for any business, especially vintage sellers. In this article, I’ll share some simple tips to help you create a memorable logo and brand identity.

Know Your Business and Your Target Audience

Before creating a logo, it’s essential to understand your business and your target audience. Ask yourself some questions: What’s the name of your business? What do you sell? Who are your customers? Once you have a clear idea of your business, it’s time to get inspired by creating a mood board and sketching out your ideas.

For instance, say you have a business named “Nostalgic Threads Chic,” which sells vintage clothing, accessories, and jewelry to women ages 25-35 who love vintage chic fashion.

Get Inspired

After understanding your business and target audience, it’s time to get inspired. Create a mood board on Pinterest and check out logos from similar businesses, not to copy, but to get inspiration. Abel Quezada’s work has been a huge source of inspiration for me. As an illustrator and political cartoonist, his vintage-style work really catches my eye. I find myself drawn to the old print styles found in magazines and other marketing materials from the 60s and 70s eras. You can see one of his works as an example above.

Using the example “Nostalgic Threads Chic,” start sketching out any ideas that come to mind, such as icons for hangers, jewelry accessories, fashion-related icons, and textures. Remember, you don’t have to be a perfect artist. Just get the ideas out of your head!

Design Your Logo

When designing your logo, it’s essential to keep it simple and memorable. Choose your color palette and create your logo in your favorite software. Your logo should represent your business and appeal to your target audience. Make sure it stands out and is easy to remember.

Pay Attention to Design Elements

Basic design elements are crucial when building your logo. Keep your color palette to 3-4 colors and respect the white space in the design. Good font pairing can also make a huge difference in your logo’s overall look and feel.

Additionally, it’s good to know the difference between a logo and a logomark and have both versions for your brand. What is the difference, you ask? The difference between a logo and a logomark is like the difference between a whole pizza and a single slice.

A logo is like the whole package deal. It’s the visual representation of your brand, including any typography, symbols, or other design elements that make up your brand’s identity.

On the other hand, a logomark is like a sidekick, Robin to Batman. It’s a simplified, iconic image or symbol that represents your brand without using any text. Think of it as the ultimate wingman to your logo. It can be used as a standalone image or incorporated into your logo design.

Create Various Size and Layout Options

When it comes to your logo, you want it to look great on all platforms. That means you need to create different logo sizes and formats so they will retain their elements and look the same when displayed in various sizes. One way to ensure your logo always looks good is to create it in a vector image. High-end graphic software, like Adobe Illustrator, can help you do this. Vectorizing your logo keeps the integrity of the design without losing any pixels.

Another cool thing you can do is create shorter icons that you can use for different marketing materials. Shorter icons can help your brand stand out and be easily recognizable.

Some Parting Thoughts

Creating a logo for your vintage business is vital to building your brand identity. Whether you decide to make your logo on your own or hire a professional, these tips will help you create a memorable and visually appealing logo. Remember, be creative, stay true to your style, and have fun! With these tips, you’ll be on your way to creating a standout logo for your vintage business.

Do you have a comment or question, drop us a line in the comments.